Both Br. Faisal Abdur-Rahman and Dr. Najla Abdur-Rahman grew up in households anchored in Islamic values, education, and community service.
Faisal was raised by parents deeply involved in da‘wah efforts across the Caribbean and New Jersey, instilling in him a disciplined sense of purpose, humility, and responsibility.
Najla—born in Brooklyn and raised in Barbados—was shaped by the warmth of island community life, strong family bonds, and an educational culture that encouraged excellence and empathy.
Though their early lives unfolded in different regions, both carried forward the same foundational principles they were taught at home: faith, hard work, service, and integrity.
Faisal arrived in Baltimore in 1993 as a college student. The very first masjid he visited was Masjid Al-Rahmah (ISB)—a place that would become his lifelong spiritual home. Within a year, Dr. Mohammed R. Gheba recruited him for the ISB Bosnia Task Force, where his role was to contact donors and help fulfill pledges for Bosnian refugees resettling in the U.S.
This early volunteer effort revealed the qualities that would define Faisal’s leadership for decades:
discipline, sincerity, and a deep sense of Amanah.
During these years, he also pursued higher education with the same methodical drive, eventually earning an MBA, grounding himself in business ethics, governance, and institutional sustainability—skills that would later shape the financial backbone of Islamic education in Maryland.
As Faisal grew professionally working in financial services, retail management, healthcare administration, real estate investing, and property management, his vision for community service expanded. He understood that strong Muslim institutions required not only spiritual commitment but also strategic planning and disciplined financial structures.
During this period, he married Dr. Najla, whose own journey reflected a similar devotion to service through knowledge.
Najla excelled academically, graduating with high honors from Johns Hopkins University in mathematical sciences before entering the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she learned that healing was not limited to treating illness—it was about safeguarding families, educating parents, and nurturing the wellbeing of future generations.
Together, Faisal and Najla built a home rooted in faith, discipline, and learning, eventually raising five children who became the heart of their shared mission of family-centered Islamic living.
During the 2010s, Faisal became a pillar of institutional governance within the Islamic Society of Baltimore. He served multiple terms on the ISB Council in roles that demanded trust, transparency, and discipline:
- General Services Secretary
- General Secretary
- Education Secretary
- Secretary of Property Management & Clinic
- Chairman, Al-Rahmah School Board of Education
But his most enduring contribution took shape as a founding Trustee of the Al-Rahmah School Educational Trust (ASET)—a waqf-style endowment created to support the longevity of Islamic education at Al-Rahmah School. Under his guidance, ASET funded:
- Student scholarships
- Technology and learning tools
- Teacher Support
- Campus expansion
- Community-wide engagement events such as the “Halal Food Fest”
Through ASET, Faisal translated centuries-old Islamic economic ethics into practical systems that could sustain the school for generations.
Najla’s Medical and Educational Impact:
At the same time, Dr. Najla emerged as one of Baltimore’s most beloved pediatricians. Her work blended professional rigor with cultural sensitivity and a maternal understanding of family life.
She served across multiple clinical sites—Elkridge, Catonsville, Odenton—and maintained affiliations with major Maryland medical centers. As Education & Health Clinic Secretary for ISB, she championed family health education, breastfeeding support, and pediatric wellness workshops.
Her influence extended into medical training. She became:
- Clinical Preceptor for Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Clinical Preceptor for University of Maryland pediatric programs
- Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
Through these roles, she shaped hundreds of young physicians and nurses, emphasizing that true healing requires compassion, cultural understanding, and humility.
In this same period, she founded Willoughby Beach Pediatrics as Medical Director, creating a holistic, family-friendly practice defined by warmth, trust, and patient-centered care.
Away from the clinic, she modeled a balanced life—whether playing Power Forward on her undefeated women’s basketball team or perfecting family-favorite culinary creations that blended Barbadian and American flavors.
As their children grew older and their professional responsibilities evolved, both Faisal and Najla began focusing on legacy—not through public accolades, but through the lasting value of the institutions, students, families, and community members they had uplifted.
Faisal’s steady leadership continues to strengthen ISB’s governance culture, educational institutions, and long-term sustainability. His approach—measured, ethical, and rooted in Islamic financial principles—has set an example for the next generation of Muslim professionals.
Dr. Najla entered her emeritus years having touched thousands of lives—children, families, medical trainees, and community members who continue to benefit from her knowledge, compassion, and advocacy.
Together, they embody a shared truth:
Islamic service is most powerful when it is quiet, disciplined, sincere, and continuous.
“And say, ‘Do deeds. For Allah will see your deeds, and so will His Messenger and the believers.’” Surah At-Tawbah (9:105)