Ailya Vajid is the Interim Associate Muslim Chaplain at Hamline. In this role, she supports the religious, spiritual, broader meaning-making, and life journeys of the Muslim community through pastoral counseling, educational offerings, worship, mentorship, and gatherings of connection and dialogue.
Wherever you fall on the spectrum of Muslim practice and identity, as well as Islamic sect, Chaplain Ailya is a resource for you. She is here to support you in deepening your faith and religious learning, exploring religious and spiritual questions, and even working through a strained or struggling relationship with God. Wherever you are on your journey, she is here to walk with you through life’s challenges and joys, and to support you towards all that you are seeking.
Chaplain Ailya is committed to connecting to the depths of our humanity and to witnessing this in each person as we engage across differences and through the challenges we face in our world. In her work, she seeks to promote open, honest dialogue towards understanding and change. Outside of Hamline, she has a spiritual care practice, Radiyah Wellness, where she provides holistic, heart-centered, trauma-informed spiritual counseling and embodied care for the community.
Chaplain Ailya has previously served campus communities at Swarthmore, Carleton, and Macalester Colleges, as well as the University of Virginia. She holds a BA in Religion and Islamic Studies from Swarthmore College and an MA in Theological Studies (focused in Islamic Studies) from Harvard Divinity School.