Personal Journey

• Early Influences and Education: Growing up in the Bronx in the early 90s, Abdullah was influenced by his parents’ sacrifice and discipline. He found a sense of identity and inspiration in the public figures of Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X. His environment, surrounded by both positive and negative influences, taught him to learn from the good in people and even recognize what not to do from negative examples.

• Role of Islamic Faith in Career Choices: Abdullah views his career path not as a personal choice but as the Qadr (decree) of Allah, stating that Allah “dragged me from what I was doing and put me into this field of serving Muslims.” His drive is rooted in the Islamic command to serve as ambassadors to humanity, which he believes is best done through service rather than debate.

• Challenges Faced as a Muslim Professional: The primary challenge of his youth was an identity crisis, being a “minority amongst the minorities.” He channeled this by embracing his difference, even wearing a kufi consistently until age 19. Later, he observed that Muslim communities across the US, regardless of size or wealth, all share the same anxiety about guiding the next generation.

• Key Turning Points and Decisions: A significant turning point was his involvement with the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) after 9/11, driven by the need to serve community members facing injustice. He later spent six months analyzing gaps in the Muslim community and identified a need to build leadership capacity, which led him to work at Bayan and now at TISA.

Industry Deep Dive

• Current Role and Responsibilities: As Chief Strategy Officer at TISA, Abdullah’s role is to transition the institution from “survival mode” to a “sustainable institution” focused on growth. He describes his function as solving problems by making TISA’s mission visible to donors and the community. Unlike a corporate strategist who only plans, he emphasizes being involved in the execution of the strategy.

• Corporate Ethics Discussion: Abdullah discusses a significant ethical problem within Muslim communities and institutions: seeking advice from the wrong people. He uses the analogy of powerlifting vs. getting six-pack abs to illustrate that expertise is specific. He warns against taking generalized advice from well-intentioned but unqualified individuals, citing a case where a student was wrongly advised against attending an Ivy League school.

• How Muslim Professionals Can Navigate Ethical Dilemmas: He advises professionals to focus on Ihsan (excellence) in their craft. He cautions against pushing a “Muslim” or “Islamic” label on everything. Instead, he argues that simply being an excellent engineer, doctor, or firefighter is a form of dawah and service. The key is to continuously study and improve in one’s specific profession.

Resources and Advice Segment

• Essential Resources for Aspiring Professionals: Abdullah emphasizes learning from experts in their specific fields. For Islamic knowledge, he mentions Shaykh Yasir Qadhi. For management and leadership principles, he looks to authors like John C. Maxwell and Peter Drucker. He highlights the importance of diverse sources for diverse needs.

• Mentorship Opportunities: He provides crucial advice on mentorship: choose mentors based on their expertise, not their status. He references the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who directed people to farmers for agricultural advice, establishing that it is not disrespectful to seek different experts for different areas of life.

• Organizations Supporting Muslim Professionals: He mentions institutions like TISA, IOK, Qalam, Miftah, Darul Qasim, and DarusSalam as examples of seminaries producing knowledgeable individuals. He stresses that these institutions need the support of professionals, not just financially, but by volunteering time and expertise.

• Practical Advice for Industry Newcomers: His main advice is to recognize that your journey will be unique. Imitating someone else’s path is ineffective because their journey is different. He encourages young professionals to be discerning about whom they ask for guidance.

Accountability Focus

• Analysis of Sector-Specific Challenges: Abdullah identified a major accountability gap within Muslim institutions: the need to build a supportive ecosystem rather than operating in silos.

• Ways to Advocate for Accountability: He calls on professionals to volunteer their expertise (e.g., 10 hours a week/month) to help Muslim institutions build capacity and become more professional, effective, and efficient.

Closing Reflections

• Final Advice from Guest: Abdullah urges listeners to figure out how they can make their community better, whether through Muslim-centric initiatives or general betterment for the pleasure of Allah. He reminds listeners that what connects us is our Iman (faith).

• Contact Information: Abdullah Mamun and TISA can be reached at the following links:
  • Email: abdullah.mamun@islamicseminary.org
  • Website: https://islamicseminary.us/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IslamicSeminaryofAmerica
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/islamicseminary/
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@TheIslamicSeminaryofAmerica⁩ 
  • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ISeminaryofA
  • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@islamicseminary.us
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/islamicseminary/

• Call to Action for Listeners: He directly asks professionals in any field to volunteer with institutions like TISA to help cover gaps in expertise, thereby building a stronger, more interconnected community ecosystem.