Ayman is best described as a creative across multiple disciplines, ranging from photography, graphic design and poetry. He was part of the critically acclaimed hip hop duo ‘The Planets’, who broke barriers by working with a number of high profile American artists. 

Today, Ayman is part of a group in Nottingham which reads Habib Umar’s Shimmering Light mawlid on a weekly basis, having now done so for over 15 years. His time in 2019 in Morocco and Tarim studying Arabic opened his eyes to a new variety of traditional devotional poetry and the centrality of these poems to the spiritual life of a Muslim. It was during this time that the seeds for the contents of Breezes of the Elect were planted, which Ayman played an integral part in. With a professional background in design and communications, Ayman contributed to the selection of qaṣā’id, the overall design of the book and helped in editing the translations. He then led on the online promotion, which saw Breezes of the Elect become an Amazon best seller.

Outside of this, Ayman has been actively involved in humanitarian projects with various charities and has travelled to numerous locations worldwide to see and support the work that is happening on the ground.

Emin (Emilio) Alzueta is a professor of liberal arts and humanities, a poet and translator. He studied English and Spanish literature and humanities as well as philosophy. Within the Islamic tradition, he has studied theology, tasawwuf, and intellectual history with traditional teachers in Turkey, UK and Spain. He has taught courses and lectures in a variety of subjects, such as theology, metaphysics, sufism, history and civilization of Al-Andalus, aesthetics, and traditional psychology, in countries such as Spain, Lebanon, Turkey and Bosnia. He is the author or editor of 6 books, and translator of the other 6, all in Spanish. 

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Abdul Malik is a physical movement teacher, trainer, and carpenter based in southern Spain’s Alpujarra region, where he has lived for nearly 20 years. Originally from the UK, he specialises in capoeira—a dynamic art rooted in African chivalric traditions—training since 1995 and licensed to teach in 2001 by Mestre Laércio. He has taught widely, founding groups in Bristol and Penzance and leading workshops across the UK and southern Spain.

Focusing on both youth and adults, he promotes grounded physical practice as a path to spiritual well-being and community connection. His approach also integrates elements from martial arts, breathwork, acrobalance, and body health, guided by the principles of futuwwa.

In recent years, he has collaborated with Cambridge Muslim College scholar Dr Abdullah Rothman and played a key role in the activities of Kutubía, a Muslim-led cultural centre in Órgiva, Granada.‍ ‍

Abdalqadir Schaller, born into Islam to an American father and Mexican mother, was raised in the USA, Spain, and the UK. He directed a Quran school in Mallorca for 10 years before shifting to farming and permaculture. Now, he helps manage Azahara International, guiding journeys through Al-Andalus. Committed to the future, he educates Muslim youth in resilience and self-reliance, focusing on self-knowledge and meaningful companionship.

Born in London and raised there until age 11, he later moved to Granada, where he deepened his path as a percussionist with over a decade of musical training. His early studies focused on Islamic spiritual music, particularly qasaid and drumming, before expanding into traditional Arab and Sufi music under renowned teachers including Muhammad Domínguez and Efrén López.

Since 2021, he has performed professionally with artists and ensembles such as Al Firdaus Ensemble and Medina Whiteman. More recently, he has been exploring Qawwali to reconnect with his Indo-Pakistani roots.

He is currently developing a fusion project in Granada, blending qawwali, Arabic, and flamenco music, with performances already underway in the Alpujarra region.