Basil Farooq grew up in the UAE and the Bay Area. He memorized the Qur'an at the age of 14 before completing the study of the ten canonical qirā'āt and receiving ijāzah to teach them. He earned dual B.A. degrees in Economics and Applied Mathematics from UC Berkeley and is a graduate of the ʿĀlimiyyah Program at Qalam Seminary. Basil serves as the Resident Imam at West Valley Muslim Association, works as an economist, and teaches at Kitaab Academy. His interests include linguistics, theology, philosophy, and making the rich intellectual tradition of Islam accessible to American Muslims.