posting guest submission and other random articles at muslimmatters.org.

Amad Shaikh is one of the founders of MuslimMatters, Inc. His identity is shaped by his religion (Islam), place of birth (Pakistan), and nationality (American). By education, he is a ChemE, topped off with an MBA from the Wharton. He was one of the founders of the TDC, and in what seems like a distant memory, he served as the President of U. Houston's MSA. His interests include politics, cricket, and media interactions. Career-wise, Amad is in management in the oil & gas industry (but one who still appreciates the "green revolution").

Zainab bint Younus (AnonyMouse) is a young Canadian Muslimah, originally from the West Coast of Canada. She writes about whatever concerns her about the state of the Muslim Ummah, drawing upon her experiences and observations within her own local community. You may contact her at anonymouse@muslimmatters.org She is is no longer a writer for MuslimMatters.org.

Yasir Qadhi is someone that believes that one's life should be judged by more than just academic degrees and scholastic accomplishments. Friends and foe alike acknowledge that one of his main weaknesses is ice-cream, which he seems to enjoy with a rather sinister passion. The highlight of his day is twirling his little girl (a.k.a. "my little princess") round and round in the air and watching her squeal with joy. A few tid-bits from his mundane life: Sh. Yasir has a Bachelors in Hadith and a Masters in Theology from Islamic University of Madinah. He is presently working on his PhD in Islamic Studies at Yale University. He is an instructor and Dean of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib, and has appeared on a number of Islamic channels including Huda, Islam Channel and Al-Fajr. He has written several books in English including Introduction to the Sciences of Qur'an, Riyaa: Hidden Shirk, Dua: the Weapon of the Believer, and many more.

Ahmad AlFarsi was born and raised in South Texas in an Iranian Christian household and embraced Islam in 2003 while in university. He completed his Masters in Electrical Engineering from MIT in 2007, spent a few years working in industry as a System Engineer, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Electrical Engineering at MIT. Since August 2007 has been blessed with the adventures of fathering a little girl, walhamdulillah.

ibnabeeomar is a founding member of Muslimmatters.org, Qalam Institute, MuslimSi.com, and also works with Bayyinah. Working in corporate America full-time, a regular khateeb, husband, and father of 3. You can follow him on Twitter @ibnabeeomar

Tawfique Chowdhury is the founder of AlKauthar Institute, the unrelated Australian twin of AlMaghrib. A graduate of Islamic University of Madinah, he has also excelled in secular fields: An IT Project Manager, and soon to be a doctor as well (he is completing his medicine degree). He is very active in working with many Islamic organizations around the world and is also an international media contributor appearing on numerous TV and radio stations. The most notable are his appearances on ABC Asia Pacific, AlMajd Channel and the Islam Channel in the UK, where his lectures are frequently shown.

Abu Aaliyah is the founder of The Jawziyyah Institute, a leading institute for Islamic moderation and contemporary thought in the United Kingdom. Sidi Abu Aaliyah has been in involved in Dawah and Islamic teachings for the last 14 years. He has translated a number of books from the Arabic language into English such as "The Exquisite Pearls". Abu Aaliyah's written works and audio lectures can be found online.

Musa Maguire is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and accepted Islam after graduating from college. In 2004-2005, he received a Fulbright grant to study in Egypt, and then spent the following year working at Huda TV, an English-language Islamic satellite channel that broadcasts from Cairo.

Yaser Birjas is originally from Palestine. He received his Bachelors degree from Islamic University of Madinah in 1996 in Fiqh & Usool, graduating as the class valedictorian. After graduating, he went on to work as a youth counselor and relief program aide in war-torn Bosnia. Thereafter, he immigrated to the U.S. and currently resides in Dallas, Texas. He is also an instructor at AlMaghrib Institute, where he teaches popular seminars such as Fiqh of Love, The Code Evolved, and Heavenly Hues.

Nouman Ali Khan is the director of the Bayyinah Institute. He is well known for his contributions in the fields of Arabic and Quranic studies - most recently starting a full time on-campus institute for this purpose in Dallas, TX.

Mehzabeen (iMuslim) is a UK born n' bred sister of Gujarati Indian descent. She has spent a good chunk of her life trying to scrape together a formal education in the Biological Sciences, and in 2008, was awarded a doctorate for research conducted at Imperial College London, masha'Allah. Her interests include all things Apple Mac, all things chocolate-based, and all things Islam (not necessarily in that particular order). Other online projects include iMuslim.tv, SignLabs.org, and the Muslim Bloggers Directory.

Mohamed Elibiary co-founded the Freedom and Justice Foundation (F&J) in November 2002 to promote a Centrist Public Policy environment in Texas by coordinating the state level government and interfaith community relations for the organized Texas Muslim community. In 2005, Mohamed spearheaded the launching of the Texas Islamic Council (T.I.C.) as an F&J program for Muslim congregations, which has quickly grown to become the state's largest Muslim network encompasing 100,000 Texans. As Coordinator of the T.I.C., Mohamed developed working relationships with similar faith-based entities around Texas including the Texas Conference of Churches, Texas Catholic Conference and the Baptist General Convention of Texas. In 2006, the 16 largest Muslim congregations and civic organizations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area followed this example by creating a collective representative body called the North Texas Islamic Council (NTIC) and Mohamed was elected to its 7 member executive governing body. Since 2005, Mohamed, as a National Security Policy Analyst, has been advising intelligence and law enforcement agencies (ex. FBI, DHS, NCTC, ODNI, etc.) on various Counter-Terrorism (CT) issues (ex. Domestic Intelligence, Strategic Intelligence Analysis, Information Sharing and Radicalization).

Dr. Ali Shehata is the author of Demystifying Islam: Your Guide to the Most Misunderstood Religion of the 21st Century. Dr. Ali is an Emergency and Family Medicine physician currently living in an area of central Florida. He was born in Maryland to parents who had immigrated to the US from Egypt. He has studied Islam mainly through traditional methods among various scholars, du'at and students of knowledge here in the US.

SaqibSaab is an average Desi Muslim guy living in Chicago. He enjoys videography and design as side hobbies, and helps out with AlMaghrib Institute in Chicago, Wasat Studios, and other projects here and there. His go-around vehicle is a 2007 Volkswagen Jetta 5-speed Wolfburg Edition. Originally born in Michigan, he and his wife reside in Chicagoland with his parents who come from Bangalore, India. He blogs personally at SaqibSaab.com.

Siraaj is a software project manager at Cisco Systems. His interests lay in the intersection of personal development and practical Islamic living, particularly with respect to time management and physical fitness. He lives in the Bay Area with his wife and three children, enjoying the warm weather. He is also MuslimMatters Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Umm Reem has a bachelors degree in Islamic Studies from American Open University. She is currently a 3rd year student of Arabic Language at Qatar University. She was one of the founders of Daughters of Adam magazine and remained the publishing director until 2007. She had been actively involved with MSA, TDC, and other community activities. She has also been actively involved with the Muslim women of her community spiritually counseling with marital and mother-daughter issues. She has hosted several Islamic lectures and weekly halaqas in different communities, including special workshops regarding parenting and issues related to women.

Paul "Iesa" Galloway is a native born Texan. He was recently called "the Yoda of interfaith affairs" by a colleague from his daytime gig. After hours Iesa serves as a consultant, messaging strategist and trainer on media, government and community relations. Iesa is a product of the "Military Brat" experience of the 1990's on US Army bases in Germany he has traveled extensively, for extended periods in Kenya, Hungary and Communist Poland on missionary trips, visited Communist East Germany with the Boy Scouts of America, as well as enjoyed time in France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Holland and Austria. Since embracing Islam, Iesa was asked to be the founding Executive Director of CAIR-Houston, where he served the community from 2002 to 2006, he has completed the Hajj pilgrimage, participated in an interfaith pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the Society for Biblical Studies and completed a study abroad program on the history of Islamic Spain, Morocco and Andalusian Philosophy with the University of Houston. Iesa's education is rooted in History and Public Relations and he has a interfaith and multiracial background.

Abdul Nasir Jangda is the founder and director of Qalam Institute. He was born and raised in the Dallas area. At the age of 10 he went to Karachi, Pakistan to memorize the Quran. He excelled in his memorization and committed the entire Quran to memory in less than 1 year. He then returned home and continued his school education. After graduating from High School, he went back to Karachi to study the Alim Course at Jamia Binoria. He graduated from the rigorous 7 year program in 2002 at the top of his class and with numerous Ijaazaat (Licenses) in various Islamic Sciences. Along with the Alim Course he concurrently completed a B.A. and M.A. in Arabic from Karachi University. He also obtained a Masters in Islamic Studies from the University of Sindh. He taught Arabic at the University of Texas at Arlington from 2005 to 2007. He has served as an instructor and curriculum advisor to various Islamic schools and Islamic studies programs. He served as the Imam at the Colleyville Masjid in the Dallas area for 3 years. He is a founding member and chairman of Mansfield Islamic Center. Abdul Nasir is an instructor with Bayyinah Institute, where his class “Meaningful Prayer” has traveled the country. His latest projects include Quran Intensive (a summer program focusing on Arabic grammar and Tafsir), Quranic analysis lectures, Khateeb Training, chronicling of the Prophetic Biography at www.qalaminstitute.org, and personally mentoring and teaching his students.

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Amatullah is an aspiring student of the Qur’an and its language, Arabic, and a graduate of Al-Huda Institute in Canada. Through her writings, she hopes to share the gems and practical guidance Allah has given us through His Book, the Qur’an. She considers herself a Bedouin - having lived in both Canada and the US for majority of her life. She recently returned from studying in Cairo and is now living in Canada.

Sadaf Farooqi is a postgraduate in Computer Science who has done the Taleem Al-Quran Course from Al-Huda International, Institute of Islamic Education for Women, in Karachi, Pakistan. 11 years on, she is now a homeschooling parent of three children, a blogger, published author and freelance writer. She has written articles regularly for Hiba Magazine, SISTERS Magazine and Saudi Gazette. Sadaf shares her life experiences and insights on her award-winning blog, Sadaf's Space, and intermittently teaches subjects such as Fiqh of Zakah, Aqeedah, Arabic Grammar, and Science of Hadith part-time at a local branch of Al-Huda. She has recently become a published author of a book titled 'Traversing the Highs and Lows of Muslim Marriage'. For most part, her Jihad bil Qalam involves juggling work around persistent power breakdowns and preventing six chubby little hands from her computer! Even though it may not seem so, most of her time is spent not in doing all this, but in what she loves most - reading.

Haytham, an American Egyptian, was born in USA, but grew up in Alexandria, Egypt. He is a well-known Muslim activist in the Houston area, who recently moved to New Mexico to continue his graduate studies. In the past, he has organized the Texas Dawah Convention, was the Ameer of AlMaghrib's Qabeelah Hosna (Houston), and has had leadership roles in Crescent Youth. One of his goals is to reach out to Arabs in America and to address social issues. He recently graduated with a BS in Chemistry, and is now pursuing a Masters Degree in Nano Science and Microsystems. You can follow Haytham on Twitter by clicking here and Facebook.

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Nadim is a transplant from France (yes, you could think of him as a FBCD without the “C”). He is the former Ameer of Qabeelat Haadi (Al Maghrib’s Qabeelat in the Bay Area, California). You can follow him on Twitter @muslimms

Ify Okoye is a Muslim woman, a convert, born and raised in the U.S. She’s from New York and her parents are from Nigeria. Despite the petty hassles of work and school, Ify finds time to travel usually for AlMaghrib Institute seminars and to visit beautiful places. Pronunciation primer for her name, say it like this: E-fee O-coy-yeah!

Bismillah walhamdolillah. May Allah accept my repentance and yours. I am an attorney, a stepfather, a husband, a son, and a Muslim. Studying Islam is a means, reflecting what I have learned is a must, and to Allah is the inevitable return. If you would like my help, know that Allah is the source of all aid. If you would like to contact me, try tariqnisarahmed at Gmail, LinkedIn, Twitter, or add me as a friend on Facebook.

Rami is a full-time Muslim trying to bring about concrete solutions with as little complaining as possible in his writing and speeches. His Sunday school students know him as “The guy who brings chocolates,” his siblings describe him as the “Momma’s boy” and “The baby of the family,” one friend frustratingly called him a “goodie-goodie” when Rami got excited about recycling, and he also wonders why no-one calls him “Master Rami” after getting his MBA. He drives a hybrid, boycotts socially-irresponsible companies, and regularly hangs out with people twice his age at the Masjid. He makes his living as a corporate fraud analyst.

Formerly Mujahideen Ryder (now retired), I'm a Muslim American born in Brooklyn, NY with Guyanese parents currently living in Maryland working full-time as web developer.

Dr. Hashmi was born and raised in California. Apart from medicine, he enjoys writing about “Islamic topics,” which he does under a number of online aliases. Dr. Hashmi is proud to be one of MM’s more liberal-leaning writers, providing controversial and highly opinionated views.

Ameera is a final-year medical student and blogger based in Karachi, Pakistan. Having been born and raised in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, her approach towards her Deen has always been rooted in a basic understanding from authentic sources, which was further polished during a three-year weekend course at Al Huda Institute. Her interests, though, seem to know no bounds and range from a passion for the culinary arts and travelling, as well as following current affairs and global happenings. She feels being able to be part of MuslimMatters is one of the major blessings of Allah(swt) upon her, for it has given her a chance to learn and grow. She also maintains her personal blog at http://duskanddawn.wordpress.com.

Mariam is of Middle Eastern origin, raised in North America, not quite settling in one specific place. After living up in the North of North America, she has shifted continents and currently residing in a rapidly flourishing, historical city located in the desert of Arabia. She is a recent graduate of the American Open University, with a Bachelors in Islamic Studies. She believes that regardless of where a person is, writing is a tool to reach out and express that which inspires, touches and affects them. So she writes; perhaps that which inspires her will be a source of good for at least one other person.

Ismail Kamdar aka Abu Muawiyah began his study of Islam at the young age of thirteen. After completing a seven year Aalim course under Deobandi scholars, Ismail sat with and studied the works of many other scholars from a variety of schools of thought in his search for authentic Islamic information. He also studied various courses through the Islamic Online University and is a student of Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips. He currently lives in Durban, South Africa with his wife and four children, and serves as a private Arabic Tutor as well as a Tutorial Assistant in Uloom Al-Qur'an, Arabic and The Evolution of Fiqh for the Islamic Online University. Abu Muawiyah appears regularly on multiple Islamic radio stations and his articles feature in multiple Islamic magazines and blogs. Abu Muawiyah is also the author of the book "Having fun the Halal way: Entertainment in Islam" (IIPH, 2011)

Youssef is from Brooklyn, New York by way of Alexandria, Egypt. An aspiring academic, he recently finished up his MA in political science and is currently in the middle of an extended stay in Masr. His little Dahlia’s smile reminds him each day to be thankful. His little Dahlia’s diaper reminds him each day to be patient. A student of Islam, history, and politics, his time in Cairo (as he predicted) placed him squarely in the nexus of these disciplines. Follow him on Twitter (@TheAlexandrian) as he tries to glean some valuable [hopefully, publishable :) ] insights from his adventures abroad, inshAllah.

Abdul-Malik was born Michael P. Ryan in Chicago, Illinois. His study of African-American history in high school and at DePaul University and his encounter with the life and legacy of Malcolm X (Malik Shabazz) led to his accepting Islam in 1994. He was one of the founding members and is a past President of the Board of Directors of the Inner City Muslim Action Network, IMAN. He is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and he has been working as an attorney for children in the foster care system in Chicago for the past ten years. In addition to almost anything regarding Islam, his major interests include Irish History, Comparative Religion (especially Judaism), and Historical Mystery Fiction. He will rarely be found without several books that he is currently reading. He also blogs and comments under his kunya and nisba Abu Noor Al-Irlandee.

In his early 30s, Yahya is happily married to Songul and is the proud father of Shireen and Omar. Born and raised in Canada and of Egyptian ancestry did not prepare Yahya for the challenges of living in Perth, Western Australia for the last 8 years. His inability to cope with 320 days of sunshine and a coastal Mediterranean climate with 1000s of km of uninterrupted beaches was difficult to adjust to. Eventually, da Leafs and hockey gave way to Aussie Rules and go Eagles go. Educating himself about Islam has been a passion for the whole of his adult life. Yahya is a registered teacher and former Deputy Principal of the largest Islamic school in Australia. His message is simple: Love Allah, the Messenger and your family.

Bushra is a recent Computer Science grad from King's College London and is currently shaking off her newly wedded status. Aside from writing for MM, she vents on her blog: http://bushrabinthashmat.blogspot.com/ Currently working for a global IT firm, she is pursuing various studies, both Islamic and career-related. Due to circumstances beyond her control, she is living the lifestyle of a nomad, jumping from place to place, packing and unpacking and visiting family at the same time. She is an accredited Software Tester. Nevertheless, this won't take her away from writing about Islam and life in general. Amongst all the working, writing and family commitments, she somehow manages to fulfill one of her other, slightly devilish (so to speak!) passions - baking desserts!

Anas Hlayhel was born and raised in Lebanon. He came to US after high school and graduated from the University of Houston as an Electrical Engineer. Since then, he has worked in the high-tech industry at companies such as AMD and Intel. Anas has a great affection for the Islamic sciences and has had the opportunity to study under a number of Muslim scholars. Anas has an Ijazah in Hadith (certification to narrate and teach the tradition of Prophet Muhammad AS). Anas has been teaching Islam and delivering Friday sermons for the past 15 years. Anas moved to Phoenix, Arizona five years ago where, along his full time job as a computer engineer, he serves as a part-time Imam at the Islamic Center of North East Valley. He is married and has 4 children.

Hebah is a Muslim American with a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from UIUC. She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee to Egyptian immigrants. She currently resides in Albuquerque, NM with her husband and two children. Hebah is a social activist who works to dispel the myths about Islam and Women in Islam through community presentations and panel discussions. She also heads Daughterz of Eve, a local Muslim girls youth group.

Haleh Banani is the first female to host a program for Al-Fajr TV called "With Haleh" which combines the principles of psychology and Islam to help people reach their full potential and overcome their challenges. She has a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from University of Houston, graduating Magma Cum Laude. She has over 10 years experience in diagnosing mental and emotional disorders and administrating programs of treatment. Her clients call in for phone therapy from the U.S. and Middle East. She has given lectures on marriage in several countries. Her focus is couples' and individuals' therapy where she helps people suffering from depression, anxiety, eating disorders and self-esteem issues. She empowers her clients with unequivocal amount of enthusiasm, compassion and support. Her articles have been published in magazines in Houston and Egypt. Haleh received her ijaza for recitation of the Quran with tajweed in Egypt. She has studied Islam by attending intensive programs with many renowned scholars in North America. She has lived most of her life in the U.S., and is currently living in Egypt. She has been married for 15 years with Abdelmajeed and has Alhamdulillah 3 precious children: Abdelfattah, Kareem, and Layla. Her passions include skiing, kick boxing, tennis, traveling all humanitarian causes.

Abez is 50% White, 50% Pakistani, 100% Muslim, and a veteran blogger at www.abezsez.com. She is the mother of three children, the first of which has autism and the third of which is a newborn. Abez writes about special needs parenting and autism awareness in addition to Islam and personal spirituality. By day, she is a mother and a corporate communications consultant, by night, a writer of poetry and fiction related to Islam and Muslims. She shamelessly solicits duas for the neurological development of her autistic son as well as the conversion of her Christian mother. So please make dua. JazakAllahuKheiran. Abez is currently on maternity leave.

Just a mama trying to raise my four lil Muslims, while juggling running the Unity Center's school, writing, my weekly halaqas and oh! the laundry. A green Muslim, I live and preach a whole food, organic, life which i believe is closest to Sunnah. In my other life, I was a television news reporter and producer for CNBC Asia. Mommy hood is WAY more exciting. Hena is the Editor in Chief of Muslimatters.org. Follow her on Twitter @henazuberi and Facebook .

Safia Farole was 4 years old when, by the mercy of Allah, she was able to flee with her family from the ravaging civil war that took place in Somalia in the early 90s. 17 years later she’s proud to be a resident of the Pacific North West, in the beautiful city of Seattle, where the community is trying to revive AlMaghrib’s former Qabeelat Ruhma. She has degrees in Psychology and Political Science, and is currently involved in Political Science research. InshaAllah, she would like to join the academic discourse in the fields of International Relations or American Government because she believes that we are in need of more Muslim voices on college campuses. Krispy Cream and coffee are her favorite passtimes.

Nihal was born and raised in New Jersey and spent his high school years in Jamaica, NY. He memorized the Qur'an by the age of 17 and is currently majoring in Business Administration at Montclair State University. He graduated from the first class of the Bayyinah Dream program in 2011. Aspiring to inspire.

With nine years experience in mainstream news media -- first in radio, then web and social media for both print and television -- Mustafa Stefan Dill was an early advocate and practitioner for applying social media techniques to mainstream journalism. Dill has lectured on online journalism and social change at the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bangalore, India and has been featured in Online Journalism Review, The Media Center's Morph blog, J-New Voices, motherpie.typepad.com, and participated as a panelist in a national web seminar by the American Press Institute. In August 2010, Dill planned his escape from the newsroom environment launched a new consultancy offering PR, social media and new media strategies for a wide range of clients, with a specialty in serving Muslim and interfaith organizations and NGOs working in Muslim regions. Dill reverted to Islam in 2002.

Standing at just under 5’2,” Meena is still growing (figuratively, sadly no longer literally) into her place in the world. She is currently a student of the Bayyinah Institute Dream Program of 2012. She is also a student of the Al Maghrib Institute, having attended Ilm Summit 2010 and 2011. She has finished her 2nd year of college at the University of California, Irvine, and is majoring in Comparative Literature. On campus, she is involved with one the Muslim Student Union; in the vibrant SoCal community, she is involved a local youth group. Meena has discovered the power and beauty that words can have, the highest example being the Words of Allah preserved in the Holy Quran. In her own capacity and with the help of Allah, she hopes to capture and communicate her reflections and thoughts as she continues on in this exciting time of her life. She is writing about her experiences and what she learns while in the Dream program at her personal blog: http://imeanking.wordpress.com/

Kanika is an engineer by profession, currently pursuing a Bachelors in Islamic Sciences from Arees Institute (studying under Shaykh Isam Rajab, hafidahullah) and conducts online seminars for sisters at http://habibihalaqas.org . She is also a professional makeup artist and looks forward to increasing Muslim sisters' self esteem through her new venture: http://beautyglamsham.com . She also has a diploma in Indian Cooking and offers classes in Indian Cuisine in Chicago and Toronto - http://learnindiancooking.com . She is happily married and currently resides in Chicago with her lovely husband.

Nadya Aweinat was born in the searing state of Arizona, and later came to settle in Los Angeles. While enjoying the year round superb weather, she serves as the current Ameerah of AlMaghrib Institute's Southern California chapter. The majority of her time is spent in learning and teaching Qur'an and Tajweed, though she also enjoys attempting to further her Islamic education and working in the field of dawah.

Sarah is a seeker- a seeker of knowledge, new experiences, and a better way to contribute to society (and is clearly an avid Harry Potter fan as shown by the "seeker" reference). Sarah graduated from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Biology and recently completed her Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling. She currently works as a Crisis Interventionist/Behavior Specialist at HeartShare First Step Early Childhood Center, a preschool for children with developmental delays and disabilities and loves every minute of it! She is married to fellow MM writer, Haytham, and they share many of the same goals regarding social issues. Sarah's current focus is on working with children and their families, as well working on identity development issues with adolescents in her community. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys taking on way too many projects to handle, contemplating the pleasure of being transported into a new world through reading a good book, and gaining new skills like learning how to play video games (she has a long way to go before she masters this art!).

is Vice President of AlMaghrib Institute and Director of Clear Lake Islamic Center (CLIC). He is a frequent guest speaker at Universities, Conventions, Radio Talk Shows, Television, Interfaith meetings, and community centers nationally and internationally. He is also a member of the North American Imam Federation (NAIF), Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America (AMJA)-Fatwa and Research Committee, Director of Texas Dawah Convention, and Advisor to numerous Islamic Societies/Organizations around the US. Shaykh Waleed Basyouni graduated with a Bachelors in Islamic Sciences from Al-Imam Muhammad University, KSA; did his Masters in Islamic Theology, World Religions and Modern Religious Sects from Al-Imam Muhammad University; and acquired a Doctorate in Theology. He is also an instructor at the American Open University in Alexandria, VA, USA, and serves as, the Imam of Clear Lake Islamic Center, Houston, TX, USA. Shaykh Waleed has Ijaazahs in reciting the Holy Quran and in several books of Hadeeth, awarded by various scholars. He studied with great scholars time such as Shaykh Ibn Baz, Abdul-Razzaq Afify and others.

"Abu Ibrahym" Muhammad Aly Balagamwala (AKA DiscoMaulvi) joined MuslimMatters in March 2011 as a Writer and is currently the Team Lead for the Comments Team, while also serving as a member of the Social Networking and News Teams. Aly is an entrepreneur/industrialist who was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan where he currently resides. Aly graduated from North Carolina State University with a BS in Textile Chemistry and somewhere in those 4 years became a practicing Muslim (May Allah reward the wonderful community of Raleigh, NC for that). Known in the Social Media / Blogging community as DiscoMaulvi, he occasionally writes on his personal blog From The Pulpit ... Sermons of DiscoMaulvi and has been associated with various Social / Dawah projects. He is easily accessible via Twitter or through his Public Page on Facebook where you can learn more about him and his other projects & activities.

Hailing from New York, Dr. O is a current medical student who blatantly misappropriates his study time by posting absurd articles lampooning the weird things he often notices within the Muslim community. His articles often contain unhealthy doses of odd wit and humor, sprinkled with overly-pretentious medical-jargon, but covered in a sweet milk-chocolate coating of small sincere life lessons. Despite not actually having a medical license and pretending to impersonate an actual physician online, Dr. O aims to heal patients with just a tiny bit of bitter advice contained within a sugary pill of light-hearted laughter. He hosts his own blog, Muslim Medicine, at http://www.muslimmedicine.net.

Farnaz Mawla was born in Chicago, IL but spent several of her formative years in Saudi Arabia. Her family returned to Houston, TX during the first Gulf War. She attended University of Houston where she completed a BA in Journalism and a BS in Biology. She then went on to complete a Masters in Hospital Administration/MBA combination. She now lives in Dallas, TX with her husband and three kids.

Kashif Aslam joined the MuslimMatters family starting the year 2012 as a Copy Editor. He was born and raised in India and moved to the USA after he graduated with a Bachelors in Information Technology from Osmania University, India and acquired Masters in Computer Science from University of Houston - Clear Lake, USA. He is currently working as a Database Developer at Microsoft Corporation. His interests include religion, business and world politics. You can follow him on Twitter @KashifAslamM and befriend him on facebook\KashifAslamM.