GUEST SPEAKERS

Mawlana Kashif Aziz

Imam Kashif Aziz has been studying the traditional Islamic sciences from a young age. After graduating from middle school, he took admission at Al Fathiyyah Institute, an academy for Quran Memorization.  He memorized the entire Quran by age sixteen.

After graduating from high school, he continued studying for the next eight years at Binnori Town University of Islamic Sciences, a distinguished Islamic seminary in Karachi, Pakistan. He completed an intensive curriculum that comprised of Arabic Language, Tafseer, Hadith and Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence).

After graduating from the ‘Aalim course (equivalent to M.A. in Islamic Theology), he served in Crescent School in Long Island, and then in Al Madinah School in Brooklyn, from 2002 to 2004.  He served in the positions of Islamic Studies Teacher, Dean and Guidance Counselor.

Imam Kashif served for thirteen years as the Imam for Muhammadi Masjid in Elmont, NY.  In addition to serving as a full time Imam, he was active in various social initiatives. He directed many programs and activities for the community including youth conferences, part-time weekend courses in the Islamic sciences, career development programs, youth mentoring workshops, Ramadhan I’tikhaf programs, programs for recent converts, Quran classes for adults, conducting marriage ceremonies and interfaith programs at local churches

Mawlana Mikaeel Olivieri

Mawlana Idris Abdus Salam

Shaykh Idris Abdus Salam was born and raised in Yonkers, NY. He began memorizing the Qurān at the age of eight under the guidance of his mother. He then went on to study under many teachers, eventually completing the entire Qurān at the age of 11 at Darul Uloom NY. Idris then moved to Teaneck, NJ and enrolled in Al-Ghazaly Junior-Senior High School. Alongside academic studies, Idris began studying Arabic and Fiqh under Mufti Abdul Muqtadir. Upon graduation of high school, he attended NYU-Poly and graduated with a bachelors degree in Civil Engineering. During college breaks, Idris went to Camperdown, South Africa, and studied under scholars such as Moulana Muhammad Abasoomer, Mufti Zakariyya Desai, Mufti Imran Vawda, Mufti Yunus Bhobat and many others. Then, after working as an engineer for a few months, he joined Institute of Islamic Education (IIE) and studied under Mawlana Abdullah Saleem, Mawlana Ubaidullah, Mawlana Sulaiman, Dr. Mufti Yasir Nadeem and other. He completed the Darse Nizami curriculum at IIE and received an ‘Alimiyyah degree. Idris currently works as an engineer, and is furthering his studies of Deen under scholars in the NY/NJ area. In addition, he is the Resident Scholar at Masjid Dar-ul-Islah in Teaneck, NJ. Idris began leading Tarāwīh from the age of 11, and has lead in various Masājid in the NY/NJ area. He is also into sports, and regularly plays basketball and table tennis.

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.

Shaykh Hasan Ali (UK)

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.

 

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.