Umm Laylā

Through her work, she continues to connect women from around the world to the teachings and spiritual heritage of the Baʿalawī path.

The wisdom behind creating a women-only space lies in offering a safe and nurturing environment where women can learn, reflect, and grow spiritually — drawing closer to Allāh ﷻ through shared sisterhood, guidance, and connection to the people of Tarīm.

During her university years in Germany, she experienced the profound loss of her mother — a moment that opened within her a deep longing for spiritual meaning. This searching led her through various paths, including Buddhism and the study of intelligent design, until she ultimately found the peace and truth her heart was seeking in Islam. She embraced Islam on the 1st of Ramaḍān 1433 (2012).

A few years later, she was blessed to meet her teachers in Germany, Shaykh Maḥmūd Kellner and Ustādhah Māriem Dhouīb  —  may Allāh ﷻ have mercy on her soul and elevate her among His beloved. Under their care, she began her formal studies in the sacred sciences, studying Fiqh, Sīrah, ʿAqīdah, and Taṣawwuf. Their guidance became instrumental in shaping her early spiritual path and nurturing in her a love for knowledge and inner refinement.

In 2018, she travelled for Ḥajj with her teachers — a journey that transformed her life. It was during this pilgrimage that she met Sayyidī Ḥabīb ʿUmar bin Ḥafīẓ (may Allāh ﷻ preserve him) for the first time and was honoured to give her bayʿah, marking the beginning of a new chapter rooted in love, guidance, and service.

Her first visit to Tarīm came in January 2020, awakening a deep longing for the sacred city. During that time, she made the intention to perform hijrah to Tarīm and dedicate her life to seeking knowledge and spiritual growth. On her second visit in 2021, she stayed at Dār al-Zahrāʾ, where, through the suggestion and blessings of Sayyidī Ḥabīb ʿUmar (may Allāh ﷻ preserve him), she was joined in marriage to Shaykh ʿAbdullāh Ṣāliḥ, becoming his second wife — a union founded upon mutual respect, shared purpose, and collective dedication to daʿwah and service.

Following her marriage, she began assisting in the publication work of Nūr al-Īmān Publishing House, taking charge of typesetting, design, and other vital processes that bring the translated works to life. Her dedication and precision have since become a central part of the publishing journey.

In 2022, after being blessed with her first daughter, Laylā — a name bestowed by Ḥabīb ʿUmar (may Allāh ﷻ preserve him) in a dream and later confirmed by him in person — Umm Laylā felt inspired to share the beauty she had experienced in Tarīm with children around the world. With the blessings and duʿās of Ḥabīb ʿUmar, she began authoring a series of children’s books. Out of love and honour for her shaykh, her first series was dedicated to Ḥabīb ʿUmar himself, followed by another centred on Tarīm.

She has also initiated a special “Secrets Series,” inspired by the gems found in the works of Ḥabīb Saʿd. Among these are Secrets of Tarīm, Secrets of True Wealth, and other titles that continue to unfold under her pen — works designed to bring the fragrance of spiritual understanding to the hearts of both children and adults.

Beyond writing and publishing, Umm Laylā plays an active role in assisting the needy families of Tarīm. Through the proceeds of her books and the facilitation of charitable support from abroad, she helps ensure that benefit flows both ways — honouring the city not only by learning from its people but by giving back to them in return.

Today, through Nūr al-Īmān Publishing House, Almawaddah Foundation, and Echoes from Tarīm, Umm Laylā continues a life of devotion and purposeful service — a path of gratitude, creativity, and compassion rooted in love for Allāh ﷻ, His Messenger ﷺ, and the noble inheritors of Tarīm.

To Join the Group click the Link below. (Sisters Only!)

Umm Laylā – Echoes from Tarīm

Children’s Series – Awliyāʾ of the Ummah

Secrets Series