Compassion, excellence, and self improvement are the things I strive for. I am cyclist, martial artist, photographer, poet, author. Quran and tajweed are dear to my heart. I am a scientist, professor, software developer, and an entrepreneur. Odds are you've interacted with my work on countless occasions.  I believe we are all swords tempered in the fire of this world to remove the impurities and bring out our best qualities. 

Physical stats: Height 5’9” | weight 148 lbs | body fat 16% | muscle mass 118 lbs | metabolic age: 28

Most people when they meet me are shocked when they find out how old I really am - I used to view this as an annoyance when I was a boy but it’s a blessing nowadays Alhamdolillah. I would prefer a spouse who I could be active with - hiking, climbing, riding, rowing, equestrian, etc. My kids and I all lead very active lifestyles - all my kids have been riding horses since they were toddlers, we go regularly to the archery range, and my three younger kids and I all raced road cycling and cyclocross prior to COVID.  My eldest trains horses and teaches riding. While I wouldn’t force anything on my wife, I would prefer someone who had interest in doing these types of activities with me - play together, not just live together. I am a strong believer in leading a healthy lifestyle - the strong believer is better than the weak believer, the upper hand is better than the lower hand. Allah (SWT) blessed us with youth and health, and we will be asked about how we made use of it.

I have four children, Three girls and one boy. Two who are adults and two who are teenagers. Two of my daughters are black belts and students of knowledge, and two are huffaz of Quran so far - eldest has several ijaza.

I am a widower, having been married twenty-six years. A year after marriage we moved to the East Coast so my wife could attend the only Islamic institution available in the US at the time. As soon as I could afford it I went for my first Hajj and fell in love with the Haram. Eventually we moved to Saudi for three years for Arabic immersion.

My native language is English, secondary is Arabic (I can get by in the street), and my Urdu is limited to the vocabulary of a five-year old. I didn’t retain any of the desi culture of my parents.

Unfortunately I am a coffee snob - I enjoy brewing my own single origin coffee.

Random facts:
- I have uncanny control over my heart rate. resting heart ❤️ rate 44 bpm, but easily drops below 40 during dhikr ? 
- next time you’re checking a flight ✈️ time at an airport, you’ll know who made the interface you’re staring at ?
- I taught Anatomy & Physiology to nursing students, without having ever taken an anatomy course in my life. ?
- I was trained in shiatsu by a jiu jiujitsu master ?
- Intro video ? I made for a company I worked for (pardon the COVID hair!) : https://youtu.be/sP_3gLS_rvE 

Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anaara/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flexronin/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/flexRonin