Ustadha Umm Mikal

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him ﷺ, said, “Were the din at the Pleiades, even then a person from Persia would have taken hold of it, or one amongst the Persian descent would have surely found it.”

Coming from an Afghan refugee family, Ustadha Umm Mikal’s thirst for truth began at a young age. She was after a story, but she wasn’t yet aware of what that story was or where to find it. As a young girl in Pakistan, her thirst for knowledge outstretched her Farsi and Pashto-speaking parents’ library, forcing them to turn to Urdu books to answer her many questions. 

Her search for guidance and truth continued in the US and through the help of amazing mentors, she finally started her formal studies of Arabic at UCLA, amidst the red-hued Andalusian buildings. Her first year of Arabic followed a deep study of a small book of spiritual aphorisms by Sheikh Ahmad al-Alawi al-Mostaghanemi under the guidance of Professor Michael Fishbein. Completing a minor in Arabic and Islamic Studies furnished her with many similar opportunities. 

Umm Mikal then turned to the Middle East, where she furthered her studies of the Arabic language in grammar, morphology, rhetoric (balagha). She was graced with the unique opportunity to sit in the lessons of Sheikh Ali Hani, a renowned contemporary mufassir. It was around this time that Umm Mikal felt a calling — a calling to help others connect to the ultimate Story of truth and falsehood, of good and evil, of bygone Prophets, peace and blessings be upon them, places, and times. This was an intense calling to help people connect to the words of Allah Most High in the Quran. This is the story her soul yearned to retell, in whatever capacity Allah Most High presented to her. 

Among other things, she has taught al-Ajurrumiyyah, Quranic Arabic, reading practice, Quran, and Qaida in online, self-paced, and in-person capacity. She has worked in an academic and administrative role in one of the world’s leading centers for the Arabic language. 

Umm Mikal continues teaching Arabic and pursues her love for the Quran in one-on-one tafsir classes. She enjoys learning, spending time with her family, and connecting to Allah’s signs in nature. Umm Mikal believes that through sound pedagogy and persistence, anyone can take bite-sized pieces of Arabic and reach their goal inshaAllah. She goes by the Farsi motto: Qatra qatra darya mesha — drop by drop shall rivers be formed.