Guardians of the Heart
The heart is the seat of faith, sincerity, and true connection with Allah. To preserve it is to preserve one’s entire being. Tazkiyah teaches us how to guard the heart, from its relationship with Allah, to the self, and to others.
Join us for our upcoming Miftaah Circle, Guardians of the Heart, a transformative evening of reminders and reflection with esteemed scholars including Mufti Abdul Rahman Waheed, Shaykh Abdullah Misra, and more, as we explore the path of spiritual purification and how to nurture the heart in today’s world.




The World of the Unseen
Miftaah Institute aims to be an educational platform where people have the opportunity to develop themselves as keys for the spreading of divine knowledge.
The World of the Unseen
- Collection and Reevaluation
- Miftaah Institute aims to be an educational platform where people have the
- Miftaah Institute aims to be an educational platform where people have the
The World of the Unseen
- Collection and Reevaluation
- Miftaah Institute aims to be an educational platform where people have the
- Miftaah Institute aims to be an educational platform where people have the




Speakers
Mufti Abdul Rahman Waheed

Mufti Abdul Rahman Waheed was born and raised in Lansing, MI. As a youth, he displayed zeal and enthusiasm to involve himself in the religious sciences. At just 9 years of age, Mufti Abdul Rahman went to Toronto, Canada to pursue his dreams of becoming a Hafidh of the Holy Qur'an. Thereafter, Mufti Abdul Rahman traveled to Pakistan to continue his passion to seek knowledge where he completed his 2 year Iftaa program which specializes in Islamic Jurisprudence and Law. Mufti Abdul Rahman is serving as a principal and is a full-time instructor at Michigan Islamic Institute, the brother organization of Miftaah Institute. He travels across North America as a khateeb and lecturer. He is well-known for his calm and down-to-Earth demeanor.
Mufti Aasim Rashid
Mufti Aasim Rashid is a distinguished Muslim scholar, speaker and educator (the title ‘Mufti’ indicates his expertise and authority in Islamic law). He is devoted to the study and explanation of Islamic sacred texts and their relation to the modern context. His lectures, delivered at conferences and institutions around the world, are known to be inspiring and pertinent to the issues and pressing questions of the day. Mufti Aasim is the founder of the Al-Ihsan Educational Foundation, which has initiated the ‘Islam Unravelled’ project.
Shaykh Mikaeel Smith
Imam Mikaeel Ahmed Smith is an instructor at Qalam Seminary in Dallas, Texas and has a Degree in Islamic Studies from Dar ul-Uloom Canada in Chatham, Ontario. He is passionate about meeting the needs of Muslim converts, building Islamic literacy among youth, and striving for social justice. He recently published his first book, a translation of a classical Arabic text on Islamic pedagogy. He currently lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife and three young children.
Shaykh Suleiman Hani
Shaykh Suleiman Hani is the Director of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib Institute, a research scholar for Yaqeen Institute, and a resident scholar in Michigan. At the age of 14, Suleiman completed a 10-month Qur’an memorization program and began his intensive studies under numerous scholars, earning dozens of traditional religious certifications in the process. He later earned a master’s degree from the University of Jordan’s College of Shari’ah, ranking first in his class, and a master’s degree from Harvard University, where he studied religions, philosophy, political science, and psychology. Over the past decade, he has served as an Imam and community leader in Michigan, lectured in dozens of countries, published a number of books and articles, and was featured on the largest Islamic TV stations worldwide.
Mufti Hussain Kamani
Mufti Hussain Kamani was born and raised in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. His journey to pursue sacred Islamic knowledge began at age 6. By the age of 9, he completed the memorization of the Holy Quran. To further advance his studies in the Islamic Sciences, he traveled to the United Kingdom and pursued formal Islamic authorizations (ijazahs). For 7 years, Mufti Kamani studied a rigorous curriculum covering the Arabic language and literature, Islamic jurisprudence, Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an, Hadith, Islamic Philosophy, and Aqeedah. Afterwards, he was selected for a post-graduate level course in Islamic Law and Legal Verdicts, which he completed within two years. He later earned his graduate degree in Business Management from the University of Coventry in the UK.
Imam Tom Facchine
Tom Facchine is from Southern New Jersey. He obtained his Bachelors in Political Science/International Relations from Vassar College (2011), where he embraced Islam in his senior year. After studying Arabic independently, he was admitted to the Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia where he obtained an Associates in Classical Arabic (2016) and a Bachelors in Comparative Islamic Law (2020). He also completed the chaplaincy program conducted under the supervision of The Prophet’s Mosque (2019). Out of all his extracurricular studies, his study of tafseer under Shaykh Abdallah Shinqeeti in the Prophet’s Masjid was probably the most impactful.Tom has always been a passionate advocate and instructor for Muslim Youth, founding multiple youth groups and conducting various afterschool programs. He is currently the Imam of the Muslim Community Association of Mohawk Valley in Utica, NY as well as nearby Hamilton College. In his ‘spare’ time, Tom enjoys birdwatching, hiking, camping, poetry, and learning languages. He lives in Utica with his wife and three children.
Shaykh Abdulrahman Wood
Shaykh Abdulrahan Wood is an American Muslim from Columbus, Ohio, who embraced Islam in 1998 after exploring various religions. His journey began at 14, inspired by Malcolm X's story in Spike Lee's film X. Shortly after, he traveled to Makkah to study Arabic and Islamic sciences, completing an American Imam certificate with Shaikh Khalid al-Halawani. He shared his story on the Sultans and Sneakers podcast with Mahin Islam.
Shaykh Hassan Noor
Sheikh Hassan Noor is an accomplished scholar specializing in Islamic law. He graduated with First Class honors from the College of Islamic Law at Imam University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in legal theory at Al-Madinah International University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sheikh Hassan currently serves as instructor at Siraaj Institute.
Mufti Abdul Rahman Waheed was born and raised in Lansing, MI. As a youth, he displayed zeal and enthusiasm to involve himself in the religious sciences. At just 9 years of age, Mufti Abdul Rahman went to Toronto, Canada to pursue his dreams of becoming a Hafidh of the Holy Qur'an. Thereafter, Mufti Abdul Rahman traveled to Pakistan to continue his passion to seek knowledge where he completed his 2 year Iftaa program which specializes in Islamic Jurisprudence and Law. Mufti Abdul Rahman is serving as a principal and is a full-time instructor at Michigan Islamic Institute, the brother organization of Miftaah Institute. He travels across North America as a khateeb and lecturer. He is well-known for his calm and down-to-Earth demeanor.
Mufti Aasim Rashid is a distinguished Muslim scholar, speaker and educator (the title ‘Mufti’ indicates his expertise and authority in Islamic law). He is devoted to the study and explanation of Islamic sacred texts and their relation to the modern context. His lectures, delivered at conferences and institutions around the world, are known to be inspiring and pertinent to the issues and pressing questions of the day. Mufti Aasim is the founder of the Al-Ihsan Educational Foundation, which has initiated the ‘Islam Unravelled’ project.
Imam Mikaeel Ahmed Smith is an instructor at Qalam Seminary in Dallas, Texas and has a Degree in Islamic Studies from Dar ul-Uloom Canada in Chatham, Ontario. He is passionate about meeting the needs of Muslim converts, building Islamic literacy among youth, and striving for social justice. He recently published his first book, a translation of a classical Arabic text on Islamic pedagogy. He currently lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife and three young children.
Shaykh Suleiman Hani is the Director of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib Institute, a research scholar for Yaqeen Institute, and a resident scholar in Michigan. At the age of 14, Suleiman completed a 10-month Qur’an memorization program and began his intensive studies under numerous scholars, earning dozens of traditional religious certifications in the process. He later earned a master’s degree from the University of Jordan’s College of Shari’ah, ranking first in his class, and a master’s degree from Harvard University, where he studied religions, philosophy, political science, and psychology. Over the past decade, he has served as an Imam and community leader in Michigan, lectured in dozens of countries, published a number of books and articles, and was featured on the largest Islamic TV stations worldwide.
Mufti Hussain Kamani was born and raised in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. His journey to pursue sacred Islamic knowledge began at age 6. By the age of 9, he completed the memorization of the Holy Quran. To further advance his studies in the Islamic Sciences, he traveled to the United Kingdom and pursued formal Islamic authorizations (ijazahs). For 7 years, Mufti Kamani studied a rigorous curriculum covering the Arabic language and literature, Islamic jurisprudence, Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an, Hadith, Islamic Philosophy, and Aqeedah. Afterwards, he was selected for a post-graduate level course in Islamic Law and Legal Verdicts, which he completed within two years. He later earned his graduate degree in Business Management from the University of Coventry in the UK.
Tom Facchine is from Southern New Jersey. He obtained his Bachelors in Political Science/International Relations from Vassar College (2011), where he embraced Islam in his senior year. After studying Arabic independently, he was admitted to the Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia where he obtained an Associates in Classical Arabic (2016) and a Bachelors in Comparative Islamic Law (2020). He also completed the chaplaincy program conducted under the supervision of The Prophet’s Mosque (2019). Out of all his extracurricular studies, his study of tafseer under Shaykh Abdallah Shinqeeti in the Prophet’s Masjid was probably the most impactful.Tom has always been a passionate advocate and instructor for Muslim Youth, founding multiple youth groups and conducting various afterschool programs. He is currently the Imam of the Muslim Community Association of Mohawk Valley in Utica, NY as well as nearby Hamilton College. In his ‘spare’ time, Tom enjoys birdwatching, hiking, camping, poetry, and learning languages. He lives in Utica with his wife and three children.
Shaykh Abdulrahan Wood is an American Muslim from Columbus, Ohio, who embraced Islam in 1998 after exploring various religions. His journey began at 14, inspired by Malcolm X's story in Spike Lee's film X. Shortly after, he traveled to Makkah to study Arabic and Islamic sciences, completing an American Imam certificate with Shaikh Khalid al-Halawani. He shared his story on the Sultans and Sneakers podcast with Mahin Islam.
Sheikh Hassan Noor is an accomplished scholar specializing in Islamic law. He graduated with First Class honors from the College of Islamic Law at Imam University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in legal theory at Al-Madinah International University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sheikh Hassan currently serves as instructor at Siraaj Institute.
Mufti Abdul Rahman Waheed was born and raised in Lansing, MI. As a youth, he displayed zeal and enthusiasm to involve himself in the religious sciences. At just 9 years of age, Mufti Abdul Rahman went to Toronto, Canada to pursue his dreams of becoming a Hafidh of the Holy Qur'an. Thereafter, Mufti Abdul Rahman traveled to Pakistan to continue his passion to seek knowledge where he completed his 2 year Iftaa program which specializes in Islamic Jurisprudence and Law. Mufti Abdul Rahman is serving as a principal and is a full-time instructor at Michigan Islamic Institute, the brother organization of Miftaah Institute. He travels across North America as a khateeb and lecturer. He is well-known for his calm and down-to-Earth demeanor.
Shaykh Abdullah Waheed was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, MI. He commenced his studies at the age of ten in Toronto, Canada, where he went to memorize the Quran. He completed the memorization of the Holy Quran by the tender age of thirteen and then went on to study in the seven-year extensive Shariah program in Toronto, Canada. Shaykh Abdullah specialized in the Tafseer of the Quran. Shaykh Abdullah spent years studying the details and beauty of our Holy book since understanding and mastering the language of the Holy Quran was always the primary goal. Shaykh Abdullah is a co-founder and instructor at Miftaah Institute and is also the Director of Islamic Affairs at Flint Islamic Center.
Dr. Furhan serves as Dean of the Institute of Knowledge Seminary in Southern California, Seminary Instructor at the same institute, and University Chaplain at the University of California Irvine. He has authored a number of books, on topics such as tafsir, hadith commentary, and introductions to foundational Islamic disciplines, as part of the IOK Curriculum Series.
Imam Mikaeel Ahmed Smith is an instructor at Qalam Seminary in Dallas, Texas and has a Degree in Islamic Studies from Dar ul-Uloom Canada in Chatham, Ontario. He is passionate about meeting the needs of Muslim converts, building Islamic literacy among youth, and striving for social justice. He recently published his first book, a translation of a classical Arabic text on Islamic pedagogy. He currently lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife and three young children.
Graduate of Michigan Islamic Institute
Shaykh Musa Sugapong is the co-founder and president of Knowman Learning in Greater Cleveland, where he provides education rooted in Islamic knowledge. He also serves as a Religious Consultant at the Khalil Center, integrating psychology with Islamic theology, and formerly taught at Darul Qasim Institute for over a decade. Embracing Islam at nineteen, he studied Arabic locally while completing a BA in Sociology and Religious Studies at San Diego State University, later deepening his studies in Damascus and South Africa. Residing in Cleveland with his family, Shaykh Musa enjoys traveling, family time, and playing basketball and football.
Shaykh Suleiman Hani is the Director of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib Institute, a research scholar for Yaqeen Institute, and a resident scholar in Michigan. At the age of 14, Suleiman completed a 10-month Qur’an memorization program and began his intensive studies under numerous scholars, earning dozens of traditional religious certifications in the process. He later earned a master’s degree from the University of Jordan’s College of Shari’ah, ranking first in his class, and a master’s degree from Harvard University, where he studied religions, philosophy, political science, and psychology. Over the past decade, he has served as an Imam and community leader in Michigan, lectured in dozens of countries, published a number of books and articles, and was featured on the largest Islamic TV stations worldwide.
Mufti Hussain Kamani was born and raised in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. His journey to pursue sacred Islamic knowledge began at age 6. By the age of 9, he completed the memorization of the Holy Quran. To further advance his studies in the Islamic Sciences, he traveled to the United Kingdom and pursued formal Islamic authorizations (ijazahs). For 7 years, Mufti Kamani studied a rigorous curriculum covering the Arabic language and literature, Islamic jurisprudence, Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an, Hadith, Islamic Philosophy, and Aqeedah. Afterwards, he was selected for a post-graduate level course in Islamic Law and Legal Verdicts, which he completed within two years. He later earned his graduate degree in Business Management from the University of Coventry in the UK.
Mufti Aasim Rashid is a distinguished Muslim scholar, speaker and educator (the title ‘Mufti’ indicates his expertise and authority in Islamic law). He is devoted to the study and explanation of Islamic sacred texts and their relation to the modern context. His lectures, delivered at conferences and institutions around the world, are known to be inspiring and pertinent to the issues and pressing questions of the day. Mufti Aasim is the founder of the Al-Ihsan Educational Foundation, which has initiated the ‘Islam Unravelled’ project.
Join us for a day of
Develop practical strategies for nurturing the heart – Apply prophetic guidance and scholarly wisdom to cultivate sincerity, mindfulness, and spiritual growth in daily life.
Learn principles of tazkiyah (spiritual purification) – Gain insights into how to guard, purify, and strengthen the heart in its relationship with Allah, oneself, and others.
Understand the central role of the heart in faith – Explore how the heart functions as the seat of sincerity, spiritual connection, and overall well-being in Islam.
Recognize challenges facing the heart today – Identify contemporary distractions and diseases of the heart, and discover ways to remain spiritually grounded in modern life.
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Guardians of the Heart
At every event and gathering that our students attend with Miftaah, life-altering moments take place. Through a special collection of services and platforms to foster your intellectual and spiritual development, we are offering you these once-in-a-lifetime experiences. By inviting Miftaah to your community you can start your journey now.
request a Circle in your cityyour community can host the next
Guardians of the Heart
At every event and gathering that our students attend with Miftaah, life-altering moments take place. Through a special collection of services and platforms to foster your intellectual and spiritual development, we are offering you these once-in-a-lifetime experiences. By inviting Miftaah to your community you can start your journey now.
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