UNDERSTANDING SALAFISM SEEKING THE PATH OF THE PIOUS PREDECESSORS

[PLEASE NOTE - The course is BOTH in person ONSITE in London and for those who can not attend in person can purchase the LIVE ONLINE STREAMING ticket to watch it from their device and those coming in person, should you not decide to attend person on the day or half the day, you will still recieve a link to the live online streaming, irrespective but are encouraged to attend in person if you have registered for that ticket, as this helps with allows room allocation, respectively for fellow participants].

SPECIAL EARY BIRD OFFER TICKETS FOR REGISTRATIONS - DEADLINE ENDS ON FRIDAY 30TH MAY 2025 after which prices increase

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Islamic Courses present:

BOOK LAUNCH COURSE: 'UNDERSTANDING SALAFISM: SEEKING THE PATH OF THE PIOUS PREDECESSORS' - Review of the minhaj

With author: Shaykh Dr Yasir Qadhi [Dean of the Islamic Seminary of America]

Respondents:

Professor Jon Hoover [Professor of Islamic Studies, Nottingham University]

Professor Raihan Ismail [Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies, Oxford University]

Special address by Shaykh Suhaib Hasan Abdul Ghaffar [Masjid Tawhid Leyton, London]

Hosts/chairs include:

Dr Abdul Haqq Baker [Former Chair of Brixton Mosque]

Paul Williams [Blogging Theology Academy - www.bloggingtheologyacademy.com ]

and others to be confirmed

Date: Sunday 13th July 2025

Time: 8.30am - 4pm

Location: London - Birbeck College, University of London

In Understanding Salafism, Dr Yasir Qadhi delves into the origins of the movement, from the earliest debates in Islam to Salafism today, in both the Western and Islamic worlds. In an analysis covering Salafism in the Middle East, Europe, the United States and Africa, he illuminates Salafism’s theological ideas, the debates within Salafism about political participation, and its relationship to other schools in Sunni Islam.

In this intensive one day course, we will cover the following chapters of the book with fellow academic Respondent reflections and critique and open Q and sessions:

1. A Bird’s Eye View of Salafism til today

2. A Comprehensive History of Salafi Thought: From its Origins to Modernity

3. Wahhabism and Salafism

4. Salafism and the other schools/groups: Case Studies

5. Global Salafism in the Contemporary World

6. Summary and conclusions and the future of Salafi dawah

Copies of the book will be available for purchase [Published by Oneworld Publications]

About the main presenter: *Shaykh Dr Yasir Qadhi is a resident scholar of the East Plano Islamic Center in Texas, and dean of the Islamic Seminary of America. He is one of the few people who has combined a traditional Eastern Islamic seminary education with Western academic training in the study of Islam. He has a bachelor’s degree from the Islamic University of Madinah, a master’s from the College of Dawah, and a PhD in Religious Studies from Yale University.

Respondants:

Professor Jon Hoover [Professor of Islamic Studies, Nottingham University]- Professor Jon Hoover is Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Nottingham. He specialises in Islamic intellectual history, medieval Islamic theology and philosophy, Christian–Muslim relations, and the thought of Ibn Taymiyya. He is the author of Ibn Taymiyya’s Theodicy of Perpetual Optimism, and numerous articles and book chapters on Ibn Taymiyya’s theology and ethics.

Professor Raihan Ismail [Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies, Oxford University] - Professor Raihan Ismail is the His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies. Raihan’s research interests include Political Islam, sectarianism, and the intertwining nature of religion and politics in the Middle East. Before moving to Oxford, Raihan was based at the Australian National University, teaching courses on Islam, the Modern Middle East, Sunni-Shia relations, Gender and Culture in the Middle East, and Muslim Politics. She was the co-recipient of the 2018 Max Crawford Medal, awarded by the Australian Academy of the Humanities for ‘outstanding achievement in the humanities by an early-career scholar’. She also delivered the 8th Hancock Lecture for the Academy, titled “Hybrid Civilisation or the Clash of Civilisations: Rethinking the Muslim Other.” From 2019 to 2022, Raihan was an Australian Research Council Fellow (DECRA). She was the Goldman Faculty Leave Fellow at Brandeis University for the 2022-2023 academic year. Raihan has been the co-convenor (2015-2018) and convenor (2019-2020) of the Political Islam seminar series for various Australian Commonwealth government agencies. She has also delivered consultancies for the Australian Attorney General’s Department and Departments of Defence and Foreign Affairs. She is a regular commentator in international media on Islam and Middle East politics. She shares her research expertise on various media outlets, and has given numerous interviews including on Voice of America, BBC World, BBC Arabic, ABC TV and ABC Radio National. She has appeared as a panellist on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Q&A program. In 2019, she was placed in the ABC’s Top 5 Media Residency Program for humanities scholars in Australia. She has written in academic and non-academic outlets including the Washin gton Post’s Monkey Cage publication. She is the author of Saudi Clerics and Shia Islam (Oxford University Press, 2016) and Rethinking Salafism: The Transnational Networks of Salafi ‘Ulama in Egypt, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia (Oxford University Press, 2021). She has a Bachelors Degree in Political Science, with a minor in Islamic Studies, and a Masters in International Relations from the International Islamic University of Malaysia, and a PhD from the ANU.

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. Currently he is a trustee of Masjid & Madrasah al-Tawhid Trust and Secretary of the Islamic Sharia Council of Great Britain 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.

Dr. Abdul-Haqq Baker is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in the legal, charity, and educational sectors. He spent a decade practising law before transitioning to leadership roles in education and community service. His past positions include Chair of Brixton Mosque and Iqra Independent School, as well as directorial roles in various educational centres across the Middle East. Dr. Abdul-Haqq holds a PhD in Political Studies and an MBA in Education. He has been an academic force, lecturing at the University of St Andrews, and serving in various capacities such as Principal, Head of Academic Affairs, and Head of English in prestigious institutions in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. A regular contributor to scholarly publications and online platforms, he shares insights that enrich the broader educational and civic community and one of the leaders of the Black Muslim Salafi community in the West and was recently former CEO of the Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre[Birmingham].

Paul Williams [Blogging Theology Academy - www.bloggingtheologyacademy.com ] is host of the Blogging Theology channel, one of the world's most popular YouTube channels discussing comparative religion by introducing some academic and scholarly content to the subject matter, especially concerning the Abrahamic faiths Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He is a blogger and bibliophile based in London and the South of France.

And other host/chairs to follow.

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AUDIENCE: Because of the academic and theological nature of the subject, it is aimed at Imams, duaat, students of Islamic Sciences, Islamic Studies post graduates, academics, policy makers, think-tank agencies, senior community Muslim thinkers, as well as from the general public who are interested in at a nuanced and advanced level of discourse of the subject matter at hand.

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All welcome, limited spaces, pre-registration required!

DEADLINE FOR BOOKINGS APPLY after which prices increase

For more information call/tel: 07956735301 or email: info@islamiccourses.org

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* Please note, time and resources have been set aside to ensure the programme runs in a smooth and professional manner for the maximum benefit of participants and thus unless the programme has been postponed or cancelled, there are NO REFUNDS as part of the terms and condition policy.

*Lunch and refreshments can be purchased at cafe's or restaurant's near to the venue and NOT included in ticket price.

*The course is BOTH in person ONSITE in London and for those who can not attend in person can purchase the LIVE ONLINE STREAMING ticket to watch it from their device and those coming in person, should decide not to attend person on the day or half the day, you will still recieve a link to the live online streaming, irrespective but are encouraged to attend in person if you have registered for that ticket, as this helps with allows room allocation, respectively for fellow participants

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