Shaykh Mustafa Umar was born and raised in Orange County, California. He completed a B.S. in Information and Computer Science from UC Irvine while studying Arabic and getting a taste of the various Islamic sciences through personal study and by attending local intensive Islamic classes. His thirst for knowledge led him to study at Nadwatul ʿUlamā’ in Lucknow, India and then to Cairo, Egypt. After two years in the East, he moved to France for another three years and graduated with a degree in Theology & Islamic Law [taught completely in Arabic] from the European Institute of Islamic Sciences. He went on to serve the Muslim community of Southern California as an Imam and activist for about three years at the King Fahad Mosque and the Islamic Society of Corona-Norco. Shaykh Mustafa left his post as Imam and Religious Director and decided to focus more on his studies. He moved to the UK and authored several books on Islam while, in his spare time, he completed an M.A. in Islamic Studies from the University of Gloucestershire. Thus, Mustafa has the rare asset of being able to fuse together the authenticity of a traditional Islamic education with the academic experience of both the Arab and Western worlds, all combined with a deep understanding of modern culture. He is currently the Director of Education and Outreach at the Islamic Institute of Orange County and the Founder and Director of the College of Islamic Studies.