About Alhambra

Alhambra is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with Stanford’s Office for Religious and Spiritual Life (ORSL) as the official external support organization for the Muslim Student Union.

Our Mission

Alhambra serves as a welcoming spiritual home for Muslim students and the broader Stanford community, fostering faith, belonging, and connection.

Our Vision

Alhambra aspires to nurture spiritually grounded, Ummah-minded global leaders of the future.

Our Team

Chaplain

Dr. Amina Darwish, External Chaplain at Alhambra

Dr. Amina Darwish

Amina Darwish is the External Chaplain at Alhambra. She served as the Associate Dean for Religious and Spiritual Life and Advisor for Muslim Life at Stanford for five years. She previously served as the first full-time Muslim Life Coordinator at Columbia University, and the first Muslim chaplain at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Darwish has almost two decades of professional experience working with the Muslim community. She also brings years of experience building and serving in nonprofit organizations and interfaith spaces. Dr. Darwish brings a unique blend of understanding the different cultures within the Muslim community while staying grounded in traditional Islamic scholarship.

She earned a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering before switching careers to follow her true passion for community building. She remains passionate about incorporating ethics, meaning, and service into STEM disciplines. Dr. Darwish strives to always create a culture of openness and consistent kindness in the communities she serves. She earned a master’s degree in Comparative Islamic Studies from Usul Academy in July 2026, with a thesis focused on Designing Your Muslim Life. She earned ijazas, traditional Islamic studies certifications, from the Qalam and Critical Loyalty seminaries including an ijaza in the ten Qira’at. Dr. Darwish has studied individually under different scholars from different parts of the world and has taught college-level coursework on Islam and Muslims.

Board Members

Bahauddin (Robert) Kylberg (’88) · Omar Al Naggar (’09)

ORSL SAR Advisor

Tuba Okyay

Core Team & Volunteers

Rasha ElSayed (’13) · Aneeqa Abid (’24) · Alaa Abdelrahim (’23) · Amr Safwat

Our Story

2024

First home-cooked meals for students

2024

Alumni families expand support with airport rides and welcoming international students

Following years

Grassroots alumni support formalized into Alhambra as a professional organization

Jan 2026

501(c)(3) status obtained; registered with Stanford ORSL as the official external support organization for the Muslim Student Union

2026

Public endowment campaign launches toward a $313,000 goal

Sept 2026

Dr. Amina Darwish joins as Chaplain

Our Origins

This spirit of community support began organically, with alumni families living around campus offering home-cooked meals and rides to students to and from the airport. It was an effort to pay forward the support they received when they were students to a new generation of Stanford Muslims from around the world. As this grassroots effort grew, those same alumni came together to formalize their support into a professional organization grounded in the Prophetic model of nurturing young people's spiritual growth. Today, the Alhambra team combines the experience of alumni who were leaders on campus during their student years, entrepreneurs, program managers and professionals—all united in service to the Muslim community at Stanford.

In the Footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ

This vision is rooted in the Prophetic model of leadership and community building. From its inception, Alhambra has followed in the footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ, who met every person where they were and guided them through their spiritual growth. Following this example, Alhambra embraces a big tent community that welcomes diversity of thought and experience while creating spaces for unity and cohesion for anyone.

From Andalusia to Stanford

Inspired by the Andalusian legacy of Muslim institution building, Alhambra aims to build a lasting endowment at Stanford University to support the Ummah-minded, spiritually-grounded global leaders of tomorrow.

Gaps Alhambra Fills

Spiritual Support

CHALLENGE

Muslim students lack sufficient spiritual support during the critical and formational college years

Alhambra's Solution

Chaplaincy support provides one-on-one counseling for Muslim students navigating their faith and Islamic education through regular halaqas.

External Advocacy

CHALLENGE

Student leaders and advocates graduate, leaving long-standing needs, such as adequate space, unresolved.

Alhambra's Solution

A permanent, professionally staffed organization provides continuity and advocates across administrations.

Spiritual Independence

CHALLENGE

Muslim religious life can be limited by institutional constraints when supported solely by a secular university.

Alhambra's Solution

As an independent 501(c)(3), Alhambra provides spiritual independence for Muslim campus life

Financial Independence

CHALLENGE

Relying on Stanford's budget creates vulnerability to funding cuts and shifting priorities.

Alhambra's Solution

A self-funded endowment, a waqf, generates annual income independent of any university budget or annual campaign.

Join Us in Supporting Muslim Students at Stanford

Help us build a lasting endowment to support future generations

Donate Now