GUEST SPEAKERS

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[accordion-item title="▽ Shaykh Hasan Ali (UK)"]

Shaykh Hasan Ali graduated in 1997 as a scholar/Alim in Islamic education, in addition to gaining a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology at the Institute of Education (University of London) in 2006. He became the Imam of London Islamic Cultural Society (LICS) mosque on Wightman Road, North London (www.lics.info), where he founded Safar Academy, enrolling with only a handful of students. He moved on from his post of Imam and went on to work at the prestigious Yusuf Islam’s Brondesbury College for Boys as the Head of Islamic Studies and Imam. After a number of flourishing years there, he joined Ebrahim College where he taught a number of studies including usul-ul-fiqh, tafseer of the Qur’an and A-level Philosophy of Religion.

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[accordion-item title="▽ Mufti Abrar Mirza"]

Mufti Abrar began his Arabic and Islamic Studies at Benedictine University (Lisle, IL) while enrolled in a degree program in Information Systems. Simultaneously, he began formal studies at Darul Qasim, an accelerated adult learning institute in Glen Ellyn, IL. He later enrolled in a summer Arabic program at the Ma’had Ta’lim al-Islam in Elgin, IL, upon which he decided to continue his studies in the religious sciences and helped form the first batch of graduate students from the ‘Alim program. He thus had the good fortune to study under recognized scholars, including the renowned commentator of the Quran and former Shaykh al-Hadith of the Dar al-‘Ulum in Deoband, Mawlana Muhammad Na’im (may Allah have mercy on him), under whom he completed the study of Sahih al-Bukhari.

Mufti Abrar graduated from Benedictine University in 2006 with honors and a degree in Information Systems while simultaneously pursuing his Islamic studies full-time. He completed his ‘Alim course in 2007 and, thereafter, enrolled at Madrasah In’aamiyyah (Camperdown, South Africa) to specialize in the field of issuing legal verdicts (fatwas). In 2009, Mufti Abrar completed his training under the tutelage of Mufti Ebrahim Desai (may Allah lengthen his life), a world renowned jurist and expert in Islamic finance. He is also fortunate to have received authorization to narrate from forty-four books of hadith.

Mufti Abrar is the founder of the American Fiqh Academy and is active in the field of research and issuing legal verdicts (fatwas). In addition, he serves as an instructor of jurisprudence (fiqh) and hadith to advanced ‘Alim course students in Chicago, and he also trains ‘ulama in the field of issuing legal verdicts.

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[accordion-item title="▽ Shaykh Sa'ad Quadri"]

Shaykh Sa’ad Quadri is the imam of Masjid Al-Huda, located in Greenfield, WI, near Milwaukee. He was born in Park Ridge, IL and grew up in the Chicagoland area. He completed his bachelor’s degree in English and History at Northern Illinois University and his master’s degree in Education at DePaul University.

Prior to beginning college, Shaykh Sa’ad formally began studying the Islamic sciences and with local teachers on a part-time basis for almost fifteen years. After completing his master’s, he traveled overseas to Zambia where he completed his `alimiyya degree, receiving license to teach the traditional Islamic sciences. While studying the Islamic sciences, he began training and was formally authorized in the Islamic science of spiritual development (tazkiyah).

Since his time in high school, Shaykh Sa’ad has also been actively involved in his local communities by teaching in the weekend and weeknight school systems, as well as by organizing a variety of youth and community events with local and national organizations.

Prior to serving as an imam, he taught in the Islamic school system as an AP English, Arabic, Islamic studies, and Qur’an teacher for nearly a decade. He spent his free time volunteering as a coach and advisor. He has also presented seminars and workshops on educational theory and practice with High Quality Education Consulting, with whom he has co-authored The War within our Hearts, Parenting…Who Said It Would Be Easy, and Wisdom for the Wise.

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[accordion-item title="▽ Shaykh Akef Habbal"]

Shaykh Akef Habbal was born in Montreal, Canada. He graduated from a six-year program at Madrasah Khusrufiyyah in Aleppo, Syria. Thereafter he earned his bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies from the University of Damascus, where he then continued to study master's level courses in theological and religious studies. Shaykh Akef then went on to study various subjects including tafsir, fiqh, nahw, and usool under various scholars in Aleppo. Upon returning to North America, Shaykh Akef began teaching Arabic and Islamic studies at various institutions. He currently serves as an Arabic instructor at DarusSalam Academy.

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[accordion-item title="▽ Mawlana Ahteramul Haque"]

Ahteramul Haque grew up in Hamtramck, Michigan. From a young age, he was passionate about Islām and earnestly desired to sit with the scholars and study. He embarked on this mission by enrolling at Dār al-ʿUlūm Detroit. With Detroit’s skyline in the background, he memorized the entire Qurʾān at the age of eleven.

Thereafter, he traveled to the distant land of South Africa in pursuit of sacred knowledge. There, he enrolled in an eminent institute of higher learning. He meticulously studied the full seven-year ʿālimiyyah program. During his studies, he sat under the expert scholar al-Qārī Ayyūb b. Ibrāhīm Iṣḥāq from whom he received authorizations in the Holy Qurʾān and its modes of recitation. After graduating, he returned home and took a teaching position at Dār al-ʿUlūm Detroit while also serving as the Imām of the Canton Islamic Center.

He moved to Chicago when the Takmīl Institute requested him to join the team of instructors. He brings an incredible amount of talent and knowledge to the program. His love, passion, and dedication to scholarship are witnessed by all those attending his lectures and his thoughtfulness and excellent etiquette are inspirational for all those who sit with him.

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[accordion-item title="▽ Mawlana Usman Akhtar"]

Usman Akhtar completed the memorization of the Quran at Darul Uloom New York and then went on to study in South Africa. He completed the six-year curriculum under the guidance of world renowned scholars and earned authorizations in Hadith from many scholars. Upon graduation he traveled to Egypt to further his studies and received authorizations while studying privately under many Ulama.

Upon return from Egypt, he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Connecticut with a BA in Psychological Sciences and served as the Imam & Director of Religious Affairs of the Danbury Masjid|ISWC in Connecticut from 2013 to 2018. He was also a weekend academy instructor at Darul Uloom New York where he taught Arabic and other subjects. He is certified in mental health first aid and is a certified crisis counselor.

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[accordion-item title="▽ Mawlana Yousuf Ghouse"]

Yousuf Ghouse was born and raised in the Chicagoland area. He completed his memorization of the Quran at the Institute of Islamic Education in Elgin, IL. After graduating from UIC with a degree in Mathematics, he pursued Islamic studies full time - initially at DarusSalam and later in Johannesburg, South Africa. After graduating, he spent some additional time pursuing further studies in South Africa.

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[accordion-item title="▽ Mawlana Emran Salam"]

Maulana Emran Salam was born and raised in Florida. He completed his memorization of the Qur'an in 2007 from Darul Uloom of Atlanta (Al-Farooq), and graduated from high school in 2011.

He completed his ʿālimiyyah degree from South Africa in 2017 and in 2018, completed the Takhassus fil hadith program in South Africa.

After returning to the United States, he joined DarusSalam as an alim course teacher and a hifz teacher.

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[accordion-item title="▽ Mufti Minhajuddin Ahmed"]

Minhajuddin Ahmed serves as the Principal of the Academy as well as one of the institute’s directors. Born and raised in Illinois, he memorized the entire Qurʾān at a young age. Later in life, when he reached college age, he opted to dedicate his life to Islāmic Studies and traveled to South Africa. There, he attended the prestigious Dār al-ʿUlūm Zakariyyā in Johannesburg. He studied the eight-year ʿālimiyyah and iftāʾ program graduating with teaching licenses and the permission to issue fatwā in the Ḥanafī School. He studied this program under one of the greatest scholars of our time, Mufti Rada al-Haqq. He also received authorizations in the Holy Qurʾān’s modes of recitation from al-Qārī Ayyūb b. Ibrāhīm Iṣḥāq.

Upon returning to the United States, he served as the director of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis for several years before becoming involved at Masjid DarusSalam. He oversees the administration of the institute. His passion for knowledge and dedication to providing a high-quality institute to serve the North-American Muslim community is phenomenal. Along with imparting knowledge to students in the classroom, he envisages creating a brilliant beacon of knowledge that will inspire future generations by offering an opportunity to study Islām in a way that is relevant in contemporary contexts while holding fast to tradition. Along with teaching and overseeing the institute’s administration, he serves as the imām at Masjid DarusSalam.

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[accordion-item title="▽ Mufti Azeemuddin Ahmed"]

Azeemuddin Ahmed serves as director of Masjid DarusSalam. He was born and raised in the Chicagoland area. At a tender age, he memorized the Holy Qurʾān. Thereafter, he traveled to South Africa where he studied a rigorous eight-year ʿālimiyyah and iftāʾ course at Dār al-ʿUlūm Zakariyyā. During his studies, he was blessed with the opportunity to spend extensive time in the company of one of the world’s elite jurists and scholars, Mufti Rada al-Haqq. After graduating with top honors from South Africa, he went on to earn a BA in Psychology from Elmhurst College. He served as the director of AIA Masjid in Frankfort, Illinois from 2006 to 2012.

Azeemuddin’s dedication and passion for Islāmic education is unparalleled. He is continuously in the service of both scholars and students. An individual with sincere love for scholarship, he strives to ensure that everyone at the institute is well and benefiting from the program. His love and enthusiasm bring the classes he teaches to life, every class conveys priceless points that enrich and benefit those in attendance. As well, he serves as an associate Imām at Masjid DarusSalam.

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