OUR MISSION
The Majlis seeks to develop and 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 our context. Our efforts are focused around religious education, spiritual refinement, fellowship, and service.
We do this praying to see a revival of a holistic understanding of Islam that emphasizes how to be in this world in a way that opens the door for a deeper commitment to the prophetic way for all. We dream of an ecosystem of spaces and services that enables that to occur.
Teachers
Shaykh Jamaal Diwan
Co-Founder, Religious Director
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, Assistant 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 has also completed an M.A. from Bayan Islamic Graduate School in Islamic Studies with her thesis focusing on the example of Sayyidah Fatimah.
She has 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 Assistant 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.
Staff
Shereen Youssef
Executive Director
Shereen earned her Bachelor of Science in Finance from California State University, Long Beach in 2003 and went on to complete her Executive MBA with a focus in Strategic and Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University in 2008. With a diverse background spanning banking, healthcare administration, and business development, she transitioned to the nonprofit sector 15 years ago. Since then, she has dedicated her work to bridging community and philanthropy.
Shereen is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Orange County Chapter (AFPOC), and serves as a consultant to numerous grassroots initiatives across the region. She finds great fulfillment in supporting mission-driven organizations and fostering meaningful partnerships.
Outside of her professional life, Shereen is most grateful for the journey of motherhood. She and her husband, Fouad, are joyfully navigating life with their two fun-loving and adventurous toddlers—her most cherished role of all.
Omar Atik
Technology Coordinator
Omar Atik is a technology enthusiast with a lifelong passion for computers and innovation. He earned his Master’s in Computer Science from California State University, East Bay, and has worked extensively in IT since 2018, serving the nonprofit sector throughout his career. He currently also serves as the Director of Technology at New Horizon School.
With a deep belief in technology’s power to connect people, Omar is dedicated to bridging communities through digital solutions that foster collaboration and inclusion. His work blends technical expertise with a human-centered approach, using technology as a bridge to bring ideas and people together.
Outside of work, Omar loves spending time with his family and going on adventures with them. And when he’s not solving tech challenges, he’s an avid Nintendo enthusiast.
Hajar Mowlanazada
Operations Coordinator
Born in Pakistan and raised in the United States, Hajar carries with her an Afghan heritage and a deep appreciation for community and learning. She spent three years in the IOK Seminary program and now continues her Islamic studies in the Imam Al-Dardir program at The Majlis, while also pursuing Psychology in her secular studies.
Her work in youth engagement and community programs has shaped her understanding of service: that people thrive when they are welcomed with sincerity and supported with care. She finds joy in spending time with local scholars and friends, and in helping create spaces where reflection, growth, and companionship feel at home.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Shaykh Jamaal Diwan
Shaykha Muslema Purmul
Dr. Metra Azar-Salem
Siraj Mowjood
Hadeer Soliman
ADVISORY BOARD
Shaykh Muhamed al-Jilani
Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah
Shaykh Walead Mosaad
A CLARIFYING NOTE
As community servants we interact with many other community leaders and imams. This includes speaking at their venues, sharing panels, and hosting. None of these actions should be seen as vouching to their character or general support. For more on this topic see here.