Our Team

​Ad-Duha's books have been designed by our team of educational professionals specializing in Islamic Studies, curriculum development, early childhood education, Montessori methods, psychology, and instructional design. This team is led by Sr. Cilia Kader, who has over 30 years of expertise teaching Islamic Studies, Tafseer, and Qur'aan from preschool to high school in full-time Islamic schools, home schools, and online. Below are her qualifications and contributions to Islamic education.

Qualifications:

  • Master of Education in Education Technology and Instructional Design 

  • Bachelor's in Applied Sciences specializing in Education and Curriculum Design

  • Certificate in Child, Youth, and Family Services

  • Studied Arabic language, Qur'aan, and Fiqh under Sheikh Mohammed Adam El-Sheikh, the former executive director of the Fiqh Council of North America and head of the Islamic Judiciary Council of the Shari'ah Scholars' Association of North America (SSANA)

Awards, Nominations, & Accolades:

  • Recipient of the Presidential Academic Fitness Award

  • Featured in the Washington Times as a pioneer of Islamic homeschooling curriculum

  • Recipient of the Quality and Impact of Adult E-Learning Solutions Excellence Award

  • Recipient of the Learning Experience Design Foundations Excellence Award

  • Achieved five-star ranking for 43 books on Amazon.com in five countries

  • Achieved five-star ranking for 18 books on Goodreads

  • Nominated for the 2021 Muslim Bookstagram Awards

Contributions to Islamic Education:

  • Served as administrator, Islamic Studies curriculum lead, and classroom teacher at Al-Rahmah School in Baltimore, MD, over the course of 10 years in the private school sector.

  • Founded Ad-Duha Institute in 2001 to publish Islamic books and textbooks for homeschoolers and Islamic schools worldwide.

  • Served as a community liaison for Muslim homeschoolers and umbrella groups with the Calvert School and the University of Nebraska Lincoln High School.

  • Authored and illustrated 100+ textbooks, workbooks, and storybooks used by thousands of students in homeschools and Islamic schools throughout the US and 30+ countries worldwide.

  • Authored full-year Islamic Studies and Arabic homeschool courses, online summer Tafseer classes, and interactive online game modules for preschool to high school.

  • Had her Mini Tafseer Workbook Series for Juz ‘Amma (38 books) approved by the UAE Ministry of Youth and Culture and featured in the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (the largest book fair in the world).

  • Produced the Ramadan Toy Tales YouTube series to help children worldwide cope with fasting during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Volunteer Work:

  • Former President of the Baltimore women’s wing of ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America)

  • Member of L’Union des Femmes pour le Travail et le Social (The Union of Women for Work and Social Affairs, UFTS), a non-profit organization established in 2024 to assist underprivileged women in Senegal, West Africa, with access to education, job training, and Islamic microfinancing.

  • Member of the Streamside Peace Park Community advocating for multi-cultural and multi-faith cooperation to host educational and social activities for the benefit of underprivileged youth and advocate for global peace initiatives like an end to the war in Gaza and the illegal occupation of Palestine.

  • Year-round charitable giving projects to provide clean water, food, clothing, shelter, and life-changing surgeries/medical care worldwide through the sale of Ad-Duha products and fund-raising drives. Click here for a full list of these projects.