Fall 2025 Instructors

Brother Salih is an experienced archery instructor who has been teaching for over four years. Leading and teaching an archery event at a community Olympic Fundraiser, family camps, and weekly community sessions. He currently teaches at Masjid Dar Al Rahma and Medina Homeschool, bringing a passion for both skill and character development through archery. Rooted in the Prophetic tradition, his classes emphasize discipline, focus, and safety while creating a welcoming environment for students of all ages.

Shirin Khan is the executive director of ALIM - American Learning Institute for Muslims which holds its flagship three week summer Islamic studies intensive each summer along with other programming throughout the year. She studied Arabic in college and attended the CASA program in Cairo. Shirin is currently studying Arabic with Sheikh Hasan through MCWS and she is also a student at Fawakih. 

Shirin lives in Canton and is married with four children.

Maryam was born and raised in London, England. She has a degree in Arabic from the University of Westminster. She also studied  Arabic at the University of Alexandria in Egypt for a year. Currently, Maryam is continuing her journey as a student of Quranic Arabic, Alhamdulillah. 

Maryam is a certified teacher for all subjects through middle school and ELA through high school. 

She lives with her husband, 4 teenaged children and her cat in Northville. 

Maryam loves to bake and do jigsaw puzzles, her passion is everything book related.

Urba Saghir has loved Math and Science since she was a little girl. Her love for Math bloomed into an interest in programming while she was in high school, where she learned to code in Scratch, Python, Java, and a little bit of Processing. She continued this journey in college, where she learned front-end basics of Java and C. Ultimately, she ended up completing her Bachelor’s in Nanomedicine from Virginia Tech, and her Master’s in Bioengineering from George Mason University. She has taught students programming in Scratch and Java online through iD Tech Camps, and has also served as the STEM teacher for Medina Homeschool for part of the 2024-2025 year. Urba hopes to take what she learned and try to teach programming in a way that will be fun and engaging for all on and off the screen.

Izzah Siddiqui believes that food has the power to nourish both body and soul. Armed with a degree in nutrition and a diploma in the culinary arts, she combines her love for flavor with nutrition to help others cook with confidence and purpose.

Through her cooking and nutrition classes, Izzah empowers kids and teens to create meals that are wholesome, vibrant, and full of flavour. Her approach is simple yet inspiring—teaching practical skills, smart ingredient swaps, and the joy of turning everyday cooking into something extraordinary.

Most of all, she loves showing kids that cooking can be fun, empowering, and delicious. Through hands-on experiences, playful techniques, and approachable recipes, Izzah helps young chefs develop confidence in the kitchen—sparking a lifelong love for good food and the joy of making it themselves.

Artist, mother, teacher and creative soul. With a background in architecture and a lifelong love for storytelling through art, her work is shaped by a rich tapestry of heritage movement and identity. For Zainab, creating isn’t just a passion its way of connecting and building community through shared inspiration.

Tenisha Hampton, also known as “Sensei Aaqelah,” is a martial arts instructor specializing in internal and external arts for wellness, self-mastery, and self-defense. She holds Masters-level certifications and 6th Dan (6th-degree black belts) in Aikido and Nafsirrruh Aiki-Jitsu, a fusion of traditional and non-traditional Aikido, Aiki Ju Jitsu, and Judo. Her extensive martial arts background also includes Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Chi Chuan Yang Style, Qi Gong, and other wellness practices and breathing techniques.

Currently, Sensei Aaqelah teaches a wellness exercise class that incorporates Tai Chi and breathing-focused exercises for overall health. She offers online sessions, as well as private and group instruction. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and use an open space suitable for movement and stretching.

Sensei Aaqelah has been practicing and teaching martial arts since 2000 under the guidance of her instructor, Professor K.A. Shakoor. Over the years, she has taught women and children in private settings and workshops. Notable recent engagements include:

2016: Michigan Women’s Wellness Workshops through Dr. Kalandar Goff’s programs

2023: Online wellness programs

October 2023 to early 2024: Yoga and Tai Chi sessions at Muslim Family Services

Early 2024: Women’s and girls’ self-defense workshops with Noor Circle at IONA Mosque in Warren

September 2024: Tai Chi and bokken (wooden sword) exercises at the Pause for Serenity Holistic Retreat

Currently, Sensei Aaqelah volunteers with Muslim Family Services, providing yoga and wellness exercises for women.

Nafiah Khan is a speech therapist who previously worked in the public schools and has always been passionate about education. She has experience in the clinic and school settings, and has incorporated communication techniques such as teaching whole group lessons of various ages about writing mechanics and sound-letter awareness. Nafiah was also previously a respiratory therapist, and has always loved working with different personalities and getting to know others. She resides in Canton with her husband and 2 children.

Ranya was homeschooled her entire life and graduated from Oxford Virtual Academy. She has always loved working with kids and teaching. Ranya tutored for the National Honor Society in her last two years of high school. She was also enrolled in an early college program and has completed numerous classes toward her teaching degree. She is working towards a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Ranya enjoys ice skating, swimming, reading, and baking.  

Samira Bacha has homeschooled her whole life and graduated high school for Oxford Virtual Academy (OVA). She has tutored for the National Honor Society in her highschool years. Samira also enrolled in an early college program (OSEC) and has completed many college classes toward her degree. Samira loves working with kids! She is working towards a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Samira also enjoys reading, swimming, and trying new things. 

Maaz Tanveer has spent over a decade working in the controls and automation industry and brings a wealth of real-world experience to the classroom. With a background in mechanical and mechatronics engineering, he combines technical knowledge with a passion for teaching the next generation about robotics.

He believes robotics is more than just building machines. it’s a pathway to creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving. His teaching style focuses on making robotics approachable and fun, giving students the confidence to try new ideas, learn from mistakes, and celebrate their successes. By blending hands-on building with coding and design, he helps students see how robotics connects to the world around them.

Looking ahead, Maaz is committed to preparing students not only for classroom projects but also for opportunities like robotics competitions and future STEM challenges. He sees these experiences as a powerful way to build resilience, spark curiosity, and inspire students to think of themselves as innovators and leaders.

Families can expect a welcoming, supportive environment where students feel encouraged to explore, experiment, and discover the excitement of technology. Above all, his goal is to help young learners dream big and gain the skills to bring those dreams to life.

Saleel Aldwake is a STEM teacher at Medina Homeschool and a pre-med student with a background in tutoring and community volunteering. She is passionate about making science engaging and accessible for young learners, and she enjoys combining her love for STEM with her commitment to faith, service, and education. Saleel is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and plans to continue on to medical school, inshaAllah.

Muhammad Ali Hassan is one of the teachers for the survival and outdoor skills class. He enjoys spending his free time doing archery, hiking, camping, fishing, and exploring new places in nature. As a Muslim, he sees time spent in nature as a chance to reconnect with our natural fitra and a reminder of Allah’s greatness.  Teaching the survival and outdoor skills class gives him the chance to share what he has learned and he will help build knowledge and confidence in kids that they can carry into their own adventures.

Salifou started training at the age of 8. He is a certified economic development finance professional (EDPP), certified by the National Development Council. He has a Bachelor's degree in economics, an MBA in supply chain management and various graduate certificates. Hobbies: Cooking, biking, watching documentaries, and physical coaching.