Ahsen nadeem

Assalam-u-alaykum! My name is Ahsen Nadeem and I live with my wife and our two cats in Redmond, Washington. I was born in Pakistan and emigrated to the United States at the age of 3 and have thus been raised in the Pacific Northwest. In 2013, I graduated from the University of Washington where I served as the MSA-UW President for consecutive years and started the MAPS Youth group later that year which continues to run by the grace of Allah (swat) at the Masjid-Ar Rahmah/MAPS - the largest Mosque in the Pacific Northwest. In 2017, I graduated from the University of Washington School of Dentistry with my Doctorate of Dentistry Degree and currently practice general dentistry as well.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Islam began as a something strange and it will return to being strange, so blessed are the strangers.”

This Hadith has been a particular comfort for me in college and adult years; a reminder that Islam isn’t meant to be consumed by popular culture and the trends of the time; rather it is a way of life that can be an uplifting and transformative change for ourselves and society around us. And yet, as a young Muslim boy, growing up after the 9/11 attacks, the feeling of loneliness, conflicting identity and self doubt was inevitable. I knew no other Muslims in school and we didn’t have a strong connection to the nearest Masjid. It wasn’t until college, where I took part in the MSA and surrounded myself with fellow Muslims where I developed a strong Muslim identity and a sense of belonging. I knew then that I wanted to dedicate my life to service, and in particular, helping young Muslims nurture a meaningful relationship with Islam and connect them through authentic sources and qualified scholars with the life of Rasulullah (saws). It is my goal to provide the confidence and support that I once longed for as a teenager to our current youth, so that they may live successful lives as devout Muslims committed to carrying forth the legacy of Islam.