Our Story
"After the birth of my first child, I found myself reflecting deeply on her future. Who would she become? What opportunities would be available to her? What kind of education would shape her mind and soul?"
Having grown up in the public school system, I felt that twelve precious years of my life had been lost in an endless cycle of boredom and meaninglessness. The golden years of my childhood had been stolen, leaving me searching for something greater. I was determined that my child would not suffer the same fate. I wanted her to experience a full, meaningful life—one in which she could actualize her God-given potential.
With this vision in my heart, I immersed myself in studying various educational philosophies, searching for an approach that aligned with my values. Inspired by the life and works of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, I discovered the profound beauty of the liberal arts tradition and its deep connection to the Islamic worldview. The liberal arts cultivate truth, goodness, and beauty in the human being, honoring knowledge as sacred and virtue as an end in itself.
At the time, I was working full-time in a non-profit organization, supporting families in crisis. After four years, I had the opportunity to advance my career, but I knew my true calling lay elsewhere. One day, I turned to my husband and said, “I want to quit my job and start a one-room schoolhouse.” He thought I had lost my mind. But I knew that if I wanted this kind of education for my child, I would have to build it myself. With a heavy step but a light heart, I took a leap of faith into the unknown.
In 2020, we started with just five students in our home. That first year was filled with challenges, but in the radiant smiles of our students, we saw the fruits of our labor.
Our mission was simple yet profound: to preserve the fitrah of every child by purifying the heart, awakening the intellect, and nurturing the soul. Over the next two years, we grew from four to twelve students, moved into a new building, and expanded our faculty and staff. As our vision gained momentum, our student body tripled, allowing us to establish a full-time program for 1st to 8th grade.
To extend our mission beyond our walls, we launched a home education program for Muslim homeschooling families and developed a replicable model for schools around the world.
In 2024, our journey took an incredible turn—we opened a branch in Órgiva, Spain, establishing the first international Muslim school in the country.
Our vision remains unwavering: to inspire, empower, and connect Muslim communities worldwide in the sacred task of preserving the fitrah. This is more than an educational movement; it is a revival of knowledge, virtue, and the limitless potential of every child.
Our Team
Cori Saleh
Founder
Ustadha Cori graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Lycoming College in 2013. During her undergraduate studies, she was a teacher’s assistant and tutor for the Religious Studies Department. Since 2014, Cori has been teaching in a variety of roles and settings, including a religious institution and non-profit organization. In 2020 Cori started Revival Ihya School, a fully integrated academic and Islamic education program for 1st to 6th grade students. Aside from teaching and program management, Cori is also a curriculum writer for Tayba Foundation and a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching in Classical Education at Templeton Honors College.
Omar Amir Al-Azhari
Founder, Religious Director
Ustadh Omar Amir Al-Azhari, graduated from Al-Azhar University, was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt. Over the past seven years, he has studied Fiqh, Tasawwuf, and Aqidah with Sheikh Walead Mossad, as well as Hadith, Usul al-Hadith, and Aqidah with Sheikh Umer Mien. He has also studied Aqidah, Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, and Logic with well-trained traditional scholars. Additionally, he studied Arabic Grammar and Balāghah with Shaykh Mohamed Hasan Othman. His primary focus is on Maliki Fiqh and Tasawwuf, and he continues to receive spiritual guidance from Shaykh Abul Huda Al-Shadhili.
Since 2019, Omar has served as a faculty member at Al-Maqasid Seminary. He is the founder and a teacher at Revival Ihya and also serves as an instructor for the Dar al-Rayyan (Sabeel Community) Traditional Studies Program.
Maureen Monaco
Outreach Manager
Maureen Monaco was born and raised in the Allentown area, and attended Hofstra University and Kutztown University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She embraced Islam at the age of 21 and was blessed to spend the next few years learning the religion from Imam Muhammad ‘Abdur Razzaq.
Marrying her husband Jason in 2001, she embarked on the life-changing journey of raising a family. She and Jason have 7 children, ranging in age from 19 to 5 years old. Maureen has operated a halal health and wellness business for 17 years out of her home.
Brandon Rakowski
Board member, curriculum developer
Shortly before graduating with a B.A. in philosophy from Kenyon College, Brandon embraced Islam and began studying Arabic and the Islamic sciences. He spent two blessed years at Al Maqasid’s seminary program, where he first became involved with Revival Ihya. He then moved to Ankara, Turkey where he continues to pursue studies under his shaykh, Sh. Abul Huda Al Naqshbandi. He is also pursuing a masters degree in clinical counseling.
Natascha Ekici
Teacher
Ceyda Guleryuz
Administrative Manager
Ceyda Guleryuz has received her Bachelor’s of Science in Foreign Service and her Master’s of Arts in International Security from Georgetown University. While in college, she worked as a senior research assistant, government relations intern, and organizer with various NGO and nonprofit organizations, including The Stimson Center, Amnesty International, United Nations Association. She has also worked as a Teaching Assistant at Georgetown University’s Prisons and Justice Initiative, where she taught English Literature classes at a maximum security prison facility. In 2023, she became a student at Al-Maqasid Seminary, where she studied classical Islamic Sciences and finished the second year program. She continues to take classes Al-Maqasid Seminary to increase her knowledge of Islam.
Ibrahim Qureshi
Teacher
Ibrahim Qureshi is an educator in the Islamic sciences and the liberal arts who has taught courses in logic, rhetoric, composition, theology, ethics, and spirituality. He holds a B.A. and M.A. from Zaytuna College in Islamic philosophy and theology with a focus on ethics. He continues to study Islamic law, legal theory, theology, and Sufism with scholars in the United States and abroad for several years, most prominently Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha’ar and Mawlana Babur al-Suwati. He currently works as a Research Specialist under the ASIPT project at Brandeis University.
Michelle Biondi
Teacher
Michelle graduated from Thomas Jefferson University (f.k.a Philadelphia University) in 2005 with a dual degree in Marketing and Management. After graduating she moved to New York City where she worked for the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services during Mayor Bloomberg’s administration. She currently works part-time for the New York City Department for the Aging’s Office of Procurement.
Ruhaan Syed
Teacher
Ruhaan Syed has been working with children and art for the last 25 years. After graduating from a high school program dedicated to visual art students, she attended Kutztown University’s College of Visual and Performing arts before embracing Islam and starting a family. During that time, she performed as a muralist and returned to school to receive her associate in fine arts in 2007.
She has taught and lead art classes at Islamic schools, summer camps, and homeschool coops for the last 15 years while managing a family business and creating modest active wear for our youth. She is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys spending time in nature, hiking and exploring this vast world.
Julia Saqib
Teacher
Julia is an educator committed to fostering a supportive and enriching learning environment. She completed her undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University and furthered her academic journey at the University of Belgrano in Argentina. Following graduation, Julia completed her state exams in pedagogy and began teaching in a bilingual classroom in the Texas public school system.
In addition to teaching, Julia finds joy in various personal interests, including hiking, traveling, reading, cooking, and the study of language, religion, and history.
Preserve the Fitra.