Companionship
Leadership grows through trusted relationships, shared learning, and walking alongside others.
Across Canada · Open to all
Leadership Is A Trust.
We develop principled leaders grounded in Islamic values who serve with clarity, courage, compassion, and responsibility.
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Leadership grows where people listen deeply and act with purpose.
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What Amana means
Trust, Responsibility, And Something Placed In Your Care.
Amana Institute takes its name from a core Islamic concept: Amana, the trust and ethical responsibility Allah (SWT) has placed on us as Muslims. That trust sits at the centre of everything we do.
It is our responsibility to instil in Muslim youth the values and skills that will help them succeed. We connect Islamic principles with practical leadership skills, personal well-being, and sound organizational stewardship.
Our Islamic foundation
Amana Is The Core. Six Principles Ground Our Approach.
These principles shape how leaders develop character, build relationships, make decisions, and serve their communities.
Service
Leadership is expressed through sincere service that strengthens people, institutions, and communities.
Consultation
Strong leaders listen, include others, and seek collective wisdom before making decisions.
Inner Development
Leadership begins with the continuing refinement of our intentions, character, and conduct.
Gradual Development
Lasting growth happens step by step through patience, practice, reflection, and appropriate support.
Justice
Leaders act fairly, uphold the rights of others, and make principled decisions.
Mission
To develop principled leaders grounded in Islamic values and equip individuals and organizations to lead with character, competence, courage, and accountability.
Vision
Communities shaped by leaders who serve with faith, wisdom, integrity, and compassion, strengthening Muslim communities while contributing positively to Canadian society.
What we do
Three Ways We Strengthen Leadership.
Youth Development
Leadership, identity, resilience, and well-being programs delivered with schools, families, and community partners.
- Youth leadership cohorts
- Mentorship and life skills
- Parent and educator workshops
Organizational Leadership
Practical support for masjids, non-profits, and Muslim led organizations ready to strengthen how they govern and grow.
- Governance and strategy
- Leadership coaching
- Conflict resolution and succession
Professional Training
Engaging training for public institutions, employers, and professionals who want to serve diverse communities well.
- Inclusive leadership
- Faith and cultural competency
- Psychological safety and well-being
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Who we serve
A Place For Every Kind Of Leader.
Young People
Build confidence, identity, resilience, and the habits that make leadership sustainable.
Families And Schools
Create the conditions that help young people take responsibility and grow with support.
Community Organizations
Strengthen governance, strategy, succession, and the people systems behind the mission.
Public Institutions
Lead diverse teams and serve Muslim staff, students, clients, and communities with greater understanding.
November 29, 2026 · Scarborough, Ontario
Strong Roots,
Bright Futures.
The Amana Leadership Summit brings young people, parents, and community organizations together for one focused day of leadership rooted in faith, character, and service.
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Founding leadership
Built From Complementary Experience.
Samya Hasan, CEO
Co-founder
Samya Hasan has served as Executive Director of the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA) since 2017, providing strategic leadership on anti-racism, health equity, civic engagement, and systems-change initiatives affecting South Asian and other racialized communities across Canada. She holds a Master of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Toronto, along with a second Master’s degree in Islamic Studies focused on leadership, mentorship, and capacity-building for young Muslim girls in Canada, research closely aligned with the Summit’s focus on youth leadership. She was recognized by Toronto Metropolitan University in 2020 as a Democracy Superhero and was a CivicAction DiverseCity Fellow for 2020–2021.
Tarak Ahmed
Co-founder
Tarak Ahmed is a clinical leader, educator, and psychotherapist with fifteen years of experience across children’s treatment, hospital and community mental health, post-secondary counselling, and the provincial public service. He has held management roles in several of these settings and currently serves as a Clinical Manager at Grandview Kids, Durham Region’s Children’s Treatment Centre. He holds a Master of Social Work and a Master of Business Administration, a pairing that shapes his clinically grounded and operationally disciplined approach to leadership. He teaches part-time at Durham College and Centennial College, runs a private psychotherapy practice in Ajax, and co-founded Amana Institute on the conviction that leadership is not inherited but taught, modelled, and passed forward.
Connect with Amana
Start A Conversation.
Have a question, want to volunteer, or see an opportunity to work together? Tell us how you would like to be involved and our team will follow up.