Ustadh Omar Popal was born and raised in Northern Virginia. He began studying the Islamic sciences at the age of 16, pursuing memorization of the Quran at Madrasah In‘aamiyyah in Durban, South Africa. His pursuit of knowledge led him to study at Madinatul Uloom in Virginia and Dar al-Qasim in Chicago where he graduated from. In a commitment to lifelong learning, he has continued his studies sitting at the feet of various scholars, most recently spending time in Istanbul for intensive studies. Ustadh Omar’s formative studies took place at Dar al-Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen. Ustadh Omar has taught Arabic and Islamic studies at several mosques and institutes in northern Virginia. In 2018, he founded Tanwir Institute, with the mission of serving the educational and spiritual needs of the large Muslim population in the DC metropolitan area. He teaches Arabic and Islamic studies at Al-Maqasid.

Ustadh Humayun received a BS in Commerce and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Virginia. He then pursued Islamic Studies at various prestigious institutions such as Madrasah In‘aamiyyah in Durban, South Africa and Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen. He received a formal Sanad (chain of transmission) in the books of Hadith and a certificate of being an Islamic Scholar from Madinatul Uloom in Virginia. He has been teaching basic to advanced levels of various Islamic disciplines for the past several years at multiple institutions and was the Imam of a local Northern Virginia masjid. Ustadh Humayun continues to teach and serve the DMV community through Tanwir Institute.