Our Imam

Dr. Atiyah Emarah is an accomplished scholar and community leader who has served the Austin Muslim community for over a decade. After nine years as Imam of the Islamic Center of Greater Austin (ICGA), he joined the Islamic Center of Lake Travis in 2022 as its Resident Scholar and Religious Director.

Born and raised in Egypt, Dr. Atiyah began his Islamic education at a very young age at Al-Azhar schools, where he completed his elementary, middle, and high school studies, followed by a Bachelor's in Islamic Studies from the preeminent Al-Azhar University.

After moving to the United States, Dr. Atiyah pursued further studies at distinguished universities. He obtained a Master's in Education from Texas State University with a dual focus on adult education and foreign language teaching, followed by a second Master's from the esteemed University of Texas at Austin in Islamic Studies. He later completed a PhD in Islamic Studies at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), focusing on Qur'ānic studies, tarbiyah, and spiritual identity.

He is a service-driven individual, supporting community members in moments of joy and hardship—from mentoring youth, counseling couples, officiating weddings, and welcoming newborns to offering counsel during the most challenging times.

His vision is to nurture generations of confident Muslims with faithful hearts who are genuinely engaged in meaningful ʿibādah and embody the Prophetic character. Known for his special ability to make Islamic Studies accessible to the youth, Imam Atiyah is highly regarded for his culturally sensitive and age-appropriate style of teaching.

When he is not at the Islamic Center of Lake Travis, Imam Atiyah can be found on the soccer field or serving meals to the less fortunate in his Austin community.