Our Team
Ustadha Salma Mostafa Nashaat
Teacher & Co-founder
Ustadha Dr. Salma is an Egyptian physician by profession and a Quran teacher at heart. She studied Tajweed and Fiqh at Dar al-Hosary Mosque in Cairo where she memorized the Quran and received her Ijaza.
She has 20 years of experience teaching Quran to both adults and children as well as 15 years of experience teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers. Ustadha Salma is the co-founder of Nafisah Academy and lives in Cairo with her family.
Ustadha Sawsan Mostafa Nashaat
Teacher, Co-Founder & Academy Head
Ustadha Sawsan is an Egyptian student of knowledge and teacher with almost 20 years of experience in management and teaching, both online and on the ground. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and is now pursuing another Bachelor degree in Hanafi Fiqh at The World Islamic Sciences & Education University in Jordan .
In 2003, she began her Shariah studies in Cairo where she studied Fiqh, Belief, Tajweed, Arabic and other Islamic sciences. In the following years she continued her studies with several scholars in Egypt and Jordan.
Ustadha Sawsan acquired her Ijaza in Tajweed in the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim from Sheikh Sulayman Van Ael in 2009. In addition to studying at the Hanafi Fiqh College at WISE University, she studies at the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Quran institute in the UAE. She is the co-founder and Academy Head at Nafisah Academy, and lives in the UAE with her family.
Ustadha Sadaf Khan
Teacher
Ustadha Sadaf Khan was born in North Carolina and raised in Saudi Arabia. She has been studying for over two decades with various scholars in Jordan and the USA.
She completed an Alimah curriculum under the guidance of various Hanafi scholars and muftis. She has also studied, and continues to study with prominent scholars in Jordan and the USA.
She currently teaches at the Nur al-Iman (a girls' Islamic program based in California) and shares her knowledge of the Islamic sciences with her students at the local masjid community in Chicago.
Ustadha Asma Patel
Teacher
Ustadha Asma has a Montessori Diploma in TEAL from Montessori Centre International, UK and an ESL certification from the American University of Cairo.
She was a teacher at the Jeddah International School, as well as serving as an ESL instructor at Dar-al-Hanan, Queen Iffath schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for many years. She also served as a Mixed-media Art instructor for K-12 at the Noble Leadership Academy in New Jersey.
She completed a curriculum development training workshop in the Understanding by design (UbD) method at the Noble Leadership Academy. Ustadha Asma has an Ijaaza in Quran recitation (Riwayah Hafs an Asim) and has served as an Arabic/ Quran tutor for various age groups ranging from children to adults.
Ustadha Mona Saeed
Teacher, Head of Arabic & Tajweed
Ustadha Mona is an Egyptian teacher and Ph.D. student with more than 20 years of teaching experience. She holds a Bachelor and Master degrees in the Islamic Sciences from Dar Al Uluum University in Cairo.
Ustadha Mona holds several ijazas and Sanads in the recitation and memorization of the Quran from multiple Sheikhs. She uses her extensive studies and experience in advising and trainings our Arabic and Tajweed teachers at the Academy.
Sr Muna El-Khdrawy
Head of Operations
Sr Muna is a seasoned professional with more than 15 years of corporate operations experience within multinational financial institutes.
In addition to her extensive corporate background, she has managed and supervised multiple operational departments within a prominent Islamic Sciences Academy in Egypt. Holding a Digital Marketing Diploma, she beautifully bridges institutional structure with modern digital strategies to ensure a seamless, high-quality educational experience for our students and teachers alike.
Ustadha Faiza Hashim
Teacher, Head of Teacher Training
Ustadha Dr. Faiza Hashim is a physician by training and an educator by calling. She holds the Grades Waldorf Teaching Certificate and has homeschooled her four children for over 20 years.
She studied Hanafi Fiqh and Belief with various institutes, where she also served as a teaching assistant, and pursued further Islamic studies at Zaytuna College.
Dr. Hashim leads a local homeschool co-op, founded a successful summer camp program at her local masjid, and has provided teacher training for a local Quran school. Through her classes, workshops, parenting book clubs, and Islamic-inspired crafts, she is passionate about nurturing families through an Islamic vision of tarbiyah. She lives in Franklin, Wisconsin, with her husband and four children.
Ustadha Umm Kulthum Carter
Teacher
For Ustadha Umm Kulthum Carter, inshad is both a personal calling and a cherished family tradition. She began her journey at a young age first studying under Munshid Ustadh Rami Esa before continuing her training with her brother and teacher, Ustadh Muhammad Carter. Under his guidance, she developed her vocal technique and gained a strong foundation in the traditional maqam system.
Her learning continued through years of dedicated independent study and practice. She also benefited from observing private lessons with the renowned Syrian munshid, Ustadh Maher Zidan (Abu Anas), during his time in Kuwait. Listening from behind a curtain, she absorbed the principles of classical inshad, vocal technique, and maqam performance in the traditional manner.
An American who was raised in Kuwait, Ustadha Umm Kulthum Carter has been actively involved in mawlid gatherings throughout Kuwait and Amman, Jordan. Alongside her participation in these gatherings, she teaches the fundamentals of inshad, helping students develop sound vocal technique, understand the maqam tradition, and appreciate the beauty and rich heritage of this sacred art.
Ustadha Eman Mustafa
Teacher
Ustadha Eman Mustafa is an Egyptian Engineer with a strong passion for Qur’an and the Islamic Sciences and for nurturing young learners. She has been studying the Islamic sciences, especially Maliki Fiqh, and the Seerah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, for many years and holds authorization to teach both students and teachers Tuhfat Al-Atfaland Al-Qa’idah An-Nuraniyyah to Arabic and non-Arabic-speaking children.
She particularly enjoys teaching children and continually explores creative, engaging, and effective teaching methods. She lives with her family in Cairo.
Ustadha Rawhaan Henry
Teacher
Ustadha Rawhaan embraced Islam in Kuwait in 2005. Since 2009, she has been a student of sacred knowledge, continually seeking to deepen her understanding of Islam through learning, study, and personal development.
Her journey has taken her across diverse Muslim communities, including the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Her experience has broadened her perspective and enriched her appreciation of the beauty and diversity of the Ummah. She now lives in Jordan with her husband and their four children.
Through both her studies and life experiences, Umm Omar is passionate about encouraging Muslim women to grow in faith, character, and purpose & have more fulfilling marriages. She hopes to inspire sisters to strengthen their connection with Allah, pursue beneficial knowledge, and navigate life's opportunities and challenges with confidence, sincerity, and steadfastness. She uses storytelling and traditional Islamic sciences to make learning age-appropriate and engaging.
Ustadha Firdaus Kauser
Teacher
Ustadha Firdaus grew up in Britain and studied Home Economics, Needlework, Arts, Child care development and Science subjects. She moved to the Middle East 20 years ago where she studied Islamic Sciences and founded Munjat, the Islamic wear brand.
Ustadha Firdaus grew up around inshaad and has been teaching it to ladies in her community for the past 9 years. She lives in Amman with her husband and spends time between Turkey and Jordan.
Ustadha Ateeka Mogalia
Teacher
Ustadha Ateeka Mogalia has 20 years of teaching experience in a variety of different settings. She graduated from Darul Uloom Mueenul Islam in South Africa where she completed the 5-year Alimah program.
Ustadha Ateeka has taught children, teenagers, and adults in Hanafi fiqh, Qur’an, and Arabic. Throughout her career, she has served in a variety of educational settings across Yemen (Dar al-Zahra), South Africa, Réunion Island, and Jordan, bringing a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to Islamic education. Ustadha Ateeka is originally from Réunion Island and currently resides in Jordan with her family.