Traversing Tradition hosts a unique cast of board members and staff who come from diverse backgrounds. Check out their bios down below for more information!
Updated September 15, 2025
Heraa Hashmi
Editor-in-Chief (Interim)
A California Attorney with a background in Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology and Linguistics. She currently lives in Cairo, pursuing higher Islamic education. Her interests include the Islamic jurisprudence and legal theory, cognitive linguistics, and bioethics.
Zain Siddiqi
President
A BA graduate of political science, MS graduate in business management, and coffee shop owner based in the U.S. His interests include Islamic sciences, mental health, politics, and history.
Wassim H.
Executive Director
A student of traditional Islamic disciplines in the U.S. He graduated with a BA and subsequently enrolled in full time traditional Islamic Studies. He is the author of many of Traversing Tradition’s most popular articles. His interests include Theology, Qur’anic Exegesis, Philosophy, Legal Theory, Arabic, and Theosophy.
Ustadha Raissa Khalil
Marketing Director
An ‘Ālimah based in the U.S. Her fields of interest include Islamic Theology (‘Aqidah/Kalam) and Hanafi Jurisprudence (Fiqh).
Abu Zayd AbdurRahman
Board
An engineer by day and a bibliophile and student of sacred knowledge by night based in the U.S., with a particular passion for Qirā’āt and Māliki Fiqh. His interests range from philosophy and history to physics and mathematics (and Pokemon). In his spare time, he engages with poetry and plays cricket at a professional level.
Eeman Abbasi
Board
A graduate in physiology & neurobiology and human rights, working in international development, based in the U.S. Her interests include refugee advocacy, health and human rights, and the food industry.
Sami Omais
Board
A business school graduate based in the U.S. His background is in political science and history, with focuses in international studies and Europe respectively. His interests include Islamic religious sciences, geopolitics, Middle Eastern history, and Islam in America. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting and the outdoors.
Chaudhury Nafee Ibne Sajed
Senior Editor
A software engineer who has studied Computer Science at Stony Brook University. He is an avid reader and writer with a particular interest in the Islamic Tradition and its Sciences, ranging from fiqh, uṣūl, and ḥadīth to taṣawwuf, philosophy, and metaphysics.
Afnan Abusheikha
Editor
Tashfi Arooba
Writer
Tashfi Arooba is a Master’s student in History from Delhi, India, whose interests span both academic research and creative expression. With a particular focus on architecture, her work engages with postcolonial studies, medieval Indian history, and international relations. Her academic research, creative pursuits, and sustained engagement with Islamic learning collectively shape a reflective and nuanced perspective.
Amirah Chati
Writer
An ʿĀlimiyyah graduate and Madrasah teacher, she works as a Policy & Research Officer in the rolling hills of Lancashire, UK. Her interests span history, politics, and contemporary affairs, with a keen eye on how faith intersects with modern challenges. Alongside her academic and professional pursuits, she is an avid reader of science fiction, exploring the imaginative worlds it offers as a lens to reflect on society and faith.
Nuhu Osman Attah
Editor
A Research Fellow in the School of Philosophy at The Australian National University. He recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a PhD in History and Philosophy of Science. His research interest is primarily in the foundations of cognitive science, but he has broader interests in a variety of areas of philosophy, including Islamic philosophy.
Salvatore Tarek Bagnato
Editor
A former student of the Islamic University of Medina. He currently works as an English teacher in Sydney. His interests include theology and philosophy.
Nihal Ibrahim
Writer
He is a student of Civilizational Studies and Classical English Literature in Kerala, India. He is also pursuing traditional Islamic learning alongside his academic studies. His interests include Literature, Philosophy, Theology, and exploring the intersection of literature and theology, with a focus on articulating Islam through fiction and poetry even more beautifully.
Muhammed Midlaj
Editor
A dedicated researcher and scholar with a deep interest in Islamic literature, Hadith studies, and the contributions of Islamic scholars throughout history.
Noorudeen Mustafa
Writer/Editor
A Research Fellow at the Berlin Institute for Islamic Theology, Humboldt University of Berlin. He also serves as the Director of Malaibar Foundation for Research and Development, an initiative dedicated to the local history of the Indian subcontinent. His research interests include law and society in the Muslim world, Indian Ocean Islam, South Asian Islam, and Islamic intellectual history.
Zarin Tabassum
Writer
A graduate of Neuroscience and Biochemistry based in the U.S. Her interests lie in science, Islamic theology, and history. In her spare time, she studies the Risale-i-Nur by Imam Said Nursi and practices calligraphy.
Previous Members
Fariha Ahmed Ibraheem Ali Sabrina Amrane Maulana Asim Ayub Syraat Al Mustaqeem Maulana Saaleh Baseer Hana Farrukh Waqas Haque Muhammad Jalal Khansa Khalisha Aynoor Ahmed Khan Anas Malik Faizan Malik Mahnoor Nadeem Abubakr N. Shafeen Pittal Mariem M. Mariam E. Maryam Siddiqui Zartasha Zainab
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