Imam Omar Patel was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. At the tender age of 15, he developed an interest in studying the Arabic language and spent the next 3 years studying Arabic grammar, literature and Islamic Jurisprudence. He then traveled to the United Kingdom to continue his studies, enrolling in the rigorous 7-year Alim program consisting of advanced Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic theology and early Hadith studies. He completed his final year in South Africa where he graduated with a BA in Arabic and Islamic Studies, and achieved numerous authorizations in the study of Hadith. After returning home to Canada, Imam Omar felt a calling to bridge his knowledge of Islamic Sciences with modern spiritual care and psychotherapy – and so began his Masters in Pastoral Studies at Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto to become a trained chaplain. In 2016, Imam Omar was selected as the Muslim Chaplain at University of Toronto Scarborough Campus where he caters to the needs of Muslim students by holding counselling sessions and weekly programs on site. He resides in Scarborough, Ontario with his wife and son.