Mentors/ Coordinators

mentors

Mawlana Asif Uddin(Boys' Mentor)

Mawlāna Asif Zia Uddin began his quest for knowledge at a very tender age. He completedmemorization of the Qurʾān (ḥifż) at the age of 15 from the Institute of Islamic Education (IIE). Soon thereafter, he began the ʿālimiyyah program (equivalent to a Master’s degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies) at IIE and graduated in the year 2012 at the age of 21. On his path to receiving ijāzah (certification) in the ʿālimiyyah program, he studied numerous Islamic and Arabic sciences, namely; Arabic grammar,morphology, rhetoric, Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), Qurʾānic exegesis (tafsīr), prophetic narrations (ḥadīth), and Islamic theology (ʿaqīdah). In 2016, he completed an undergraduate degree in Education from Benedictine University and taught at various public schools.

Mawlāna Asif has received ijāzah in the Qurʾān recitations of Ḥafṣ and Shuʿbah and is currently pursuing further ijāzahs. Due to his fervor for nutrition and holistic health, in 2020 Mawlāna Asif began studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and will become certified as a Health Coach inshāʾAllah. In addition, his quest for more Islamic knowledge resumes at Darul Qasim while being a full-time instructor. Mawlāna Asif also serves as the youth coordinator at Al-Huda Youth which creates a channel that allows Muslim youth to balance their Islamic values while encountering the challenges of today's environment.

Hafiz Ferhan Sheikh(Younger Boys' Mentor)

Alimah Quratulayn

Alimah Quratulayn was born and raised in Chicago. She completed her hifz when she was 16years old and graduated from the alimiyya course in 2009 from Shariahboard and went on to obtain a bachelor's in elementary education from Northeastern Illinois University. Thereafter she moved to Bloomingdale,IL and have been teaching in and outside of various madaris since she graduated along with caring for her three children. Currently she is continuing to seek higher education and running the ijazah program at Darul Qasim under Ml Arif Kamal. She likes to spend time outdoors with her family and enjoy nature.

Ustadhah Sarah Matin

Sr. Sarah Matin was born and raised in the Chicagoland area. She completed middle school and high school at the Institute of Islamic Education (IIE). After completing high school, she began the alimiyyah program at Darul Qasim in Glendale Heights and her college journey during the same year. She graduated from Elmhurst University with a bachelors in Psychology and a minor in Communications. Sarah is currently finishing up the fourth year intermediate program at Darul Qasim.

Past Mentors

Alimah Nabeela Hussain(Girls' Mentor)

Al. Nabeela was born and raised in the Schaumburg community and continues to be part of this community. At age 11, she began her Alimiyyah studies at Madrasah Madinatus Salihaat in Kankakee, Illinois. After few years, Al. Nabeela traveled to Bradford, England where she completed her Alimiyyah degree at Jaamiatul Imam Muhammad Zakariya in 2008 and was chosen to return back and take the role of an instructor. Upon her return back to Chicago, she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education along with an ESL endorsement from Roosevelt University. She also gained student teaching experience from District 54 in Schaumburg. Over the years, she has taught Quran and Islamic studies at a local maktab and the local masjid’s summer camps. Al. Nabeela has also taught Quran, Hadith, and Islamic Studies at institutions such as DarusSalam Seminary , Masjid Al-Jameel, and Salihah Central. Currently, she lives with her husband and 3 young children in the Northwest Suburbs

Alimah Hasena Bangash

Alima Hasena completed the five year Alima program at the Institute of Islamic Education (IIE) graduating in 2012. she recently graduated from Roosevelt University with a Bachelors in Biology, and currently pursuing a Master's degree in Psychology. She was a volunteer teacher at Alhuda Sunday school. She taught the summer and weekend classes at IIE. Hasena currently teaches girls and ladies Arabic on weekends from her home.

Hafiz Abdullah Mohammed

Hafiz Abdullah was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He began his hifz in Darul Uloom Atlanta at the age of 10, and finished at the age of 12. He moved to Chicago thereafter and enrolled in DarusSalam Seminary, where he recently completed his 6th year of the takmil alimiyyah course and is moving on to the 7th year. He has been teaching the Sunday School Maktab Program at DarusSalam for the last 2 years.

Sheikh Khalid Herrington

Khalid Herrington converted to Islam in 1995. He graduated from the Institute of Islamic Education in Elgin, Illinois, in 2012 after completing 6 years of academic studies in the traditional fields of Islamic knowledge and receiving authorization (ijāzah) to teach: Theology, Exegesis, Islamic Jurisprudence, Prophetic Tradition, Classical Arabic Afterwards he pursued post-graduate studies and has been a student at Darul Qasim since 2009. He has been teaching on various academic levels for over a decade. He has served over four years as Imam/Resident Scholar in communities in Kentucky and Illinois. He has also lectured at various Masjids, universities, institutions, and organizations across the United States. Over the years he has also had the benefit of cultural exposure not just within the Muslim community in the U.S., but by also traveling multiple times to Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. In addition to the privilege of serving as Resident Scholar at Masjid Al Huda, he also serves as Executive Director of Islam of Mind, an organization primarily focused on assisting convert Muslims and second generation Muslims raised in the United States.

Mawlana Abdullah Syed

Graduated from the notable Islamic Seminary called Darul Uloom Zakariyya. He has attained multiple ijaza (credentials) in hadith, fiqh and tafseer from many senior scholars. Founder and creator of an Islamic Blog called Nursingiman. Currently studying Nursing and on his way of getting a RN BSN InshaAllah

Hafidhah Amina Nazimuddin

Hafidhah Amina grew up in the Chicago suburbs and completed her hifz in 2016 from Darrussalam Foundation in Lombard. She is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree at UIC in BioMedical Engineering while working as an intern in a lab. She also tutors and has experience teaching children to read and memorize Quran. In her free time she enjoys reading and hiking

Br. Farhan Ahmed

Farhan Ahmed has completed a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and had been working as a therapist for three years at Khalil Center. He has worked with all age groups ranging from early childhood to late adulthood. Besides working as a therapist, Farhan has also been focused on finishing his Aalim degree. He has studied at the Islamic Institute of Elgin (IIE), Bayyinah Institute, Masjid DarusSalam, and Darul Qasim. During his free-time, Farhan loves spending time with friends and playing sports.

Br. Hassan Shamsuddin

Hassan has been raised in Hoffman Estates/Schaumburg community throughout his life and through the fadl of Allah Ta'alaa has been given numerous opportunities to serve not only in his local community but also many other surrounding communities in the greater Chicago land area. Hassan, through the fadl of Allah ta'alaa was given the opportunity to assist many Masjids in their fund-raisers and in their general operation of the Masjids. Alhamdulillah he has been working with all ranges of young adults, from college student to high school students and even elementary school students for the last five years. He was also given the opportunity to teach and help the non Muslim youth in inner city of Chicago. Hassan has attended Darul Hikmah weekend academy and is currently seeking knowledge through local scholars Hassan has recently completed the bachelors degree in accounting from UIC and works full time

Sr. Reshma Fatima

Reshma Fatima grew up and studied in the Chicagoland area where she completed her bachelor’s in biology and master’s in public health. She currently studies part-time at DarusSalam Foundation on the weekends. She is married and currently serves as a maktab and secular studies instructor at Al-Fatiha Institute. As a result of experiencing firsthand the challenges and tests Muslim American youth undergo, she passionately mentors community children and teenagers on these issues.

Sr. Ayman Moizuddin

Ayman is a Chicago native who completed her hifz in 2013. Recently, she completed a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.S. in Finance from the Illinois Institute of Technology while teaching a weekend STEM supplemental program for hifz students with ILM Labs and tutoring privately. Currently, she is pursuing higher studies at Al-Fatiha Institute and is also enrolled in the weekend adult studies program at Darussalam Foundation. She enjoys photography and exploring nature.

Alimah Masroor Khan (Noor-ul Huda Speaker)

Alimah Masroor was born in Pakistan and grew up and got her education in the UK, where she got her BSc. in Pharmacy. She also has an MA in Education from NEIU, Chicago. Sr. Masroor is married, with 3 children and 3 grandchildren, and is currently an elementary school teacher at Al Huda Academy. She is a graduate of the Alimah program at Darul Uloom in Chicago. However, Sr. Masroor continues to be a student of Knowledge.

Hafizah Jannah(Girls' Junior Mentor)

Hafizah Jannah began her quest for ‘ilm in the Bay Area, California at eight years old with the hifz of the Qur’ān under the tutelage of her father and completed at the age of fourteen. She has always had a passion for creativity and activity, and throughout her life has delved into many hobbies and passions including but not limited to creative writing, poetry, baking and cake decorating, crochet, sewing, and painting. She has also received an instructors certificate in swimming. She graduated high school in 2020, concurrently completing her General Education and most of her Associates in Arts in Human Development.

In 2021 she moved to the Chicago suburbs to pursue the full-time ‘alimiyyah program at Darul Qasim. She is currently an Intermediate Program student, and is pursuing an ijāzah in Hafs ‘an ‘Assem from the Tajwīd program supervised by Mawlānā ‘Arif Kamal.