Ustadh Abdullah (Anik) Misra
Biography
"When Islam is studied and put into practise with all of its inward and outward dimensions genuinely represented, the result is a beautiful human being. The ideal Muslim is one upon whom any impartial observer should look and think: this is a beautiful person." -- Abdullah Misra
Ustadh Abdullah Anik Misra came to the study of the sacred sciences after helping others struggle with a need he himself had felt not long before. Born into a Hindu family, Ustadh Abdullah embraced Islam at the age of 18. After his own conversion, he worked with other new Muslims who lacked a strong support network. Their most pressing need, he discovered, was for sound knowledge of their new faith. An opportunity to perform the Pilgrimage (Hajj) inspired him to make the break: he left his career in marketing and became a full-time student of sacred knowledge.
Ustadh Abdullah was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, to a family of North Indian heritage. After graduating from the University of Toronto with a degree in Business Administration, he studied Arabic in his spare time with the Toronto Shariah Program. He also pursued his interests in da’wah, supporting new Muslims and personal readings.
He and his wife thereafter left Canada in search of knowledge, studying briefly first in Tarim, Yemen and then in the West Indies. There he also hosted an interactive television show about Islam. This latter experience opened his eyes to the importance of presenting Islam to people in a way that is relevant to their daily lives.
Ustadh Abdullah soon realised that his pursuit had to embrace both outward and inward knowledge. It was in Amman, Jordan that he was able to strike this balance. He completed the Arabic program at the Qasid Institute, where he now works, and continues to pursue both Islamic spirituality and his study of the sacred sciences, which includes subjects such as Jurisprudence (fiqh), the Prophetic Traditions (hadeeth), Islamic Belief (aqidah), Quranic Recitation (tajwid) and the Prophetic Biography (sira). His teachers have included Sh. Faraz Rabbani, Dr. Salah Abu al-Hajj, Sh. Ali Hani, Sh. Ahmad Hasanat, Sh. Ahmad Snobar, Sh. Hamza Bakri, Sh. Ashraf Muneeb, Sh. Abdul Qadir al-'Aani (rahimahu Allah), and Sh. Suleyman Van Ael.
Ustadh Abdullah lives in Amman with his wife and three daughters.