Aisha Othman

Aisha Othman is an accomplished educator, author, community leader, and an attorney at law focusing on Islamic Wills and Trusts. In 2015, she founded Dar An-Noor, the Islamic Education and Arts Center, where she shares her passion for Islamic learning and create a space dedicated to studying Quranic and Islamic sciences, and Islamic Arts and Arabic Calligraphy. Aisha also authors Islamic books and articles on her blog, sharing reflections and insights on faith. Originally from Malaysia, she now resides with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area, balancing her roles as an educator, author, attorney, mother, and wife. Aisha’s in-depth Islamic education is shaped by her studies with distinguished Islamic scholars from Jordan, Yemen, Syria, and Egypt. She holds an ijazah (certification/license) and a high sanad (chain of transmission) in the Ten Qira’at (the advanced forms of Quranic recitation), which trace directly back to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Additionally, she has earned ijazahs in various Arabic calligraphy scripts. She regularly participates in international exhibitions, including the Cairo Biennial International Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition and the Al-Azhar Mosque Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition, contributing to the appreciation of Islamic art. Her journey into Islamic scholarship began in 2007 when she studied Islamic Sciences online from scholars in Jordan, and then in 2008 she traveled to Egypt with her three teenage children to immerse them all in Arabic Language. After completing an intensive nine-month Arabic program, they returned to California, where Aisha began teaching at a local masjid in Southern California. They soon returned to Cairo, where she continued her Islamic studies while enrolling her children in the Al-Azhar High School. Her children later graduated from Al-Azhar University in Cairo with Bachelor’s degrees in Islamic Law (Shari’ah). Aisha also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, which she utilizes in her legal practice focusing on estate planning and Islamic Wills. Today, she teaches Tajweed, Quran, the Ten Qira’at, Islamic Inheritance (Mirath), Living Islam, Fiqh of Women’s Issues, and Islamic Calligraphy/Illuminations. Her commitment to Islamic education, authorship, and community involvement has made her a respected figure in her community, guiding others in their journey to deepen their understanding and practice of Islam.