Batool Al-Toma (formerly Mary Geraghty) is a white Irishwoman who converted to Islam 25 years ago.
Al-Toma is a graduate of St. David’s University College, University of Wales.
She is a Research and Education Officer at The Islamic Foundation and has devised and facilitated a number of training seminars, conferences, and educational forums both on and off-line.
She is a convert to Islam of 25 years with her main area of interest being religious conversion and in her capacity as coordinator of the New Muslims Project, has established a variety of services related to the overall support, education, and continuing development of converts to Islam in the UK.
She is editor of the Meeting Point, the newsletter of the New Muslims Project (Britain's first organised one-stop shop for new converts to Islam) in Markfield, Leicester, of which she is the director, a department of the Islamic Foundation.
She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Forum Against Islamophobia and Racism (FAIR) and a media consultant on Islam and Muslims who has participated in a number of discussion forums addressing a broad selection of related issues.
She has, over the past 15 years, played key and leadership roles in both the Young Muslims UK and the Islamic Society of Britain and is currently an assistant Girl Guide leader nationally and works with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGS).
She is married with four children whose ages range from 14 to 21 years.
She is the author of 'A Simple Guide to Prayer for Beginners', of which Yusuf Islam narrated the 2 hour audio cassette version and features Dawud Wharnsby-Ali. The Arabic recitation is provided by Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil Alhousari, Imam Abdullah Zein Al-Abdin and Qari Saber Lourghi. The content of tape one was edited by Dr Muhammad Isa Waley and the overall recording and pronunciation was checked by Dr Musharraf Hussain Al-Azhari and has been extensively tested by new Muslims.