Advisory Board

AYA Financial has been maintaining its own official community advisory board since inception in 2007. All products were developed in close scrutiny on the Islamic Finance principles and were reviewed and endorsed by the Islamic Finance Advisory Board.

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Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Masood al-Nadvi

Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Masood al-Nadvi is a well-known Muslim scholar in Canada, amongst the few who have the authority to confer an Islamic legal ruling. Dr. Nadvi has extensively studied the Islamic sciences at some of the world’s leading institutions of Islamic learning. He spent over a decade at the prestigious seminary Dārul ’Ulūm Nadwatul ‘Ulamā, Lucknow, India, where he completed an ālimiyyah degree. He subsequently moved to Saudi Arabia, where he earned a License in Sharīʿah from the Islamic University of Madinah (Jāmiʻah al-Islāmīyah bi-al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah), and completed his Masters and Ph.D. in Sharīʿah, with a specialization in Fiqh from Umm al-Qura University, Makkah (Jāmiʿat ʾUmm Al-Qurā). In addition to his academic studies, Dr. Nadvi has received ijazāt (certificates of authorization) from many of the most renowned scholars of our time. To complement his comprehensive education in the Islamic sciences, he earned a degree in political science from Bhopal University, India.

Dr. Nadvi also has a rich experience in teaching. He was a professor at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he taught Sharīʿah and Fiqh for over half a decade. While he was at King Saud, he dealt with topics such as Usūl al-Fiqh, Islamic culture, Islamic political thought, Islamic movements and the Fiqh of organization.

In addition to his teaching, Dr. Nadvi has been very active within the Canadian Muslim community since his arrival. He is the former President of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and Director of Religious Affairs at Al Falah Islamic Centre and the Muslim Association of Calgary, during which he also served as a member of the University of Calgary chaplaincy team. He is currently the Chairman of the Canadian Council of Imams and the Fiqh Majlis of Canada. Dr. Nadvi also serves on the advisory board of several organizations including the Canadian Muslim Chaplain Organization (CMCO), Ayaat Ilm Academy, and the Proposed Islamic Credit Union in Ontario.

Dr. Hamid Slimi

Dr. Hamid Slimi has been serving as an Educator, Imam, Chaplain and Counselor in North America for more than 28 years and in Canada since 1997 in different religious and educational institutions.

(1) The current chairman and professor at the Canadian Centre for Deen Studies (a Muslim Theological Seminary for educating and training future Imams and chaplains as well as adults learning different subjects of Islamic Studies and Arabic language). He is also a visiting lecturer at different universities and colleges around the world.

(2) The Resident Scholar, Imam and Founder of Sayeda Khadija Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.

He has been serving as an Educator, Imam, Chaplain and Counselor in North America for more than 28 years and in Canada since 1997 in different religious and educational institutions.

(3) The Founder and President of Faith of Life Network (A Charitable organization focused on providing spiritual and educational programs as well as bridge building with other faiths for peace building and harmony).

(4) The current Chairman of the Muslim Council of Peel.

(5)The President and Head Coach at the International Academy For Human Resources & Community Development.

(6) The President of Canada Pencak Silat Federation working on promoting this ancient traditional Martial Art from Southeast Asia.

Shaikh Mohamed Nafis Bhayat

Imam Nafis is an executive member of the Canadian Council of Imams, Canadian Council of Muslim Theologians, teacher at Alfajr Institute and a member of Islamic Finance Advisory Board. He is frequently invited to deliver khutbahs and lectures at various Masajids and religious institutions.

Imam Nafis Bhayat was born in India and moved to England in his early childhood. His quest for Islamic knowledge began at a very young age. He completed the memorization of the Quran at the tender age of 13. Thereafter, he continued his Islamic studies at Darul Uloom Bury, UK, for the next six years in the field of Tafseer, Hadeeth, Fiqh, Aqida and the Arabic language.

Since graduating with a degree in Islamic theology in 1992, Imam Nafis has been serving as the head imam and director of religious services at the Islamic propagation centre of Ontario, also known as Jame Masjid Mississauga, Canada, until this present day. His weekly Tafseerul Quran class attracts the attendance of over 200 participants.

Dr. Abdalla Idris Ali was born in Sudan and immigrated to Canada in 1977 as a graduate student at the University of Toronto, pursuing his Ph.D. in International Relations. His work in education began as a teacher of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the Islamic Centre of Toronto. In 1982, he laid down the foundation of the first full-time Islamic school in Canada and served as the Principal of the Islamic Community School. Dr. Abdalla Idris was later appointed to the Executive Council of the Islamic Society of North America and then elected to its consultative body. This led him to serving as President of ISNA from 1992 through 1997. He is also a founding Board member of the Council of Islamic Schools in North America where he developed and implemented Islamic and Arabic Studies curricula for elementary and junior high students. In 1998, Dr. Abdalla Idris moved to the United States as a curriculum consultant to the Universal Foundation, and then was appointed Director at the Center for Islamic Education in North America in Kansas City, Missouri. He also became a member of the Board of Trustees I.B.E.R.R., a unique organization headed by Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens which services minority communities in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Britain, South Africa and Nigeria. Upon returning to Canada in 2008, Dr. Abdalla Idris started serving as the Secretary General of ISNA Canada. For the last 10 years, Dr. Abdalla Idris has chaired the ISNA Education Forum that attracts more than 250 schools and close to a thousand teachers every year. In 2017, he decided to retire, however the community asked him to stay on as Director of Outreach and Community Development. Today he is serving as the Senior Community Relations Adviser.

Sh. Aarij Anwer

Sh. Aarij Anwer was born in Karachi, Pakistan and grew up in the Greater Toronto Area. He serves as the Interim Imam and Islamic Education Coordinator at the London Muslim Mosque. His focus is on youth education and chaplaincy.

He holds a Bachelor of Computer Science (Waterloo), Bachelor of Education (Toronto) and Bachelor of Islamic Sciences in Fiqh and Usulul Fiqh (Al-Madinah International University, Malaysia). He’s studied the Shariah under the tutelage of his teachers from Egypt for a decade (and continues every week).

Previously, he founded Qutoof Academy for advanced Arabic studies, published a Arabic curriculum for Islamic schools at Bayyinah Institute and published a book on the Prophet’s (S) supplications. He is a Zakat advisor for the National Zakat Foundation, as well as an instructor for AlKauthar Institute.

Sheikh Alaa Elsayed

Sheikh Alaa studied for his Bachelors in Shariah from the American International University and earned a scholarship from the Shari’ah Academy/Mishkah University in Florida. Sheikh Alaa has also received his ijazah of Quran recitation for Hafs an Asim and studied comparative religion for five years through the IPCI in South Africa. He was on the board of directors of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth.

He is a member of the Canadian Council of Imams as well as a member of Horizon Interfaith Communication Media Council. Prior to this, he was an Imam for the Muslim Council of Calgary and acted as its media spokesperson. He has hosted Vision of Islam, a weekly television show which runs throughout Alberta, Canada. He has also appeared as a speaker on Islam on various television channels, including Peace TV.

More coming soon.