Faraz Rabbani
Faraz Fareed Rabbani | |
---|---|
Born | Karachi |
Nationality | Pakistan |
Religion | Islam |
Era | Modern era |
Region | Islamic scholar |
Main interests | Islamic law, Islamic finance |
Faraz Fareed Rabbani is a scholar and researcher of Islamic law and translator of several Arabic works to the English language.
Biography
Faraz describes himself as a "global nomad", as he spent his childhood in Canada, England, Egypt, and Spain, before returning to Canada to complete his high school and university studies. Having come from so many places, when he began to reflect on who he was, he discovered the only clear answer was "a Muslim."
And so began his journey as a student of knowledge. At university, he became active with the Muslim Students Association at a local and national level. He helped develop MSA National's MSA Starter's Guide and founded and ran The Muslim Voice, MSA University of Toronto's magazine. He also founded and ran the first online African news service (Africa-N), and worked as an editor on his college paper, The Strand.
Even while completing his Bachelors in Economics and Commerce at the University of Toronto, Shaykh Faraz developed a deep interest in Islamic learning, studying with local scholars such as Shaykh Talal al-Ahdab and Shaykh Faisal Abdur-Razak. After graduating from the University of Toronto in 1997, he and his wife (Ustadha Shireen Ahmed) travelled to Damascus and then to Amman, where he studied with leading Islamic scholars, including Shaykh Adib Kallas (Allah have mercy upon him), Shaykh Hassaan al-Hindi, Shaykh Muhammad Jumuah, Shaykh Akram Abd al-Wahhab, and Shaykh Nuh Keller. In 2001, Shaykh Faraz began answering questions for his family and friends online; this grew into the Hanafi Fiqh list at Yahoo Groups. On the advice of his teachers, the SunniPath web site was created, which featured both a question/answer service and online Islamic courses.
After ten years overseas, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in the Summer of 2007. In May 2008 he founded SeekersGuidance to deal with the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge—both online and on the ground—in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner.
Shaykh Faraz has been encouraged by his teachers and other leading scholars to work towards establishing a model Islamic seminary that will produce Islamic scholars of the highest caliber, through excellence in teaching, curriculum, spiritual training, and a deep spirit of service—with knowledge of both religion and contemporary social and intellectual realities. This is key to the long-term vision of SeekersHub (www.SeekersHub.org).
Shaykh Faraz also serves as a partner and legal advisor with StraightWay Ethical Advisory.
He is the author of Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School (White Thread Press, 2004.) In 2009, Shaykh Faraz was named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center.
In 2012, Shaykh Faraz has again been selected by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre amongst 'The 500 Most Influential Muslims'.
Work
Faraz Rabbani is Educational Director and Instructor at SeekersHub (www.SeekersHub.org). He has two published books: Sufism & Good Character and Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, & the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School. (White Thread Press, 2004.) He also runs the blog Seeker's Digest and has a regular column in Islamica Magazine.
As the founder of the original Hanafi fiqh list, Shaykh Faraz was involved with SunniPath since its beginning until leaving in May 2008 in order to start SeekersGuidance (www.SeekersGuidance.com), which later became known as SeekersHub Global. This initiative features accurate Islamic education, free of all cost, online. He also set up an Islamic learning Centre in Mississauga,Canada, called SeekersHub Toronto.[1]
See also
- Shariah (Islamic law)
- Hanafi
- Islamic finance
- Shadhili
- Sufism
References
External links
- SeekersHub - Where Faraz Rabbani's lessons may be found
- Radical Middle Way Site - Bio and Media of Faraz Rabbani
- Faraz Rabbani audio and video lectures
- A DeenPort interview with Faraz Rabbani.
- Islamic Finance Affairs - Articles, answers, and news on Islamic Finance, run by Rabbani