Shaykh Sulaiman Moola [may Allah preserve him] began studying the sacred sciences at an early age. After having completed the memorization of the Quran at the age of 14, for the next seven years he would go on to study Arabic [and all its related sciences becoming especially fluent in Arabic poetry], Tafsir, Hadith, Aqidah and Fiqh [specializing in the Hanafi School].

Having studied under senior ulama from South Africa and the Indian Subcontinent and receiving ijazah from them, he went on to teach at various Madaris in South Africa including Dar al-Uloom Zakariyya.

Imam Tahir Anwar is an American Muslim Imam (religious leader) who has been around Imams since the day he was born. Namely his father and grandfather (his first teachers), and his two brothers, who are also both Imams in California.

Born in London, Imam Tahir moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1983 and made San Jose his home. Upon completing his religious studies in India, he has been serving as the Imam of one of the oldest masjids in the country, the Islamic Center of San Jose, since 2001. He is also the head of the Islamic Studies Department, and a teacher at Granada Islamic School in nearby Santa Clara, an institution in its 26th year.

Dr. Ingrid Mattson is Director of the Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations and Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, CT.  

Dr. Mattson earned her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from the University of Chicago in 1999.  Her research is focused on Islamic law and society; among her articles are studies on slavery, poverty and Islamic legal theory. 

Ustadh Yahya Rhodus was born in Kansas City, Missouri. At the age of 19, he embraced Islam in Santa Clara, California. He began his study of Islam with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and visiting Mauritanian scholars such as Shaykh Khatri wuld Baybba and Shaykh Abdullah wuld Ahmadna. In 1998, Ustadh Yahya traveled to Mauritania to pursue a full-time course of study, where he learned from some of Mauritania's greatest scholars, including the distinguished, Murabit al-Hajj. He also spent an interim period in Damascus, Syria where he received formal education in the Arabic language, grammar, and Qur’anic recitation. 

Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari is a young traditionally trained scholar who studied in different parts of the world. Born in Leicester, UK and raised under the guidance of his illustrious father, Shaykh Mawlana Adam, he started learning about Islam from a very young age and memorized the Qur’an at a very tender age of nine. He initially studied the Arabic Language and various other traditional Islamic Sciences at Darul Uloom, Bury, UK, under many Shaykhs notably, Shaykh Muhammad Yusuf Motala (may Allah preserve him) and received authorizations (ijazas) in various books including the six major books of Hadith. He also took part in a one year course of specialization in the science of giving legal verdicts (Iftaa).

Born in Azad Kashmir in 1971 Shaykh Ahmad Ali came to the U.K. at the tender age of 6. Coming from a moderately practicing family, the odds were always stacked against him, but even as a young boy Shaykh displayed a yearning for deen. His stubborn determination resulted in him completing the memorisation of the Holy Quran at the age of 14 under the supervision and guidance of his teachers at the local mosque, Masjid Quba. Having completed this great feat, the thirst for furthering his Islamic knowledge could no longer be quenched in the confines of the local mosque. Searching for more in 1986 Shaykh enrolled at Darul Uloom Al Arabiya Al Islamiya, Bury, the main nucleus of Islamic studyin Europe at the time.

Dr. Munir El-Kassem was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1955. He was educated at Al-Maqasid Islamic Institute where the Foundation of his Islamic knowledge was established. He was the top student to be admitted in the Premedicine program at the American University of Beirut. Following his migration to Canada, he continued his studies at the University of Western Ontario earning a Masters Degree in Medical Genetics thereafter joining the University of Toronto to graduate as a dental surgeon in 1986. After spending 15 years in general practice, he joined the University of Western Ontario as an assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.

Moulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani (born November 1956 at Jala, Darbhanga, Bihar) is the General Secretary of Islami Fiqh Academy, India and founder member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board. He is an eminent Islamic scholar with expertise in Islamic jurisprudence. With his deeper understanding of the Quran, Sunnah,Sharia and knowledge disciplines, Moulana guides the Muslim community on modern problems. He has inherited rich scholarly traditions from his family of reputed scholars, specifically his father Moulana Zainul Abidain and grandfather Moulana Abdul Ahad Jalavi. Due to his versatile and dynamic approach, Moulana is well known in media. He regularly delivers lectures and sermons in Hyderabad on current topics to guide the community.

Standup & Live Appearances

Being in high demand, Ali has been traveling the world doing stand-up to a wide range of Muslim and non-Muslim audiences. He has spent the past two years traveling to over 30 cities and has performed all over the US, UK and Canada. Performing for audiences as large as 37,000 and for all ages including youth as young as nine, Ali has received rave reviews in the NY Times, USA Today and the LA Times as well as been featured in seven episodes of Direct TV's "The Fizz News."

Qari Ziyaad Patel was born in Ladysmith, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. His early school years spanned across various schools where he took up many leadership roles and was the key in initiating many structures for learners at the particular schools in the region. During this period he was elected chairman of the Representative Council of Learners, was also a member of the Youth sector of the Schools governing body and was an executive member of the African National Congress Youth League, Ladysmith region. Ziyaad has also schooled at a Roman Catholic school in Ireland-Dublin. 

Dubbed the “voice of a generation,” Boonaa Mohammed is a critically acclaimed award winning writer and performer with accolades including a playwright residency at Theatre Passe Muraille, a short story published in a Penguin Canada anthology called “Piece by Piece” and various slam poetry titles credits including winner of the 2007 CBC Poetry Face-Off “Best New Artist” award. As an Artist he has toured and traveled across the world and frequently conducts writing workshops and seminars, sharing his experience and expertise in social justice based story telling with mainly youth from all walks of life.

Youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/boonaa

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BoonaaMohammed