Notable Scholars in the World of Islamic Finance
Mufti Muneer is a well-known scholar from Karachi, Pakistan who has studied under some of the top ulama of our era like Hadzrat Maulana Yusuf Ludhyanvi Shaheed, Mufti Nizamud-deen Shamzi, Justice Mufti Taqi Usmani, Maulana Sarfraz Khan Safdar, and many other illustrious ulama.
Alhumdulillah, many people have been deeply effected by his heart moving and intellectual style. Mufti Muneer is presently the Director of Religious Affairs at Westchester Muslim Center in Mt. Vernon, New York. More information is available at http://www.kitabummuneer.org/ Currently the Sharia Advisor to Ijara.com
Shaykh Umer Esmail is a Canadian born, traditionally trained scholar who started his quest to acquire Islamic knowledge at a young age and continued formal studies of the Sciences of Shari`ah in different parts of the world for thirteen years.
He initially studied Urdu and Arabic as well as other traditional Islamic Sciences at the Institute for Islamic Studies in Dewsbury, UK. There he acquired an Ijazah (teaching certification) in Hanafi Fiqh, Hadith, Tafsir, Tajwid and the Ten Qur’anic Qira’at. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, where he studied under some of the greatest living scholars of our time; including Justice (Rtd) Shaykh al-Islam Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him). There he received an Ijazah in ten major books of Hadith. He also spent two years specializing in the science of Fiqh and Ifta’ (giving legal verdicts) and during this time he published hundreds of Fatawa (legal verdicts). Furthermore, he was blessed with the opportunity to study Islamic Finance under the tutelage of Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani.
He has an Ijazah in Hadith from world renowned Hadith scholars including Shaykh al-Hadith Maulana Sarfraz Khan Safdar, Shaykh al-Islam Maulana Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Mufti Muhammad Rafi Usmani (Grand Mufti of Pakistan), Shaykh al-Hadith Maulana Mufti Sahban Mahmood, and Shaykh al-Hadith Maulana Zahid-ur Rashidi.
After graduating, Mufti Umer Esmail worked six years as the Imam at the North Austin Muslim Community Center in Austin, Texas. In addition to leading prayers, he taught classes in Islamic Sciences, including Arabic, Tajwid, Islamic Finance, Fiqh, Aqidah, Hadith and Tafsir. He has been the spiritual Advisor for the Austin Chapter of MYNA since 2003. Currently the Sharia Advisor to Ijara.com
Dr. Ahmed Shleibak has a PhD in Jurisprudence and its Principles from University of Jordan – College of Islamic Law in Amman, Jordan. He was a professor and Dean of Academic Affairs for Islamic American University in Southfield, MI, and member of Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America.
He has published many articles on various subjects in Jurisprudence including: The Price Ceiling in Islamic Law. (In Arabic); The Change of Currency in Islamic Law. (In Arabic); The Waiver of Claim in Islamic Law. (In Arabic) Daar Al-Nafais 1999; The Legal Ruling on Residence of Muslims in non- Muslim States. (In Arabic); Mudarabah (The Bond of Partnership) and its Application In Islamic Banking and Islamic Law. (In Arabic); Inheritance in Islamic Sharia. (In Arabic); Interest in Islamic Law. (In Arabic).
Dr. Ahmed Shleibak reviewed the documents used by ijaraloans.com and found them in compliance with shariah principles and precepts and approved them for use of the purchase of the Islamic American University Camplus Building in July of 2007.
Sheikh Waleed Idrees Meneesee was born in Alexandria, Egypt. Currently, a Permanent Resident of the United States of America; residing in Minnesota. He is currently V. President of the Islamic University of Minnesota; Member of the Educational Committee at the American Open University; Imam and President of the board of trustees of Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Member of the Permanent Fatwa Committee, of the Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America (AMJA) ;Member of the board of trustees of the North American Imams Federation (NAIF), Sh. Waleed holds a PhD in Islamic Jurisprudence from the Graduate Theological Foundation, Mishawaka, IN.
In 2011 Sh. Waleed purchased a home using our IjaraTM Conversion Product.
Justice Taqi Usmani has had a distinguished career in Islamic law and finance, and is a retired member of the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Educated to M.A. (Arabic) with distinction from the Punjab University in 1970; L.LB with distinction from Karachi University in 1967; B.A. from Karachi University in 1964; Takhassus in Ifta from Darul Uloom Karachi in 1961 (1381 AH); “Alimiyyah” from Darul Uloom Karachi in 1959 (1379 AH).
Justice Taqi Usmani is a classically trained Islamic scholar from Jamia Darul Uloom (Karachi), where he currently serves as Vice President. Justice Taqi Usmani has been a member of Islamic Supervisory boards for a number of Islamic banks and financial institutions; Participation in many Islamic, Da’wah and Fiqh meetings across the world. Has had over 50 works published in English (including Islamic Modes of Financing), Arabic and Urdu. Justice Taqi was involved in the approval of the original Sharia Contract for CIHF Partners in 1995, and the subsequent update of the Fatwa in 1997. Please Note that Justice Taqi does Not serve on our board.
Dr Abdul Sattar is a Syrian, currently teaching at several institutions of higher learning including, Imam Al Da’awa Institute in Riyadh and Kuwait University amongst others. He holds the positions of Shari’ah Advisor and Director of the Department of Financial Instruments at Al-Baraka Investment Co. of Saudi Arabia. He is also an active member of the Islamic Fiqh Academy of Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions. He has performed the valuable task of researching information for the Fiqh Encyclopedia compiled by Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in Kuwait, where he was a member of the Fatwa Board from 1982 to 1990. He holds several degrees in Islamic law from different universities including Damascus University and Al-Azhar University in Cairo where he obtained his PhD in Islamic Law. Dr. Abdul Sattar was involved in the approval of the original Sharia Contract for CIHF Partners in 1995.
Nizam Yaquby hails from Bahrain and is a very successful businessman. He also sits on several Shariah Supervisory Board that includes the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions, the International Islamic Financial Market and the Dow Jones Islamic Market Indexes. In Malaysia he is also a member of the CIMB Islamic Shariah Committee. He has authored several articles and publications on Islamic finance both in English and Arabic. He has a Bachelor of Arts (Economics and Comparative Religions) degree and a Master of Science degree in Finance from McGill University, Canada. He also received guidance in classical Shariah from prominent scholars such as Sheikh Abdulla al-Farisi, Sheikh Yusuf al-Siddiqi, Sheikh Muhammed Saleh al-Abasi and Sheikh Muhammed Yasin al-Fadani. Sh. Nizam Yaqubi was involved in the approval of the original Sharia Contract for CIHF Partners in 1995, and the subsequent updates of the Fatwa in 1997 and 2003.
Yusof is an American, currently Special Consultant appointed by the Asian Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah. He is considered a leading Islamic scholar in his country where he was at one time the Secretary of the Fiqh Council of North America. In the field of Islamic finance, he serves as Shariah advisor to many global financial entities, including index providers, mutual funds, real estate funds, leasing funds, institutional investors, home finance providers and alternative asset managers. Apart from being the first to compile the English translation of legal rulings by Shariah supervisory boards on the operations of Islamic banks, he has translated more than twenty books from Arabic, Persian and Urdu for publication in English. He has a degree from Cornel University, USA and is at presence completing his doctoral dissertation on the Legal Rulings of the Quran at Bahawalpur University, Pakistan.