Sheikh Tarik Ata was born and raised in the Southwest Suburbs of Chicago. During his childhood, he attended conventions and learned the basics of Islam through formal and non-formal means. Sheikh Tarik pursued his higher education at Northern Illinois University where he attained a BA in psychology.

After graduating from NIU, Sheikh Tarik went to Jordan in pursuit of Islamic knowledge. While in Jordan, Tarik studied at the World Islamic and Science Education University (also called the Islamic University) where he achieved a BA in Islamic jurisprudence and its foundations as well as an MA in Islamic jurisprudence with a specialty in Islamic commerce and finance. While working on his degrees, Sheikh Tarik studied with scholars and achieved various certifications (ijazat) in Islamic jurisprudence, the foundations of jurisprudence, the science of hadith, the Arabic language, Quranic recitation, and Islamic creed/theology.

Sheikh Tarik has returned to America to become a part of the Muslim community and help promote Islamic awareness. He is excited to be here with you all and says “the future of Islam in Orange County is bright, and there are several opportunities for faith development, interactions with other organizations and institutions to build bridges, and be an all-around positive influence for the community. I believe that through hard work, solid trustworthy relationships, and reliance upon Allah, we can become a community its members are proud of and Allah is proud of.”