“Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles”

Join us for this 3-week series featuring the all-star line-up of Imam Mohamed Magid, Dalia Mogahed, Saif Omar, Awais Sheikh, and Omar Altalib as we go Into the Lion's Den and Explore to Navigate Impossible Situations through the lens of Surah Yusef!

We all face what can feel like insurmountable challenges. Whether it's the intensely personal struggles within family, the daily struggles of a painful work environment, or the incomprehensible struggles of systematic injustices, it often feels like there are some battles we simply cannot win.

So what do we do when faced with these impossible situations? Is there a path to victory or are we forever condemned to such difficult situations? And above all, why does God place us within them?

Comprised of an engaging talk and meaningful discussions, this Grounding module features our most ambitious line-up of speakers yet! We have enough presenters to fill a conference let alone a cafe, so don't miss out on this chance to engage with them on such a relevant topic!

Doors for the event open at 7:45 for coffee and connection, the event starting at 7 right after Maghrib! One ticket covers all 3 weeks and donations are greatly appreciated and help us fund future events!

Open to young professionals ages 21+, this is the latest module in our weekly series for young working professionals on contemporary issues through a spiritual lens! We look forward to seeing you there!

Schedule

Week 1 | The Lion's Den of Family Strife

Speakers: Imam Mohamed Magid and Dalia Mogahed (Hosted by Saif Omar)

Week 2 | The Lion's Den of Workplace Dysfunction

Speakers: Awais Sheikh and Omar Altalib

Week 3 | The Lion's Den of Systematic Oppression

Speaker: Dalia Mogahed

About the Speakers

Imam Mohamed Magid

Imam Mohamed Magid has dedicated over three decades to serving the Muslim community with unwavering commitment, compassion, and vision. Originally from Sudan, Imam Magid comes from a distinguished lineage of Islamic scholarship. He is recognized nationally and internationally for his leadership in promoting human rights, interfaith understanding, and community development.

As the Resident Scholar of the ADAMS Center, Imam Magid plays a vital role in guiding the community through education, spiritual growth, and advocacy. His work has empowered individuals and families across generations, and his efforts to foster inclusivity and unity have earned him deep respect across diverse communities.

In addition to his community leadership, Imam Magid is an accomplished author and public speaker. His lifelong dedication to service reflects an impeccable record of addressing the evolving needs of the Muslim community while upholding the timeless values of faith, justice, and compassion.

Dalia Mogahed

Dalia Mogahed is a scholar at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding and CEO of Mogahed Consulting. She previously served as the Director of Research at ISPU, where she led the organization’s pioneering research and thought leadership programs on American Muslims. She is also the former Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, where she led the analysis of surveys of Muslim communities worldwide.

She was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on engagement with Muslim communities and has been a trusted expert voice in global media and international forums.

Dalia is also the co-host of the Quran Conversations podcast. Her work explores the intersection of faith, identity, and belonging, shedding light on the complexities that often divide us while offering insights on how we can bridge those divides with empathy, knowledge, and—most importantly—authentic human connection.

Awais Sheikh

Awais Sheikh has served as an executive level strategist specializing in growth for multiple for-profit and nonprofit enterprises. He is a published expert in the areas of business innovation and design thinking. Most recently, Br. Awais is one of the founders of Forerunners, a community of founders, executives, and professionals that pursue business success through a purpose-driven and value-oriented approach.

Omar Altalib

Omar Altalib is a transformative leader and co-founder of Forerunners, an organization dedicated to building the leaders who will transform society through values and purpose. Drawing from his experience building and leading billion-dollar teams across public sector, healthcare and non-profits at Amazon, Omar now channels his expertise toward empowering leaders and organizations to align their work with a higher purpose to achieve large scale impact.

At Forerunners, Omar helps people work across differences and build mission-driven teams united by shared values and objectives to solve hard problems, whether in business or community initiatives. His work reflects a commitment to compassion, collaboration, and the belief that real change begins from within and extends outward to uplift society as a whole.

Saif Omar

Saif Omar founded Fawakih in 2008, after identifying a gap in accessing Quranic Arabic within the US. Within Fawakih, he served as a full-time Executive Director from 2012-2016, while also instructing courses on Arabic and Tajwid.

Upon completing his tenure, Saif joined the El-Hibri Foundation, where he served as the Senior Program Officer, advising and providing resources to leaders across the nonprofit sector. He continues to lecture and write on topics of Entrepreneurship, Nonprofit Management, and Quranic Arabic.

In 2018, he returned to Fawakih as the CEO in order to scale out its online program, oversee completion and publishing of its 6-level curriculum, and build partnerships for Quranic Arabic learning. As a social entrepreneur dedicated to solving building and scaling organizations in the Muslim education space and also a father of four.

The Grounding: Navigating Impossible Situations

3-week series