Home                          Give

TISA LOGO
TISA LOGO
From Preservation to Progress

Preparing Competent Leaders for Contemporary Times

From Preservation to Progress

Help Prepare 

Competent Leaders

for  

Contemporary Times

This Ramadan, your support funds serious training so leaders are prepared before communities need them most.

Zakat for eligible students. Trusted scholars. Real community impact.

A Message from Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi

TISA Dean of Academic Affairs

Why Donors Trust TISA

Islamic knowledge was entrusted to be understood, lived, and carried forward responsibly. This Ramadan, your support ensures that our communities in the West do not merely preserve tradition, but cultivate leaders equipped to guide it forward.

.

Founded in 2018 to serve North America’s growing need for grounded Islamic leadership.

Rigorous curriculum rooted in classical scholarship and applied responsibly.

Graduates serving as imams, chaplains, counselors and educators across North America.

Structured governance with clear oversight, treating every dollar as a trust.

Zakat-eligible programs that support qualified students and real leadership formation.

Support serious Islamic leadership this Ramadan.

What Your Support Protects

Method Over Mimicry


Students learn scholarly method across multiple perspectives.

Sound Judgment 

in Crisis

 

Training that equips leaders to respond wisely when real lives are at stake.

Continuity of

Learning

 

Students’ ability to pursue serious, sustained academic study.

Prepared

Communities

 

Support that strengthens communities before responsibility arrives.

Your support helps safeguard communities through responsible Islamic leadership.

Formation in Practice

How serious training shapes real leadership already at work.

Formation in Practice

How serious training shapes real leadership already at work.

Anika Munshi

Anika Munshi

Licensed Counseler

Anika supports Muslim clients navigating family pressure and faith-related distress. Her training at TISA has transformed her practice, enabling her to separate cultural fear from Islamic guidance, helping clients return to faith with clarity and care.

Abdul Muhaymin Priester III

A. Muhaymin Priester

Muslim Chaplain

Abdul Muhaymin serves Muslims in prison settings, where accountability, guidance and faith shape who they become when they return home. His training at TISA equips him to offer principled Islamic counsel in high-pressure environments, helping to preserve dignity, responsibility, and faith beyond confinement.

Joshua Griesinger

Joshua Griesinger

Spiritual Director

Joshua serves individuals seeking spiritual guidance at moments where poor counsel can lead to real harm. His training at TISA strengthened his ability to distinguish cultural pressure from Islamic obligation, enabling him to act with restraint and clarity while protecting both dignity and safety when it’s needed most.

This work is already happening — and it continues only with sustained support.

Transforming Islamic Leadership in the West

Moving From Preservation to Progress to Meet Modern Challenges

Moving from Preservation to Progress

Why Today’s Communities Need More Than Preservation Alone

Preserving Islamic knowledge remains essential. But in the American context, preservation alone is not enough. Communities face questions shaped by modern institutions, pluralism, and lived realities that cannot be answered through mere memorization or inherited answers.

 

TISA exists to build a center of Islamic knowledge in the U.S. that trains leaders in scholarly method—teaching how to reason, weigh differences, and apply the tradition responsibly across complex situations.

 

This depth of formation ensures Islamic guidance is not merely repeated, but understood, exercised, and carried forward with integrity in the communities it serves.


How can you help build this foundation for Islamic leadership in the North America? 

Ways to Give

Learning Essentials

Covers core learning materials and instructional support that keep students engaged and progressing.

Applied Training

Supports supervised training where students learn to respond responsibly to real-world challenges.

Student Grant

Reduces financial strain so a student can continue rigorous study without interruption.

Leadership Formation

Advances deep formation for leaders already serving in communities, hospitals, and institutions.

Your support strengthens the leadership our communities rely on. Thank you for protecting this work.

Founded
in 2018

Built with purpose. Established to meet North America’s growing need for serious, trustworthy Islamic leadership today.

Rigorous
Curriculum

Rooted and relevant. Students study classical Islamic sciences and learn to apply them responsibly in the North American context.

Community
Impact

Knowledge in action. Graduates serve as imams, chaplains, educators, and counselors in communities across North America.

Transparent
& Accountable

Structured governance. Clear oversight and accountable stewardship, treating every dollar as an Amaanah placed in our care.

Founded
in 2018

Built with purpose. Established to meet North America’s growing need for serious, trustworthy Islamic leadership today.

Rigorous
Curriculum

Rooted and relevant. Students study classical Islamic sciences and learn to apply them responsibly in the North American context.

Community
Impact

Knowledge in action. Graduates serve as imams, chaplains, educators, and counselors in communities across North America.

Zakat Eligible
Programs

Zakat where it belongs. Your zakat directly supports students and programs that meet clear Islamic eligibility standards.

Why Preservation Alone is 
No Longer Enough

Muslim communities across the West are already living with the consequences of underprepared leadership. When real lives are at stake—families in crisis, young people seeking guidance, communities facing conflict—Islamic leadership cannot be improvised.

 

Serious formation takes years of study, mentorship, and stability. Most TISA students rely on donor support to pursue that training without shortcuts or compromise. This Ramadan, your giving ensures that Islamic knowledge is carried forward with care—and that leaders are formed before communities need them most.

Support serious Islamic leadership this Ramadan.

What Your Support Protects

Grounded Guidance

Islamic guidance shaped for today’s realities—rooted in tradition, applied with restraint and sound judgment.

Ongoing Formation

Leadership requires continual study and mentorship. Donor support sustains the depth and discipline this work demands over time.

Active Impact

What is learned is applied immediately in masajid, hospitals, counseling spaces, and classrooms across North America.

Your support strengthens leadership our communities rely on.

Ways to Give this Ramadan

Learning Essentials – Covers core learning materials and instructional support that keep students engaged and progressing.

Applied Training – Supports supervised training where students learn to respond responsibly to real-world challenges.

Student Grant – Reduces financial strain so a student can continue rigorous study without interruption.

Leadership Formation – Advances deep formation for leaders already serving in communities, hospitals, and institutions.

Give With Intention – Every contribution strengthens serious Islamic scholarship and responsible leadership.

Formation in Practice

How serious training shapes real leadership already at work.

Anika Munshi

Licensed Professional Counselor, TISA ‘26

Anika was already working with Muslim clients navigating deep tension between faith and family expectations. One client came to her on the verge of walking away from Islam, experiencing it as obligation rather than understanding.


Through her training at TISA, Anika learned to separate Islam’s sacred teachings from the cultural anxieties often imposed around them. That grounding reshaped her practice. Instead of urging endurance or minimizing pain, she guided her client back to what Islam actually asks of a believer.


The result was not abandonment, but return. The client reclaimed her faith with understanding instead of fear—exactly the kind of careful guidance TISA trains practitioners to offer.

Joshua Griesinger

Spiritual Director, TISA ‘26

Joshua came to TISA to gain the Islamic grounding required when leadership decisions carry real risk. That formation proved essential when a young woman in his community sought help as family pressure toward a forced marriage escalated.

 

Through his studies, Joshua learned that Islam does not permit harm to be absorbed quietly in the name of patience or social ease. Acting with restraint and proper counsel, he helped ensure the woman’s safety while honoring Islamic principles and boundaries.

 

Harm was averted, dignity preserved, and trust maintained. This is what serious Islamic training makes possible when real lives are at stake.

A. Muhaymin Priester III

Chaplain & Community Leader

“Through my chaplaincy, I have witnessed how even in the harshest places, faith can bring dignity, knowledge, and compassion.”

Abdul Muhaymin brings the light of Islam into overlooked corners of society. His TISA training equips him to counsel incarcerated Muslims with wisdom, dignity, and compassion.

Javeria Paloba

Family Mediation Specialist

“TISA helped me understand the deeper spiritual and social roots of conflict and gave me tools to serve with integrity and compassion.”

Javeria is a professional mediator, arbitrator, and founder of The Ansars, an organization focused on resolving family conflict and empowering women. Through TISA, she gained a framework rooted in prophetic wisdom that strengthens her service to families and communities with mercy, clarity, and justice.

Sereen Askar

Neuroscientist & Educator

“TISA gave me the language and spiritual grounding I needed to show up confidently in academic spaces as a Muslim woman in science.”

As a faculty member in neuroscience at Tulane University, Sereen brings both expertise and faith to the classroom. At TISA, she found a framework that strengthened her commitment to bridging Islamic knowledge with academic inquiry.

Layth Al-Khazraji

Campus Chaplain

“TISA gave me the tools to counsel and connect with students in ways that honor both tradition and today’s realities.”

Layth works with college students as they navigate personal challenges, faith, and identity. At TISA, he deepened his understanding of Islamic tradition while learning how to apply it to real-life situations. Serving on the front lines of campus life, he helps students feel seen, supported, and grounded through a faith-based approach.

Arif Kabir

Chaplain & Servant Leader

“Through TISA, I gained the grounding to ensure my advocacy reflects both the needs of our community and the principles of our tradition.”

As founder of Muslim.co, Arif amplifies Muslim voices in national conversations on policy, media, and representation. His TISA education grounds his work in authentic Islamic values.

Saadia A.

Interfaith Educator

“TISA has given me the grounding to guide youth and to build bridges of understanding in our wider society.”

A public school teacher and ADAMS Center volunteer, Saadia mentors youth and leads interfaith engagement. TISA has helped her deepen her understanding of Islam and equipped her to represent Muslims with wisdom and confidence in diverse spaces. She combines professional experience and faith-based leadership to nurture the next generation.

 

A. Muhaymin Priester III

Chaplain & Community Leader

“Through my chaplaincy, I have witnessed how even in the harshest places, faith can bring dignity, knowledge, and compassion.”

Abdul Muhaymin brings the light of Islam into overlooked corners of society. His TISA training equips him to counsel incarcerated Muslims with wisdom, dignity, and compassion.

Javeria Paloba

Family Mediation Specialist

“TISA helped me understand the deeper spiritual and social roots of conflict and gave me tools to serve with integrity and compassion.”

Javeria is a professional mediator, arbitrator, and founder of The Ansars, an organization focused on resolving family conflict and empowering women. Through TISA, she gained a framework rooted in prophetic wisdom that strengthens her service to families and communities with mercy, clarity, and justice.

Sereen Askar

Neuroscientist & Educator

“TISA gave me the language and spiritual grounding I needed to show up confidently in academic spaces as a Muslim woman in science.”

As a faculty member in neuroscience at Tulane University, Sereen brings both expertise and faith to the classroom. At TISA, she found a framework that strengthened her commitment to bridging Islamic knowledge with academic inquiry.

Layth Al-Khazraji

Campus Chaplain

“TISA gave me the tools to counsel and connect with students in ways that honor both tradition and today’s realities.”

Layth works with college students as they navigate personal challenges, faith, and identity. At TISA, he deepened his understanding of Islamic tradition while learning how to apply it to real-life situations. Serving on the front lines of campus life, he helps students feel seen, supported, and grounded through a faith-based approach.

Arif Kabir

Chaplain & Servant Leader

“Through TISA, I gained the grounding to ensure my advocacy reflects both the needs of our community and the principles of our tradition.”

As founder of Muslim.co, Arif amplifies Muslim voices in national conversations on policy, media, and representation. His TISA education grounds his work in authentic Islamic values.

Saadia A.

Interfaith Educator

“TISA has given me the grounding to guide youth and to build bridges of understanding in our wider society.”

A public school teacher and ADAMS Center volunteer, Saadia mentors youth and leads interfaith engagement. TISA has helped her deepen her understanding of Islam and equipped her to represent Muslims with wisdom and confidence in diverse spaces. She combines professional experience and faith-based leadership to nurture the next generation.

A. Muhaymin Priester III

Chaplain & Community Leader

“Through my chaplaincy, I have witnessed how even in the harshest places, faith can bring dignity, knowledge, and compassion.”

Abdul Muhaymin brings the light of Islam into overlooked corners of society. His TISA training equips him to counsel incarcerated Muslims with wisdom, dignity, and compassion.

Javeria Paloba

Family Mediation Specialist

“TISA helped me understand the deeper spiritual and social roots of conflict and gave me tools to serve with integrity and compassion.”

Javeria is a professional mediator, arbitrator, and founder of The Ansars, an organization focused on resolving family conflict and empowering women. Through TISA, she gained a framework rooted in prophetic wisdom that strengthens her service to families and communities with mercy, clarity, and justice.

Sereen Askar

Neuroscientist & Educator

“TISA gave me the language and spiritual grounding I needed to show up confidently in academic spaces as a Muslim woman in science.”

As a faculty member in neuroscience at Tulane University, Sereen brings both expertise and faith to the classroom. At TISA, she found a framework that strengthened her commitment to bridging Islamic knowledge with academic inquiry.

Layth Al-Khazraji

Campus Chaplain

“TISA gave me the tools to counsel and connect with students in ways that honor both tradition and today’s realities.”

Layth works with college students as they navigate personal challenges, faith, and identity. At TISA, he deepened his understanding of Islamic tradition while learning how to apply it to real-life situations. Serving on the front lines of campus life, he helps students feel seen, supported, and grounded through a faith-based approach.

Arif Kabir

Chaplain & Servant Leader

“Through TISA, I gained the grounding to ensure my advocacy reflects both the needs of our community and the principles of our tradition.”

As founder of Muslim.co, Arif amplifies Muslim voices in national conversations on policy, media, and representation. His TISA education grounds his work in authentic Islamic values.

Saadia A.

Interfaith Educator

“TISA has given me the grounding to guide youth and to build bridges of understanding in our wider society.”

A public school teacher and ADAMS Center volunteer, Saadia mentors youth and leads interfaith engagement. TISA has helped her deepen her understanding of Islam and equipped her to represent Muslims with wisdom and confidence in diverse spaces. She combines professional experience and faith-based leadership to nurture the next generation.

       *Prefer a letter format?  Read the Ramadan letter we mailed to supporters.

The work you’ve seen here is happening now—and it continues only with sustained support.

TISA is a premier American Islamic Graduate Institution dedicated to cultivating a generation of world-class doers and thinkers who lead from an Islamic paradigm while engaging contemporary challenges and opportunities.

Zakat for eligible students.       |       EIN: 45-3207248       |       501(c)(3) Nonprofit       |       Privacy Policy       |        info@islamicseminary.us

The Islamic Seminary of America is a premier American Islamic Graduate Institution dedicated to cultivating a generation of world-class doers and thinkers who lead from an Islamic paradigm while engaging contemporary challenges and opportunities.

Zakat for eligible students.      |       EIN: 45-3207248

      501(c)(3) Nonprofit         |         Privacy Policy       

info@islamicseminary.us