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Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq

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Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq
at Al Kawthar Academy, Leicester
Born1971
Gujarat, India
OccupationIslamic scholar
TitleShaykh
Websitehttp://www.akacademy.eu
Notes
The Shaykh was speaking on Surah Hujarat on 24th November 2008 when this photo was taken.

Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh-ul-Haq was born in Gujarat, India in 1971. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1974 to join his father, Maulana Muhammad Gora, who was serving as an Imam for the Muslim community in Leicester.

Riyadh-ul-Haq is "fêted internationally as a leading scholar of Islam." The Shaykh is a spiritual successor to Shaikhul Hadith Hadhrat Maulana Yusuf Motala daamat barakaatuhum.

Education

His father began his son's religious instruction at a very young age. By the age of ten, the Shaykh had memorised the entire Quran and completed the study of a number of kitabs on various Islamic topics. When he was thirteen, he enrolled at Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah in Bury. There, the Shaikh undertook an intensive study of Arabic, Quranic tafseer, hadith and fiqh under traditionally qualified scholars. His teachers from whom he has ijazah in various Islamic sciences include Hadhrat Shaykh Yusuf Motala and the late Shaykh Islamul Haq. He also has ijazah in hadith from the late Mufti Mahmood Hassan Gangohi and the famous Muhaddith, Shaikh Yunus of Saharanpur, India. Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh-ul-Haq graduated from Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah in early 1991.

Preaching and Teaching

After his graduation, he became the Imam of Birmingham Central Mosque and then began teaching hadith at Madinatul Uloom Al-Islamiyyah. Until 2003, the Shaikh served as the honorary headmaster of Madinatul Uloom Al-Islamiyyah in Kidderminster, where he was previously sadr mudarris (head teacher/dean of the faculty). Since graduation he has devoted himself to the work of deen and remained actively involved in da'wah and teaching. He has taught and commented on numerous classical Islamic works and has lectured extensively on a range of topics including Quranic tafseer, hadith, aqeedah and fiqh. He has also travelled widely, teaching and lecturing in various countries in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America. Many of his sermons and lectures are recorded and are widely available. He has also authored two books, 'The Salah of a Believer in the Quran and Sunnah'[1] and 'The Causes of Disunity'[2]. A poem written by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq called 'Whispers of the Night' has been published on many websites and blogs[3],[4],[5],[6].

Sahih-ul-Bukhari

Since 2001, the Shaykh has been teaching an abridged version of Saheeh-ul-Bukhari to the general public. The collection of hadith in Bukhari are considered the most authentic collection in Islam. This is the first time ever that these hadith have been taught in English in a systemic, detailed and thorough manner. All rulings derived from the hadith are explained according to the understanding of the main schools of fiqh. The Shaykh teaches these hadith through an unbroken and authentic chain of narration or sanad.[7],[8]. The lessons are currently held at Al Kawthar Academy in Leicester and number over 240 that have been delivered to date[9],[10]. Many video excerpts from the Bukhari lessons are on Al Kawthar Academy's Youtube channel.[11]

Sanad (Chain of Narration)

Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq has an authentic and unbroken chain of narration (sanad). He recited this full sanad in Lesson 3 of the Bukhari series. [12]

Lecture Series

The earliest spiritual discourses by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq which are available online date to around 1994 e.g. [13]. Prior to commencing the weekly Bukhari classes, the Shaykh taught lessons of Tafseer, Fiqh and Aqeedah[14]. He has given many general talks often on topical subjects relevant to Muslims in the West. These lectures have been given across the UK and in many other countries often at conferences and seminars where the Shaykh is an invited and keynote speaker. In early 2009, the Shaykh addressed the credit crunch issue from an Islamic perspective.[15],[16].

Since 2008, Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq has been delivering a series of talks on 'The Mothers of The Believers'[17] and also a series of talks on 'The Lives and Learning of the Companions' [18],[19].

Intensive Study Courses

Image:Quran Course.jpg|right|thumb| Qur'an Course 2009 In November 2008, Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq delivered an intensive study course entitled 'The Etiquettes of Seeking Sacred Knowledge'.[20]. The course held over two consecutive weekends and was organised by Al Kawthar Academy. The location of the course was Azhar Academy, Forest Gate, London. This was the first intensive study course taught by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq.

Al Kawthar Academy organised a second intensive study course entitled 'Fundamentals of Understanding the Glorious Qur'an'[21]. This course was held at Azhar Academy, London and will take place on 27 and 28 June 2009. The Shaykh delivered a third intensive course at Azhar Academy entitled 'Ramadhan Dawn till Dawn' on the 8th and 9th of August 2009.

Allegations of Extremism

In September 2007 The Times carried a news item by Andrew Norfolk accusing Riyadh ul Haq of being the "homegrown cleric who loathes the British"[22] and a commentary article from the same author claiming there was a "hardline takeover of British mosques" led by ul Haq. In an opinion piece by the same author on the same date there was a claim that ul Haq was in line to become the spiritual leader of the Deobandi sect in Britain, despite having views that support armed jihad and preaching contempt for Jews, Christians and Hindus.[23] Simultaneously, Andrew Norfolk published a further "comment" piece in the Times calling the Deobandis historically anti-British,[24] but also aired the opposing views of Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra, the chairman of the Muslim Council of Britain’s interfaith relations committee. Mr Mogra graduated from the same Deobandi seminary in Bury, Greater Manchester, that Mr ul Haq attended. Mr Mogra has a vision of a pluralistic, tolerant Islam "starkly at odds with mainstream Deobandi thinking", believing that for British Muslims "our loyalty to Britain must be unquestionable".[25]

The next day Andrew Norfolk published two more opinion pieces, also in the Times, the first describing two British Muslims in a "sinister" Karachi madrassa of mutually opposing view points, the student there being "desperate" to come home to Yorkshire.[26] The second opinion piece named another world respected Deobandi scholar (Justice Muhammad Taqi Usmani), this time from Pakistan calling for followers to live peacefully in countries such as Britain only until they gain enough power to engage in jihad or battle.[27]

Amongst the immediate responses the Guardian carried a "Comment is Free" opinion article by Inayat Bunglawala, media secretary for the Muslim Council of Britain, calling Norfolk's work "A toxic mix of fact and nonsense" [28] and the Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK (MPACUK) claiming on their own web-site that the Berelvis (ie most Sunnis, who are themselves 80% of the world's Muslims) were coming out in defence of Riyad al Huq.[29] 2 days later, MPACUK called the attacks on ul Haq a "decapitation strategy".[30]

References

  1. ^ Salah of a Believer in the Qur'an and Sunnah
  2. ^ Causes of Disunity (pdf)
  3. ^ Whispers of the Night (pdf)
  4. ^ Whispers of the Night (Ummah.com Forum)
  5. ^ Whispers of the Night (Veiled One Blog)
  6. ^ Whispers of the Night (Bukhari Blog)
  7. ^ Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq's Sanad - Text Version
  8. ^ Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq's Sanad - Audio Version
  9. ^ Bukhari Podcast
  10. ^ Bukhari Lessons Online Resource
  11. ^ Al Kawthar Academy Youtube Channel
  12. ^ Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq's sanad
  13. ^ Surah Ad-Dhuha Tafseer Delivered on 18th October 1994
  14. ^ Aqeedah at Tahiwayyah Lecture Series
  15. ^ Credit Crunch Lecture organised by 1st Ethical
  16. ^ MIHE Global Recession Seminar
  17. ^ Our Mothers Blog
  18. ^ ['http://www.azharacademy.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=1992 Abdullah bin Mas'ud (DVD Lecture)]
  19. ^ Scholarly Zeal of Abu Hurairah
  20. ^ The Etiquettes of Seeking SacredKnowledge Course
  21. ^ Fundamentals of Understanding the Glorious Qur'an Course
  22. ^ The homegrown cleric who loathes the British The Times, Andrew Norfolk September 7th 2007.
  23. ^ Hardline takeover of British mosques "a stark manifesto of separationist loathing." The Times, Andrew Norfolk September 7th 2007.
  24. ^ A movement fostered by the fear of ‘imperial’ rule - The Times, September 7th 2007.
  25. ^ Moderates attack ‘fundamentally wrong’ approach to teaching Islam Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra, chairman of the Muslim Council of Britain’s interfaith relations committee ... "our loyalty to Britain must be unquestionable". The Times comment, September 7th 2007.
  26. ^ Two faces of British youth in thrall to sinister Muslim sect The Times, Andrew Norfolk September 8th 2007.
  27. ^ Our followers ‘must live in peace until strong enough to wage jihad’ The Times, Andrew Norfolk September 8th 2007.
  28. ^ A toxic mix of fact and nonsense Inayat Bunglawala, Guardian "Comment is free", September 9th 2007.
  29. ^ The Berelvis Come Out In Defence of Riyadh ul Haq Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK (MPACUK), September 11th 2007.
  30. ^ Decapitation Strategy - Sheikh Riyadh ul Haq & Dr Mahmood Chandi MPACUK, September 11th 2007.

Speeches

Most of his speeches are digitally recorded and widely distributed. They can be found in most Islamic book stores in the form of cassettes or CDs.

His lectures can also be found at several places online. To mention but a few:

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