MNN Religious Committee

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) and the Proposed Islamic Credit Union in Ontario. 

Dr. Farah Islam is a mental health advocate, professor, and researcher. She has taught at the University of Toronto and McMaster University.

She is a student in the Scholar of Islamic Sciences ‘alimiyyah program at Mathabah Institute. Dr. Farah has served as the Director of Psychospiritual Studies at Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research and on the board of Yaqeen Canada.

Dr. Farah is an Outreach Director and Educator at Rahmah InclusivEd and serves in advisory roles for Nisa Foundation, Ruh Care, and ABRAR Trauma and Mental Health Services.