Nihal Khan serves as the IOK Muslim Chaplain at UCLA, where he is also pursuing a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies. Born and raised in New Jersey, Nihal memorized the Qur'an between Darul Uloom New York and Saut al-Furqan Academy. While completing a B.A. in Psychology at Montclair State University, he served on the board of the Muslim Students Association as well as the youth director at Darul Islah in New Jersey. After graduating from Nadwat al-'Ulama' in Lucknow, India with an 'alimiyyah degree, Nihal served as the first Resident Imam of the West Cobb Islamic Center in Marietta, Georgia and as Director of Religious Affairs at the Islamic Center of Connecticut in Windsor, Connecticut. He also completed Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training at St. Francis Hospital and volunteered with the Center for Muslim Life at Yale University. Nihal earned an M.A. in Religious Studies from Hartford Seminary, during which time he also completed coursework at Harvard Divinity School.
From 2021 to 2024, he lived in Istanbul, studying the Islamic rational sciences at Darülfünun Vakfi and Ibn Haldun University. During this time, he also received a Qur'anic teaching authorization (ijazah) from Shaykh 'Amir Shabib in Cairo, Egypt. At UCLA, Nihal is dedicated to mentoring students and fostering a welcoming Muslim community. Fluent in Arabic, Urdu, and Turkish, he brings a global perspective to his chaplaincy, with a focus on mentorship, interfaith collaboration and building inclusive spaces. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife.
