[email protected]
Muslim Life at Williams
413-597-2483 x4646 Office
Sidra Mahmood, or “Ustādha Sidra,” grew up in Karachi, Pakistan. Sidra chose to adorn the hijab and practice Islam more consciously in college as an international student at Mount Holyoke College, where chaplains from various religious backgrounds supported her through her journey of faith and identity, heartbreak, and homesickness. However, the isolation of life as a young professional led her to a deep soul-searching to study at Qalam Seminary. She graduated with an ijāza or certification as a scholar, ālima, to teach Islam with a documented pedagogical chain of teachers to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. She completed all four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and is pursuing a Master of Arts in Chaplaincy at Hartford International University. Sidra was a healthcare chaplain in Phoenix, Arizona, before moving to Williamstown in 2023 with her spouse, two cats, and baby, Maalik. She loves camping and hiking and is fascinated with the relationship between spirituality and a socially just world. Email her or click here to meet her for coffee or a walk, or come to her office during office hours for some desi chai! She enjoys one-on-one conversations and would love to know your story (of life)!