BETWEEN THE "PEOPLE OF THE TEXT" AND THE "PEOPLE OF THE RATIONAL SCIENCES"

Islamic Courses with the support of Ebrahim College and al-Kalam Institute presents:

BETWEEN THE "PEOPLE OF THE TEXT" AND THE "PEOPLE OF THE RATIONAL SCIENCES"

[Ahl al-Hadith/Ahl al-Naql and Ahl al-Ra'y/Ahl al-'Aql]

With

*Shaykh Muḥammad Ṣāliḥ al-Ghursī[Konya, Türkiye]

*Shaykh Suhaib Hasan Abdul Ghaffar [Chairman of the Islamic Sharia Council, London,UK]

*Shaykh Dr Musharraf Hussain [Chief Executive of Karimia Institute, Nottingham, UK]

*Shaykh Mohammed Akram Nadwi [Al-Salam Institute, UK]

Chair: Mawlana Mujahid Ali [Director of Education, Ebrahim College, London]

Translator: Souhayl Maronsey [al-Kalam Institute - alkalam.org]

Date: Thursday 18th December 2025

Time: 7pm - 8.30pm

Venue: Cann Hall Masjid, 145 Cann Hall Rd, London E11 3NJ

FREE ENTRANCE but registration only [including for live on-line streaming] - No registration no access either in-person or online.

AUDIENCE: Delivered in Arabic and English with commentary AND primarily aimed at students of Islamic Sciences (Tullāb al-ʿilm), Imams, Ulema and Islamic Studies academics.

*Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-Ghursi, is a senior theologian of the Ash'ari school and scholar of the rational/aqli *and transmitted/naqli sciences, based in Konya, Türkiye, known for his expertise in traditional sciences, logic(mantiq), and reforming madrasa education. Born in Mardin, he began his formal Islamic education under his father, Shaykh Ahmed al-Ghursi, then spent the next years studying in various Islamic seminaries spread throughout eastern Turkey, in particular the Kurdish Schools and under the tutelage of Shaykh Muhammad al-Irbikandi. He has authored forty scholarly works, including commentaries on logic, and texts like the Alfiya of Ibn Malik in arabic grammar, Nukhba al-Fikr in hadith nomenclature, and Jawhara al-Tawhid in theology, and other subjects from al-Jazari, Ghazali and Iṣlāḥ al-madāris (Reconstruction of Seminaries). He critiques modern madrasa curricula, advocating for integrated learning whilst at the same time, contributing to the preservation and understanding of the Ottoman Islamic tradition via the Kurdish School of Rational Sciences. He also delivers classes for Dar al Fuqaha Seminary in Istanbul.

*Shaykh Suhaib Hasan Abdul Ghaffar [Masjid Tawhid Leyton, London]- Born in India but brought up and educated in Pakistan. After completing Islamic and Arabic studies (Fadil Arabic, 1960) and English language studies (B.A. 1962), he joined the newly-set-up Islamic University at Madinah, Saudi Arabia for higher studies in the faculty of Sharia. He studied under many various scholars from the Ahle Hadith and Salafi school such as Shaykh Abdul Aziz bin Baz, Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani, his father Shaykh Abdul Ghaffar Hasan and from different schools such Muhammad Amin al-Shanqiti and others. After graduating in 1966, he began his career as a teacher and worker in Islamic Dawa at Nairobi, Kenya on behalf of Darul Ifta. In the 70s, he moved to London where he engaged in Islamic Dawa especially through the forum of Al-Quran Society. He has regularly contributed to various media platforms such as Islam Channel, Huda Satellite Tv and others. He was a trustee of Masjid & Madrasah al-Tawhid Trust and currently the Chairman of the Islamic Sharia Council of Great Britain, being the only surviving co-founder since 1982 and currently the President of the European Council for Fatwa and Research, established by Sheikh Yusuf al Qaradawi. And considered one of the pioneers of the Salafi Dawah in the West and has taught and mentored many of the new generation Salafi Imams and preachers.

*Shaykh Dr Musharraf Hussain [Chief Executive of Karimia Institute, Nottingham, UK], came to Britain from Pakistan in 1966. He memorised the Quran, and later read Islamic studies at Darul Uloom Muhammadia Ghausia in Pakistan with ijaza in hadith under Justice Pir Muhammad Karam Shah and then at the Al-Azhar University, Egypt completing the BA, Usuluddin. Prior to his advanced Islamic education, he completed a BSc in Biochemistry at Aston University, and later a science Doctorate and worked as a scientist until 1990. Later he decided to dedicate himself to serving the Muslim community. He helped to establish Jamia Al Karam, a Muslim boarding school in Retford, Nottingham being the headteacher for 3 years and in 1997, he was appointed director of Karimia Institute running over 20 projects ranging from community development to raising educational achievements, interfaith work and charity, making it one of the leading Muslim organisations. In 2009, he was awarded an OBE for his services to community relations in Britain and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Staffordshire University(2005). He has been the chair of the Christian Muslim Forum, a senior trustee of Muslim Hands, trustee of National Centre for Citizenship and Law, the director of Postgraduate Course in Education, and Vice-chair of the Association of Muslim Schools, managing trustee of the UK Islamic Education Waqf and a member of central working committee of Muslim Council of Britain(MCB), former Chair of UK Islamic Advisory Group at foreign & Commonwealth Office and was a Member of the Central Religious Advisory Committee for the BBC & ITV. Some of the his scholarly work and publications include: The Majestic Quran – A Plain English Translation; Aqaid al-Nasafi: A translation of the orthodox creed written in the 11th century; Q&A from Fatawa Rizwiyya (vol 1&2): Collection of over a hundred questions and answers from Fatawa Rizwiyya covering many topics; The Tragedy of Karbala: Outlines the brief history of the battle of Karbala and its consequences. A tribute to the Prophet’s family; Milad – Celebration of the Prophet’s Birthday: Polemical discussion of the virtues of celebrating the birth of the Greatest Prophet of God; Maulana Ahmad Riza Khan Barelwi: Introduction to his life and works of one of the greatest scholars of the twentieth century and many others.

*Shaykh Mohammed Akram Nadwi [Al-Salam Institute, UK] studied and taught Shari’a at the Nadwatul ‘Ulama (India). He is a muhaddith specialising in ‘Ilm al-Rijal (the study of the narrators of Hadith) and has ijaza (licenses) from many mashayakh, including Abul Hasan Ali Al-Nadwi, Abdul-Fattah Abu Ghuddah, Ramadan Buti, AbdurRahman Kittani and Yusuf al-Qaradawi. Over the course of three decades he has authored, translated and conducted research on many titles related to fiqh, Qur’an, hadith and sufi orders. He has published widely in Urdu, Persian, Arabic, and English on Shah Wali Allah, a critical edition of Usūl al-Shāshī in Ḥanafī jurisprudence, original monographs on Islamic law, Quran and hadith sciences, and figures such as Abū Ḥanīfah, including his monumental 43 volume work on Al-Muhaddithaat –The Women Scholars in Islam. He was a research fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Oxford University, and is recipient of the ‘Allāmah Iqbāl prize for contribution to Islamic thought and is the Principal and Co-Founder of Al-Salam Institute. As co-founder of Al-Salam Institute, he continues to teach advanced levels of Islamic Scholarship Program.