OUR MISSION
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Ta'leef provides the space, content, and companionship necessary for a healthy understanding and realization of Islam.
The word “ta’leef” in Arabic means to reconcile and in the context of our work it means to bring hearts together. Inspired by the root word in the Qur’anic verse (8:62-63), God says: “It is He who supported you with His help and with the believers. And brought together their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have brought their hearts together; but Allah brought them together. Indeed, He is Exalted in Might and Wise.”
Ta’leef was founded in 2005 as an outreach program for those seeking support on their journey into Islam. We thrive on the support of our dedicated volunteers and community, who continue to keep Ta’leef a positive force of energy built on love and service. With campuses in both the Bay Area and Chicagoland, we offer classes, events, retreats and one on one mentorship for seekers to the tradition, newcomers, and the youth. Through dialogue, education, and fellowship, we hope to create a sense of family and community - a place to “come as you are, to Islam as it is” - where both our Muslim and American values co-exist in beautiful harmony and healthy spiritual practice of our faith.
OUR STAFF
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Dr. Ali Dia
Executive Director
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Dr. Ali Dia serves as the Executive Director of Ta'leef Collective, involved heavily in organizational vision and development. Providing support through dialogue, education, and fellowship for those on the periphery of our tradition- seeker, newcomer & youth. A native of Chicago, Dr. Dia has served the community for over 11 years, and has earned his Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree from the national university of health sciences. He has cultivated an inclusive environment at Ta'leef, emphasizing the importance of Prophetic models entrenched in love, service, and understanding in Islamic teachings. Before taking on his current leadership role, Dr. Dia was the Director of Operations of Ta'leef Chicago. He has a background in teaching foundational practical knowledge, mentoring students & community members through various programs. Offering expertise in both spiritual leadership and organizational oversight which has been integral in advancing the mission of Ta'leef.
Mahdy Amine
Teacher
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Teaching is a weighty responsibility. We hope that God gently uses us as vessels to help those in need. Our Prophet Muhammad (upon him peace and blessings) is the radiant embodiment of outer and inner beauty - one who saw was in awe, and one who knew fell in love. I hope Ta’leef shares knowledge in a manner that facilitates experiential beauty relevant in the American context, while honoring the foundational ethos and principles of the rich Islamic tradition.
Mike Swies
Outreach & Community Engagement Director
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Mike earned his Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from Rush University in 2008, specializing in swallowing disorder assessment and rehabilitation. He has served the needs of the convert community in Chicago since 2007 by organizing convert-centered social gatherings and educational programs. He began his work with Ta’leef Collective in 2009 in the role of Convert Care Coordinator where he mentored those new to Islam, assisted people in embracing Islam, and provided pastoral care needs specific to the convert population. His current role is Director of Outreach & Community Engagement where he works with our community to develop and oversee all programming and services Ta’leef offers to focus specifically on the populations Ta’leef aims to serve.
Dr. Will Caldwell
Education Director
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Dr. Will has served for years as a Convert Care Coordinator and now serves as the Director of Education at Ta’leef. He embraced Islam in 2006 while in the blessed city of Jerusalem on his journey towards becoming a priest. He’s spent years teaching foundational classes on Islam, delivering sermons, administering to the needs of the community, providing support and pastoral care to Seekers & Newcomers to Islam. He received his PhD from Northwestern University focusing on the History of Islam in America.
Stara Rahmani
Operations Director
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Stara Rahmani has served the community for over 14 years in various capacities. Her journey began in 2009 as the Administrative Assistant at Ta'leef in the Bay Area. As the organization grew she transitioned into being a liaison between the core team and the Founding Director as the Chief of Staff until 2019. Though she took a break, Ta’leef never left her heart. Her passion for love and service led her back HOME. She will now be joining the team as the Director of Operations, where she will manage all operational functions between Ta'leef’s campuses in Chicago and Fremont.
OUR BOARD
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Faria Abedin
Board Member
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Faria lives in the DC area with her husband and three children. She brings years of nonprofit experience to Taleef's board from organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, and the Duke Islamic Studies Center. She holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Univeristy of Maryland and an M.S. in Computer Science from The Johns Hopkins Univeristy. She is co-founder of the Mizaan Retreat at Princeton University's Muslim Life program. Currently, Faria is working for Bayan Tours, an organization that coordinates travel experiences centered on Islamic history and heritage
Melissa Westbrook
Board Member
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Became a member of the Ta’leef community approximately 5 ½ years ago when she first attended the Being Muslim classes at Ta’leef’s Chicago campus. Since then, she has attended 5 Newcomer’s Retreats, participated in many classes held by Ta’leef, became a volunteer, joined the Board, and in December 2021, went to Mecca and Medina with Ta’leef to perform Umrah. Melissa works in the private sector and is Senior Managing Director, Co-General Counsel and Head of Private Funds-Legal for Guggenheim Partners Investment Management where she has worked since moving to Chicago from New York in 2006. Melissa attended the University of Missouri, Columbia. After she graduated from college, she went on to attend New York University School of Law, where she graduated. She currently lives in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago with her three children.
Naveed Mallick
Board Member
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Was born and raised in Chicagoland. He has worked and lived in Chicago’s near south side for over 20 years. Naveed has been practicing internal medicine and sleep medicine in multiple settings including the Cook County Health System, IMAN clinic, and in private practice. His current role is Chief of Medical Staff at INSIGHT Hospital & Medical Center, the first Muslim-led safety net hospital in the nation. His community work has focused on Muslim initiatives on the south side of Chicago and he has been attending Ta’leef since 2012. He is the proud father of four and is currently working on getting his table tennis game to the next level!
Zeeshan Mukhtar
Board Member
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Co-Founder and former BOD President of ILM Tree, an innovative Muslim homeschooling cooperative based in Nothern California. He is an accomplished business and technology leader with 25 year experience in energy procurement, policy, and strategy. As a father of 3 young men, he is very passionate about engaging youth in religious and social activities. He believes that Ta'leef is an organization that strengthens the youth's attachment to Islam and connects them to the Muslim community.
Ibrahim Bengali
Board Member
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Ibrahim is a native Chicagoan who now resides in the Bay Area with his wife. He has been committed to Ta'leef's work for over a decade, having served as a volunteer, volunteer coordinator, staff member, and consultant. Today, he combines this community building training with his experiences as a strategic business leader. Ibrahim works at Google as the Strategy & Operations Manager for Bard marketing. He previously worked as a Product Strategist for Meta and manager in Oliver Wyman's strategic healthcare consulting practice. He received his MBA from Wharton and undergrad from Northwestern. When not fueling his coffee addiction or exploring the Bay's natural wonders, he cherishes time spent with loved ones.
Nikia Marie Bilal
Board Member
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Is a lawyer, editor, and writer based in Chicago, Illinois. She currenly serves as Manager of Programs at the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) where she acts as a bridge between program staff and the development department to ensure complaince with large grants. A Chicago native, Nikia earned her B.A. in Communications from Loyola University Chicago and her J.D. at DePaul University College of Law. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading fiction, and practicing her very rudimentary skills as a djembe player.
