Welcoming a Beautiful Birth

Ahead of a workshop “Blessed Birthings: Spirituality & Fiqh of Pregnancy,” join us for a free primer of spiritual inspiration, intimate birth circle, and practical advice.

Here’s inviting expectant mothers to an uplifting experience!

The Rose Garden is organizing a workshop for some of our mamas who are soon to welcome new souls into our Prophet’s saaw’s Ummah.

In supporting an inspiring beautiful birth, we have the honor to spend intimate time with the beautiful subha and practical advice of Ustadha Shamira Chothia Ahmed and Sister Halima Nalo Afi.

12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Saturday, July 2 | Classroom 9 | Free; no RSVP needed

These two events are also hosted at MCC for children this Saturday:

• – https://mcceastbay.org/event/eid-puppet-show
• – https://mcceastbay.org/event/monthly-kids-crafts

Sponsored by The Rahmah Foundation, The Rose Garden & MCC East Bay

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

Learn more about the in-depth workshop on this topic: https://mcceastbay.org/event/blessed-birthings/

About Ustadha Shamira Chothia Ahmed:

Born and raised in California’s Central Valley, Shamira is passionate about educating and empowering Muslim women to reach their highest spiritual potential through acquiring sacred knowledge. 

After graduating as a Valedictorian from her large public high school, Shamira’s studies led her — following a brief soul-searching stint at Georgetown University — to seek sacred knowledge from scholars on three continents — Africa, Europe, and Asia.

After completing her intensive Alimah studies in South Africa and England, and further studies in Damascus, Syria, Shamira received various licenses (ijazas) to teach the sacred sciences.

In 2005, Ustadha Shamira taught Hanafi fiqh for women at the Zaytuna Institute in California and since then has taught various Islamic sciences in venues across North America. In 2008, she earned a Master’s Degree in Demographics and Social Analysis from the University of California at Irvine, focusing on the identity formation of the Muslim-American population.

In 2013, Ustadha Shamira specialized in the detailed rulings of menstruation, lochia, and abnormal discharge under the direction of Dr. Mufti Abdur Rahman Ibn Yusuf Mangera and assisted in compiling Imam Abu Hanifa’s Al-Fiqh al-Akbar Explained.

In 2008, she earned a Master’s Degree in Demographics and Social Analysis from the University of California at Irvine

Ustadha Shamira is a co-founder of The Rahmah Foundation and is currently a teacher for Nur Al-Iman, a full-time online shariah program teaching the fardh Al ayn and more to young women. 

She is a passionate advocate for natural birth, infusing her natural birth classes with Islamic spirituality since 2009. She is also a certified lactation counselor, a virtual birth doula, and a birth consultant.

You can find Ustadha Shamira in sunny California hiking, playing, or exploring with her husband and five children.

About Sr. Halima Nalo Afi

I am a midwife because I believe that mothers manifest attributes of mercy & compassion. I am honored to witness each woman’s blessed and unique journey, as they draw from a source greater than themselves, in order to bring each soul into the world. My goal is to assist women in fulfilling the vision of their birth passage. I encourage mothers to respect and nurture themselves. I approach each mother’s well-being with a holistic and empowerment-based philosophy. I do not have my own agenda with your care. I am committed to each family’s material, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs and wishes. I would love the opportunity to be a source of empowerment and encouragement for all women as they navigate their journey to positive parenting through cultivating gratitude and implementing a more meaningful shared decision-making process.

My Background

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and I now live in the San Francisco Bay Area. My journey began with attending the births of my mother’s seven children. As a youth I began to see birth as a natural part of womanhood. My mother says I was a great comfort to her; very calm, trusting, and gentle. When it was suggested that my firstborn be guided by home birth midwives, it felt right and more supportive than with my ob-gyn, where I was invited to share how my own birth impacted my life. I knew from my first pregnancy over twenty-two years ago that I wanted to provide that source of empowering, encouraging, informative care to other women. The type of care that walks with you, sits in your living room, in your kitchen, holding your children, witnessing your growth, and supporting the birth of your parenting, the birth of love and compassion. Life is created in the womb, and I believe our bodies were designed to nourish life and give birth.

I have been blessed to study midwifery since 2004 through the Direct Entry Pathway. I have done midwifery internships in Texas, Utah, California, and East Africa (Kenya and Somaliland).  I am grateful and indebted to all the families, birth workers and midwives who have passed down their wisdom from home birth, birth center and hospital care.

• Bachelor of Science in Midwifery, Midwives College of Utah, 2020
• Certified Professional Midwife, North American Registry of Midwives, 2019
• Licensed Midwife, State of California, 2019
• Certified Lactation Counselor, CLC

I am a member of the Black Midwives Alliance, National Association of Certified Professional Midwives, and the California Association of Licensed Midwives (CALM). I partake in current holistic evidence-based midwifery care and continuing education units in BLS, ALSO, and neonatal resuscitation to further my skills and knowledge in traditional midwifery wisdom. Contributing to the birth community as a midwife hopefully will awaken my own aspirations to honor and trust the beauty of birth. In my free time, I like to hike remote areas or forest bathe, cook vegetables, and teach Qur’anic Arabic with Measured Tones Institute.