About Dr. Shaakira Abdullah, The Halal Sexpert
I am passionate about educating Muslims on sexuality from an Islamic perspective. Here’s my journey.
From Love to Doubt: A Muslimah's Journey in America
I was born and raised Muslim in Roselle, New Jersey, USA. My loving parents wanted to ensure Islam was my foundation by sending me to Quran and Arabic classes over the years and even shipping me to Egypt over the summer to gain a stronger grasp of the religion. With that, I sincerely loved Islam and all its values until I reached Highschool.
My peers and surroundings began to influence me more than my parents and religion. From the music I listened to, to the movies I watched, it seemed having a boyfriend was eeeevvvvverything. Fast forward, just 2 months after my Highschool graduation, I found out I was pregnant. I thought to myself, "How am I, this Black Muslim girl, supposed to tell my parents about this lapse in judgment, let alone go on to college and become a Nurse." Alhamdulilah (All praises and thanks to God) although my parents were hurt and disappointed, they helped me raise my now 14-year-old son and supported me while I attended college.
Nurse turned Sexuality Educator empowering Muslim youth
I obtained my RN diploma from a Community college and begin working as an Oncology nurse. I advanced my nursing career in various specialties while continuing my education to become a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Family Nurse Practitioner from Rutgers University. (Shaakira Grad Speech 2017 - YouTube). During my doctoral studies in 2017, I conducted a study called "Sex Education in the Mosque" with Muslim girls between the ages of 13-19 at a local masjid in Newark, NJ. After successfully helping my study participants increase their knowledge, confidence, and skills toward delaying sex until marriage, I started my career in sexuality education.
The Halal Sexpert: Empowering Muslim Youth and Couples.
In 2017, I first organized a 501c3 non-profit organization called Love Beyond Love to educate Muslim youth about sexuality education from an Islamic perspective. My newlywed husband, Abdullah, and I facilitated workshops for Muslim youth in masjids, conferences, and our very own hosted events. Unfortunately, youth attendees started to complain to me about not being able to discuss any sexuality topics with their parents and how I was the ONLY ONE they felt safe with. This did not sit well with me and I realized that I myself was a product of Muslim parents not discussing sexuality education in the home. In 2019, I initially created The Halal Sexpert, LLC as a resource for Muslim parents to be the primary sexuality educators for their children and teens. The Halal Sexpert, LLC later evolved to me also providing sexuality education to Muslim married couples and singles as a result of me identifying their need for Islamic sex ed, as well.
Revolutionizing Islamic Sex Ed with a PhD
I continued my sexuality education journey at Widener University as both a PhD student and Full-time Nursing Professor. I am now a Sexologist with a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality. I am passionate about providing sexuality education to the Muslim community from an Islamic perspective based on Quran and Sunnah. I teach MasterClasses and online mini-courses, facilitate life-changing retreats for couples and single women, and provide one-to-one consulting for Muslim singles and couples. I am a World-renowned Speaker for various sexuality topics and self-development techniques. My goal is to help Muslims around the globe learn how to maintain a comfortable balance between their sexuality and spirituality in way a pleasing to God.
The Official Bio
Dr. Shaakira Abdullah, also known as the Halal Sexpert, is a Sexologist with a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality and a Family Nurse Practitioner with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. She is passionate about providing sexuality education to the Muslim community from an Islamic Perspective. She is a wife and mother of five.
