We recently sat down with Sr. Rafia Khader to give you insight on who she is and what she does at Yaqeen!
What do you do in your role at Yaqeen?
I'm the Editorial Product Manager at Yaqeen in which I oversee three products:
Hashiya - a new intellectual journal that was just released in November. Our first issue includes articles written by Sh. Muntasir Zaman, Paul Williams, and Dr. Jonathan Brown, among others.
Books - If you enjoyed the Yaqeen paper "Keys to Tadabbur: How to Reflect Deeply on the Qur'an," you'll get an even deeper dive into the Qur'an with our upcoming book which will be available in time for Ramadan Insha'Allah.
Global Muslim Studies - a forthcoming division which will conduct longitudinal research on Muslims. This is a much-needed endeavor, since so much of the current sociological research on Muslims is conducted by non-Muslims.
What has been your favorite project to work on?
One project I've enjoyed being a part of are the academic partnerships Yaqeen is pursuing. It is through collaboration with similar organizations that we can have the kind of global impact Yaqeen is aiming for.
My love for research on Islam and Muslims is what led me to Yaqeen, so I am honored to play a small role in these new partnerships.
What kind of legacy would you like Yaqeen to leave behind?
In addition to our research, there's so much that Yaqeen does – whether it's a video series, a blog post, or hosting an in-person event – that inspires hope and a renewed commitment to our tradition. I want Yaqeen to continue to be a place that reminds us why we were created and to be unabashed about sharing that message with the world.
Our job as Muslims is to be messengers of the Messenger ﷺ. That is the legacy I want Yaqeen - and that includes all the staff, the volunteers, and our supporters - to leave behind.
What is something about working at Yaqeen that surprised you?
I have been pleasantly surprised to learn how everyone sees their work as an amanah first toward Allah ﷻ but also towards our supporters who sustain our work. My manager once remarked, "Just because we have budgeted for it doesn't mean we should do it if it's not the best use of our resources. Our donations are an amanah."
I've worked with Muslim nonprofits before and the level of care I have seen at Yaqeen is the most prophetic I have witnessed. Of course, you need the leadership for that, but it doesn't stop at the leadership level. It extends throughout the organization at all levels.
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