We sat down with two distinguished Cambridge Muslim College alumni, who shared their story with us, and now we are sharing it exclusively with you!
Names: Shaykh Rizwan Hussain and Ustadah Sidrah Ahmed
Location: Southampton
Ages: 34 & 29
Relationship: Married in 2014
Previous Studies: With a combined total of 20 years of full-time Islamic Studies between them, Shaykh Rizwan and Ustadah Sidrah have engaged extensively with a range of traditional institutes, both in the UK (Jamia Karam, Dars Nizami) and in Egypt (Al Azhar University).
Graduated from CMC: In 2013 (as Valedictorian) and 2014 respectively, both with the Diploma in Contextual Islamic Studies and Leadership.
Previous Roles: Upon graduating, Shaykh Rizwan turned down a prison chaplaincy position for the opportunity to temporarily move to Southampton to help the Bashir Ahmed Mosque. He strongly felt that he could best serve a whole cross section of the community from a masjid space, and has remained active in Southampton ever since.
Following her graduation, Ustadah Sidrah joined Shaykh Rizwan in Southampton in 2014. For six years, Shaykh Rizwan served as the Head Imam at Bashir Ahmed Mosque and Ustadah Sidrah taught at the Madrassah, which has been praised as the best in the South East of England.
Current Roles: In 2020, the couple moved on from the Mosque and founded their own, unprecedented space – the Al Hayat Centre. Shaykh Rizwan is the Principal of the Centre and Ustadah Sidrah is Headteacher of the Madrassah. Shaykh Rizwan also serves as the Muslim Chaplain of the University of Winchester.
Al Hayat Centre:
Solely through the support of Shaykh Rizwan’s father, a former church premises was purchased and, following renovation, the Al Hayat Centre opened its doors as a fully functioning masjid with daily prayer services, a madrassah serving 150 students, and regular events.
“For the believer, being in the Mosque, is how a fish is in water. We aim to create this environment.”
Shaykh Rizwan and Ustadah Sidrah aspire to engage a diverse congregation in terms of ethnicity, age and gender; a place where everyone feels comfortable to attend.
Noticing a gap in the local Southampton Muslim community, the two Cambridge Muslim College graduates made a conscious focus on providing services for women and children. These include a baby and toddler playroom, a youth centre run with Islamic ethos for children under 11 and teenagers, women’s counselling and dispute resolution services, workshops on mental and physical health, mentorship to uplift and inspire the community, Coffee Mornings and book clubs for women, to maximise the utility of their space in the masjid.
Proudest achievement: Currently nominated for the Best Madrassah Services, Best Youth Services, most impactful Imam and Alimah in the UK by the Beacon Mosque Awards for the Al Hayat Centre. The couple were also previously nominated for most impactful Imam and Alimah at the Bashir Ahmed Mosque.