Special Guest Speaker

We are honored to host the esteemed Shaykh Zakariya Patel as the guest scholar throughout this retreat. Shaykh Zakariya is a khalifah of Shaykh Yusuf Motala (rahmatullahi 'alayh) and currently serves as the Imam of Masjid-ut-Taqwa in Toronto.

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Shaykh Mohammed Zakariya ibn Ismail Patel (Damat Barakatuhum – May his blessings be lasting) began his journey of seeking traditional Islamic knowledge at a very early age. Travelling to the city of Holcombe Bury in northern UK, he enrolled at Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah, where he stayed for over a decade.

Upon completing memorization of the Holy Qur’an, he commenced the study of Arabic, jurisprudence and other Islamic sciences comprising the madrassa syllabus. During his final year, he completed the six canonical collections of Ḥadith [Al-Ṣiḥaḥ Al-Sitta] under the tutelage and care of several masters including Shaykh Yusuf Motala (NawwarAllahu Marqadahu – May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) enlighten his resting place), Shaykh Islam ul-Haqq (NawwarAllahu Marqadahu – May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) enlighten his resting place) and Shaykh Hashim Al-Jogwadi (Damat Barakatuhum – May his blessings be lasting) – all senior students of Shaykh-ul-Hadith Maulana Muhammed Zakariyya Al-Kandahlawi (NawwarAllahu Marqadahu – May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) enlighten his resting place). After graduation, Shaykh Zakariya Patel (Damat Barakatuhum – May his blessings be lasting) served as the supervisor and head instructor at Madinat-ul-Uloom Al-Islamiya School in Kidderminster, UK.

Shaykh Zakariya Patel (Damat Barakatuhum – May his blessings be lasting) grew up in a household of immense piety and has been blessed, from childhood, with the continuous company [Suḥba] of leading scholars and saints [Awliya-Allah], including his late father in-law, Shaykh Abdur Rahim Motala (NawwarAllahu Marqadahu – May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) enlighten his resting place). He has received formal authorization [Ijazah] in traditional Islamic spirituality [Taṣawwuf] from his mentor, Shaykh Yusuf Motala (NawwarAllahu Marqadahu – May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) enlighten his resting place), his uncle, Shaykh Hashim Al-Jogwadi (Damat Barakatuhum – May his blessings be lasting), and Ḥadhrath Dr. Ismail Memon Madani (Damat Barakatuhum – May his blessings be lasting) – all senior successors [Khulafa] of Shaykh-ul-Hadith Maulana Muhammadh Zakariyya Al-Kandahlawi (NawwarAllahu Marqadahu – May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) enlighten his resting place).

Like his respected predecessors, he is held in high esteem by both his peers and teachers alike. His hallmark is his extreme love for, and constant emphasis upon adherence to the Holy Qur’an and the blessed Sunnah of the Holy prophet Muhammadh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) master of both worlds.

He currently resides with his family in Toronto, Canada. For well over two decades, he has been serving as the Imam of our Masjid, where he conducts weekly gatherings of Taṣawwuf, lessons in Ḥadith, and teaches full-time Hifz class.

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