Fatima Mahfouz is from Seattle, Washington, and currently lives with her family in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She graduated with a Bachelors in Biology in 2020 and is now taking some time off before pursuing a degree in Pharmacy. Fatima has been an active volunteer in her community wherever she has lived and a Ribaat student since 2018. She has a year-and-a-half old daughter and a baby boy on the way.
“Ribaat is a great institute that gives opportunities for women all over the world to take courses from the comfort of their homes,” says Fatima. “When I became 18, I found it very difficult to find a local program for adult Muslim women that offers courses on Islamic history, Arabic, and Quran. While living in Iowa, I attended a Ribaat Growing Hope Tour event. I was so glad to finally find a program that would teach me and help me accomplish my goals.”
One of those goals was to complete her very first reading of the Quran from cover to cover, which Fatima was able to do through the help of her Ribaat tajwid teacher. Now, Fatima aspires to begin memorizing the Quran insha Allah.
“I want to increase my knowledge, so I can teach my [kids] their religion and its history,” Fatima shares. “I also want to be able to teach them how to properly read the Quran and what its verses mean.”
In her free time, Fatima enjoys hiking, running, and drawing. She loves the outdoors and being adventurous but also does not mind staying in to stream some of her favorite programs.