Education: B.A. Umm al-Qura University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

 

Imam Abdul-Malik was appointed Muslim Chaplain at Tufts University in September, 2019. In this role, Imam Abdul-Malik offers mentorship and support to students across Tufts University schools and helps to coordinate programs and activities related to Muslim life on campus. He also supports Tufts staff and faculty and collaborates with departments and programs across the university. In collaboration with the wider chaplaincy team, Imam Abdul-Malik helps to foster opportunities for civic learning and leadership.

 

Imam Abdul-Malik Merchant’s mother converted to Islam when he was just eight years old, and from this time, the trajectory of his life has been centered around Islamic education. As a family, they moved to the Northern-Virginia area (accross the street from a mosque) to be a part of a diverse Muslim community. Simultaneously, Imam Merchant’s mother enrolled him and his younger sister in a private Islamic school in Maryland. 

After highschool, Imam Merchant was accepted into Umm al-Qura University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The first two years of his studies were an intensive Arabic immersion program. After acquiring his diploma in Arabic he was accepted to the college of Shari’ah (Islamic Jurisprudence), but later transferred to the college of Da’wah (Proselytization) and Foundations of the Religion specializing in Islamic culture. It was here Imam Merchant realized he could use his passion for service, particularly for the disenfranchised of society. After nearly 10 year studying and living abroad, Imam Merchant returned to Boston, MA in 2016 with his wife and children to take a position at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC). He serves as the Associate Imam and his work concentrates around spiritual care and counseling. 

Since 2017 Imam Merchant has been pursuing a Masters of Theological Studies at Boston University’s School of Theology specializing in practical theology. After his scheduled graduation in May of 2020 he hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Social Work, with a focus on the decolonization of Islamic spiritual care and wellness. Imam Merchant brings a wealth of experience and passion to serve the Tufts community. He asks that you would keep him and his family in your prayers.