Shaykh Jamaal Diwan

Co-Founder, Resident Scholar

Shaykh Jamaal Diwan was born and raised in Southern California to parents from Newfoundland and Pakistan. He accepted Islam in 2003 while at UCSD. After getting married and graduating from UCSD in Third World Studies, he and his wife moved to Egypt to study Arabic and Islamic Studies. He stayed there for the better part of the next seven years finishing an undergraduate degree in Sharia from al-Azhar. During that time he also completed two years of graduate work in Islamic Studies from the American University in Cairo. In addition to his formal studies he has also obtained ijazat (traditional licenses to transmit and teach) in various branches of Islamic Studies such as aqidah, fiqh, tazkiyah, and hadith.

Upon returning from Egypt in 2011 he has served as a religious teacher and instructor in Southern California in various capacities such as Resident Scholar, University Chaplain, and Islamic Studies teacher.

He cofounded The Majlis with his wife, Shaykha Muslema Purmul. The Majlis seeks to nurture safe community spaces where people can learn and live Islam, based on the traditional sources of understanding the faith, while acknowledging the particular challenges of the American context. It focuses its efforts on religious education, spiritual refinement, love, and service. He is a father of two, residing in Southern California with his family.

ShaykhA MUSLEMA PURMUL

Co-Founder, Religious Director

Muslema Purmul was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and raised in San Diego, California. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a double major in Religious Studies and Middle Eastern Studies. During these years she served a number of different roles at her local MSA at UCSD as well as MSA West. After graduating she left to study in Egypt where she spent the better part of the next 7 years. She completed the Bachelors program in Sharia from al-Azhar University in Cairo and also completed almost two years of graduate work at the American University in Cairo in Islamic Studies. She also attended the International Union of Muslim Scholars “Future Scholars Program” while she was studying in Cairo.

Upon her return to America, she served the Southern California community in various capacities including religious instruction, directing youth and young adult programs, university chaplaincy, and offering community pastoral care at and with local masjids and organizations. She has taught classes and spoken nationally and internationally about issues related to Islamic law and ethics in an array of educational settings including conferences, retreats, universities, libraries, and mosques. Currently she serves as Religious Director at The Majlis, a community organization she and her husband co-founded together seeking to nurture safe community spaces where people can learn and live Islam, based on the traditional sources of understanding the faith, while acknowledging the particular challenges of the American context. She is a mother of two and resides with her family in Southern California.

Shaykh FOUAD ELGOHARI

Instructor, Theology Specialist

Fouad Elgohari was born in Cairo, Egypt and raised in the U.S.A. As a student of fifteen years in the classical Islamic sciences with a specialization in systematic theology (kalam), Fouad serves as an instructor, academic consultant, and research fellow on various international councils, institutes, and educational programs. He received a Bachelor’s degree in the Liberal Arts, and went on to pursue Islamic Studies in Egypt from numerous institutes and under the supervision of senior-scholars of Al-Azhar where he received advanced traditional licenses (ijazat khassah) to teach credal theology, Sunni legal theory, Maliki Legal Rulings, Arabic language, tasawwuf, Ḥadith, and the Qur’anic sciences. He went on to further specialize in systematic theology (kalam) and legal theory (usul al-fiqh). In 2018 he graduated from Claremont School of Theology with an M.A. in Islamic Studies. His research is in post-classical (13-18th century) Islamic intellectual history, with a focus on the rational sciences (kalam, usul, logic, philosophy).

Fouad is a faculty member with Sabeel Community’s Dar al-Rayyan, a Traditional Global Seminary program. He is also currently a regular weekly instructor at The Majlis, a local initiative in Southern California founded on offering traditional learning in the American context, while developing an intentional community rooted in love and service.

SHEREEN YOUSSEF

Executive Director

Shereen graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance from California State University, Long Beach in 2003. She continued her education earning an Executive MBA with an emphasis in Strategic & Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University in 2008. Her previous and extensive experience include banking, healthcare administration and business development. She has made the switch to the non-profit industry 10 years ago as she continues to bridge community and philanthropy in her efforts. Shereen is currently a proud member of the AFPOC, Association of Fundraising Professionals in OC, and has become a consultant to many grassroots projects in the Orange County region.  She is grateful for the journey of motherhood and consider it to be one of her most important roles and job as she and her wonderful husband, Fouad, hobble along to raise two fun loving and adventurous toddlers.

Marcus Castile

Assistant Director

Marcus Castile is a longtime member of the Majlis community. He has Nonprofit, volunteerism and community work experience. He assists to run the day to day activities of The Majlis in order to ensure our community is nurtured and taken care of.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Shaykh Jamaal Diwan

Shaykha Muslema Purmul

Dr. Metra Azar-Salem

Siraj Mowjood

Hadeer Soliman

Faisal Ghias

ADVISORY BOARD

Shaykh Muhamed al-Jilani

Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

Shaykh Walead Mosaad