Give

Our teachers

Our teachers are women scholars who teach with us in Liverpool and online.

Shelves of Arabic books with gold lettering on their spines.

The teachers

UK

Ustadha Nagebah Hayel

Sīrah · Islamic Studies

Born and raised in Liverpool, England. Ustadha Nagebah Hayel left the UK at the age of 19 to study Arabic in Damascus, Syria. After completing Damascus University’s Arabic Language programme, she moved with her family to Tarim, Yemen studying at the prestigious Dar al-Zahra for six years. Ustadha Nagebah also served as a teacher at Dar al-Zahra for two years before returning to the UK in 2006.

Read moreShow less

Her teachers include Hubaba Nur bint Muhammad al-Haddar, Ustadha Zaynab al-Khatib, Ustadha Halimah al-Aydarous and other female scholars of the Hadramout valley. Ustadha Nagebah is currently a resident teacher at Greensville Trust, UK and Dar al-Zahra, Liverpool.

With Dar al-Zahra (UK)

  • Led the Sīrah study programme online, from October 2022 to July 2023
  • Led Ramadan Reflections, a free Ramadan special for sisters, held in person on Saturdays
  • Listed as the teacher of the Islamic Studies class, on Tuesdays in Liverpool
  • Listed as a speaker at The Awakened Muslimah and at Echoes of Iman, June 2026
UAE

Hubaba Mona Sheikh al-Kaff

Hubaba Mona al-Kaff is from the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and is therefore one of his blessed great granddaughters. Born in Makkah Al-Mukarramah during the blessed month of Ramadan to two noble parents from the progeny of the Noble Prophet ﷺ, Hubaba Mona al-Kaff has been raised to love knowledge, the scholars and the righteous.

Read moreShow less

The first person to nurture her soul and intellect, to show a concern for her, and with whom she studied many books of the pious predecessors was her father, the late Shaykh ibn Abū Bakr ibn Sādiq al-Kaff who was taught the religious and spiritual sciences with a continuous chain back to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by the scholars of Tarim. Studying under the guidance of the erudite scholar and guide al-Habīb ʿUmar ibn Salim ibn Hafiz, Hubaba Mona al-Kaff received authorisation to read the books of the Pious Predecessors and to call to Allah. She had studied many of his books and attended many of his classes and Dawrats (courses) both in Tarim and online. Her teachers include al-Habīb Husayn ibn Abdul Qadir as-Saqqaf, whose classes and circles she attended since he came to the United Arab Emirates in 1998.

Hubaba Mona Sheikh al-Kaff has worked in the field of teaching for many years in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Upon moving to Abu Dhabi, she served as founder and director of al-Bashaa’ir Private School in Abu Dhabi from 1993 to 2000. She also served as the head of the Mothers’ Council at Shaykh Zayed Academy for girls from 2000 to 2004. Hubaba Mona has undertaken da’wah trips to many countries including the USA, UK, Cape Town (South Africa), Arab States including Saudi Arabia and Egypt and Far East including Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia for the propagation of Islām.

She obtained her Higher Diploma in Islamic Studies from Al Azhar University in Cairo and a Master’s Degree in Islamic Studies from UAE’s Zayed University. Hubaba Mona currently teaches online for Meadows of al-Mustafa and teaches on Dar al-Zahra’s Ramadan and Becoming Women of God Programmes.

With Dar al-Zahra (UK)

  • Has taught on the Ramadan programme and on Becoming Women of God
UAE

Hubaba Talha al-Haddar

The Quest for Virtuous Character

Hubaba Talha (Umm Muhammad) bint al-Habib Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Haddar, Rahimahu Allah. The presence of Hubaba Talha in this earthly realm began in the blessed city of al-Baydha in Northern Yemen. She was born into a completely pure Prophetic bloodline and was raised in a family distinguished by its knowledge and practice, noble character, da’wah and deep concern for the Ummah. Her father was the erudite scholar and caller to Allah, Habib Muhammad Abdullah al-Haddar, and her mother was the pure Hubaba Salma bint Habib Ibrahim bin Umar Bin Yahya.

Read moreShow less

She learnt quickly and began teaching classes at the age of 14. In around the year 2000, the family moved to Abu Dhabi, UAE. After settling, Hubaba quickly established classes, mawlids, children’s programmes and annual events in her local area. She herself had a mentor in one of the older Hubabas who encouraged her to expand her da’wah activities to other women throughout the city, and Hubaba Talha became the most active caller to Allah in Abu Dhabi.

Hubaba taught her father’s book The Quest for Virtuous Character, as part of Dar al-Zahra’s Becoming Women of God Programme. May Allah Ta’ala allow us to benefit from her wisdom and knowledge and strengthen her and our connection to the Prophet ﷺ and the pious predecessors through our connection to her, a living example of a Woman of God.

With Dar al-Zahra (UK)

  • Taught The Quest for Virtuous Character on Becoming Women of God
UAE

Ustadha Mia

Ustadha Mia (Umm Abdullah) accepted Islām in 1999 in Melbourne, Australia. She is a student of knowledge, translator and teacher. She has studied the Islamic sciences extensively in Syria, Jordan, Yemen and the UAE and has graduate and postgraduate degrees in education and social sciences.

Read moreShow less

Umm Abdullah is known to translate for the women scholars of the Ba’Alawi tradition. She has taught and produced podcasts for women on textual and contextual competence with MISK Women. Ustadha Mia has served as a translator for various courses as part of Dar al-Zahra’s Becoming Women of God courses.

With Dar al-Zahra (UK)

  • Translator for courses on Becoming Women of God
UAE

Ustadha Zaynab ʿUmar

Raising Children

Ustadha Zaynab bint al-Habib ʿUmar bin Hafiz was born and raised in the blessed city of Tarim in Hadramawt, Yemen. She was nurtured and given the best upbringing by her parents, from whom she received training in sacred knowledge, Prophetic etiquette and calling to Allah. She studied the Noble Qur’an and the Islamic sciences at the Dar al-Zahra Institute in Tarim.

Read moreShow less

She has been very active in the field of developing spiritually grounded children’s education and character building. Under the guidance of her father, she has revised and deepened her research in the field and has delivered educational courses and activities both online and locally in Tarim and Abu Dhabi. Ustadha Zaynab taught the Raising Children course as part of Dar al-Zahra’s Becoming Women of God Programme. She is also working with Dar al-Zahra to publish a book based on the lecture series she presented.

With Dar al-Zahra (UK)

  • Taught the Raising Children course on Becoming Women of God
USA

Ustadha Mona Elzankaly

Maliki Fiqh

Born in Cairo, Egypt and raised in Southern California, Ustadha Mona Elzankaly graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mathematics in 1994. In 1998 Ustadha Mona began seeking sacred knowledge at the Zaytuna Institute in Hayward CA. She later travelled internationally seeking sacred knowledge.

Read moreShow less

Ustadha Mona obtained different Ijāzas in Tajwīd, different books of hadith, Aqīdah, and Maliki Fiqh. In 2008 she completed the four-year Zaytuna Seminary pilot programme and received a baccalaureate degree in Islamic Studies. In 2014 she completed a four-year Islamic Shari’a programme at al-Azhar University in Cairo Egypt.

Ustadha Mona began teaching in 2002 both privately and publicly. She has taught for Zaytuna Institute, Sisters Deen Intensive, Dar al-Zahra, The Rahmah Foundation and Meadows of al-Mustafa.

With Dar al-Zahra (UK)

  • Maliki Fiqh tutor on Becoming Women of God, 2026 to 2027
Australia

Ustadha Genan Dadoun

Sīrah

Ustadha Genan Dadoun completed her BA Communications degree with UTS in 2004. She then travelled to Tarim, Yemen where she was honoured to study the various Islamic Sciences at Dar al-Zahra under the tutelage of many great female scholars. In her 10 years abroad Ustadha Genan had the honour of translating for many female scholars as well as teaching at Dar al-Zahra.

Read moreShow less

She has taught the biography of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and co-ordinates a youth programme called SAYIT, focusing on the Islamic Identity of young Muslim girls in Australia. In her private and public classes, she addresses many of the challenges that face Muslim women living in a pluralistic society.

UK

Ustadha Thameena Khan

Ustadha Thameena was born and raised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Ustadha later travelled to Liverpool and acquired a BEng in Environmental Engineering.

Read moreShow less

Whilst residing there she studied Hanafi Fiqh with the eminent late scholar Shaykh Sirajudeen Chaudry and his student Shaykh Haroon Hanif, Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa and Ustadha Nagebah Hayel. Ustadha then travelled to the blessed land of Tarim in Hadramout, Yemen to complete the Shariah Programme, which included the sciences of Hadith, Arabic, Sīrah, Tafsir, Fiqh and Usul, in the esteemed women’s madrasa set up by Sayyid Al Habib Omar bin Hafidh.

Ustadha Thameena then returned back to Liverpool where she taught women in the northwest for many years under the guidance of Ustadha Nagebah Hayel.

Ustadha Thameena is a regular teacher on Dar al-Zahra’s annual Ramadan Programme.

With Dar al-Zahra (UK)

  • Regular teacher on the annual Ramadan programme
Singapore

Ustadha Farhana Munshi

Ustadha Farhana was born and raised in Singapore. After completing her secular education in Singapore, she attended the Arabic Summer Intensive programme at Zaytuna College in the US before spending a year studying Arabic in the institution of Abu Nour in Damascus, Syria. She thereafter travelled to Tarim, Yemen, where she spent 4 years studying at Dar al-Zahra in Tarim before returning to Singapore in 2017.

Read moreShow less

Her teachers include Hubaba Nur Al Haddar, Ustadha Zaynab Al-Khateeb, and Hubaba Maryam bint Habib Ali Mashhur.

Ustadha Farhana has also taught on Dar al-Zahra’s Mother and Daughter and the Becoming Women of God Programme.

With Dar al-Zahra (UK)

  • Has taught on Mother and Daughter and on Becoming Women of God
USA

Ustadha Shaista Maqbool

Ustadha Shaista started her studies as a teenager in Queens, NY, under the tutelage of Sh. Abdullah al-Adhami. She has also studied with Sh. Muhammad al-Yaqubi in the USA. Ustadha travelled to Damascus, Syria where she spent 10 years studying advanced Arabic and Islamic sciences.

Read moreShow less

Ustadha has received a license in Tajwīd from the late Sh. Abul-Hassan al-Kurdi (may Allah have mercy on him). She has studied the Shafi’i and Maliki schools, though her specialty is in the Hanafi school. She has a passion for Sīrah and hadith.

She is a teacher and founder of N’imah which aims to give women not only strong traditional knowledge, but also focuses on their connection to Allah and His Beloved ﷺ.

UK

Ustadha Rummana Shaheen

Ustadha Rummana initiated her Aalimiyya Dars at the age of sixteen. Endeavouring through the traditional sciences under the prestigious tutelage of the eminent Shaykh Riyadh and Shaykh Naveed Jameel ash-Shaami, she prosperously graduated from Mohiuddin Girls College, Burnley, UK. Subsequently, Ustadha progressed to further studies under the guidance of the renowned and authoritative Mufti Ashfaq Ahmed Ridawi (May Allah grant them Jannah) at Sayyida Khadija Institute, Nottingham, UK. In 2018 Ustadha travelled to Tarīm in Yemen to the famous Dar al-Zahra which is a school founded by the great Habib Umar bin al-Hafiz.

Read moreShow less

Many sisters have accepted Islām at the hand of Ustadha Rummana. Throughout Ustadha’s student life she was an intuitive role model to fellow students, encouraging and promoting servitude to the religion, and thereby left a remarkable example for the students of upcoming generations.

Learn with our teachers

See which courses are running now.

Find a course