BU’s Muslim Chaplaincy Tripled This Fall
Between them, Nagla Abdalla (Wheelock’23) (left) and Naureen Mallick bring years of administrative and religious education experience to Marsh Chapel’s newly expanded Muslim chaplaincy. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi
BU’s Muslim Chaplaincy Tripled This Fall
Three associates now serve the University’s growing number of Islamic students
Marsh Chapel has tripled its ministry for Islamic students. Shaykh Harun Spevack, BU’s part-time associate Muslim chaplain, was joined this fall by two additional part-time associate chaplains, Naureen Mallick and Nagla Abdalla (Wheelock’23).
“We were hearing from our Muslim student population that they needed more support,” given their large numbers, says the Rev. Jessica Chicka (STH’07,’11,’18), who oversees her three Muslim colleagues as University chaplain for international students. (Last year’s iftars, the sunset meals that break Ramadan’s daylight fast, drew upwards of 200 students, she says.) “They particularly wanted [a woman] to work with the [student] sisters.”
Kenneth Freeman, then BU interim president, approved a part-time hire, but after reviewing applications, Chicka says, “Nagla and Naureen were our top-two candidates, and we were really having a hard time making a decision.” But no decision was necessary after President Melissa L. Gilliam approved funding for both. “They both have amazing résumés,” adds Chicka, Abdalla’s in administration and Mallick’s in Islamic education.
Besides the new initiatives afoot under the expanded chaplaincy, other changes are underway. For years, Hindu and Muslim students have shared a cramped closet in the George Sherman Union Alley. Hindu students have sought a more secure, larger space for decades for their icons; those will now be stored in cases in the GSU’s Ziskin Lounge, while Muslim students will keep the Alley storage space, Chicka says.
BU Today spoke with Abdalla and Mallick about the expanded chaplaincy now serving BU’s Muslim community.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q&A
with Nagla Abdalla and Naureen Mallick
BU Today: Where did you each grow up, and what did you do before you came to BU?
Abdalla: I grew up in Dubai and then moved to Maryland, before moving to Boston in 2016. My first professional experience was with the banking sector. I was a banker for about 15 years. And then I moved to education. I worked with the Boston Public Schools for around six years as a family resources specialist, and then worked as a project manager at the BPS Office of Social Work. I did my master’s degree at Wheelock. I was a manager, so I had a little bit of background in financing and customer service.
When [my family] moved to the United States, I wanted to be near my kids’ education, because that was a major change for them. I worked as a substitute teacher, then moved to being a family resources specialist for the Arabic and Muslim community, trying to advocate for them, show them the resources available for them. That let me go deeper into the education sector and do my master’s degree. I am currently doing my PhD [in education leadership and policy] at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Mallick: I’m from Pakistan originally. I got married here in the United States, and my four kids have been born here. I did a master’s in business administration back home. Since 2005, I’ve been associated with an organization, Al-Huda, based in Pakistan, as a student and teacher. They have a robust e-learning program. I’m a huge believer in teaching religion through the basic sources. For us, our scripture is the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet—the hadith. To teach that, you need [to understand] other subjects. The text is in Arabic, so you need to understand the Arabic language, which is not my first language.
I have studied in depth the original text of the Quran and Sahih Bukhari—the encyclopedic collection of Prophet sayings—in the original Arabic, along with a number of related subjects, and have experience teaching them.
Then there are so many acts of worship; how do you go about doing it? That’s called fiqh [Islamic jurisprudence]. Then understanding the book itself, how you recite it. That’s a whole science by itself. [Muslims] are very proud to say that we are the ones who invented the entire system of citation and research. There’s no hadith that can qualify as authentic without citations. That entire science was invented by the people who first compiled the hadith. So I teach all these different sciences with this organization, online. I have students in India, Canada, the UK, Russia, and the Middle East.
BU Today: What will three chaplains be able to provide students at BU that one alone couldn’t?
Mallick: Nagla, with her expertise, has been hired to help the administrative side more, and I was hired to address the academic/spiritual needs of the students. For example, say it’s Ramadan, and a student has an exam; she comes to me and says, ‘Can I skip my fast today?’
BU Today: Any student reading this is going to say, okay, what’s the answer?
Mallick: I’ll talk to your professor [about] what we can do to make an arrangement so that you don’t have to skip your fast, you don’t have to fail academically, you can lead your best religious life as well.
I come in the evening and do study circles. I give students a little bit of teaching to study—the Quran, the hadith.
BU Today: What kind of administrative duties do you do, Nagla?
Abdalla: Part of my job is to do the fundraising and crowdfunding to accommodate the needs for Muslim students beyond their financial capacities—for example, having a Ramadan iftar [the sunset meal breaking the daylight fast] for the students who don’t have a meal.
We are initiating a lot of programs, like meeting the dean of students. [Students] need space to pray. They need facilities. They [may] want to be in a separate dorm. Looking for spaces for them.
[Students] need space to pray. They need facilities.
BU Today: Can you talk about some new initiatives that Muslim students will see going forward?
Abdalla: We’re doing an initiative for makeup for [last] Ramadan’s days. Not everyone can fast during one month due to sickness or you’re traveling. During the whole year, you are able to make up those [lost fasting] days. We are starting an initiative to do these fasting days, starting from December until before Ramadan [which in 2025 begins the evening of February 28]. We’re going to host here at Marsh Chapel a free meal at sunset, so students can fast.
Mallick: She’s going to do it every Thursday [except during the University’s intersession closure].
The new initiative that I’ve started is a study circle with the students, called Tilawat, to read the Scripture. That’s a little different from what Brother Harun does; his circle is coed. Mine was supposed to be women’s only, but they went on to invite the men as well. After I’m done with my talking and answering their questions, we have an extra 20 minutes [for a] women-only thing, where they can talk more openly about women’s issues. That’s Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 pm [on the George Sherman Union third floor].
Also, we’ve been able to connect with other chaplains on campus. We are very invested in having those interfaith discussions.
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