Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq
Encyclopedia
Abu Yusuf Riyadh-ul-Haq is an Islamic scholar based in the United Kingdom. He was born in Gujarat, India
, and moved with his family to the United Kingdom
in 1974. He is internationally recognized as a prominent scholar of Islam in the Western world and considered an authority on various Islamic fields including hadith
. Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq is a graduate of the oldest and most prestigious Islamic religious seminary in the United Kingdom, Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah
and a spiritual successor of Yusuf Motala
. Over 400 of ul Huq's lectures are in circulation with the earliest recordings from 1994. The Al Kawthar Academy
was founded under the guidance of Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq.
Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq hails from a family known for their religious scholarship. His father, Maulana Muhammad Gora, served as an Imam
for the early immigrant Muslim community in Leicester
.
in Bury. There, ul Haq 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 Yusuf Motala
and the late Islamul Haq. He also has ijazah in hadith
from the late Mufti Mahmood Hassan Gangohi and the famous Muhaddith, Shaikh Yunus of Saharanpur
, India. Abu ul Haq graduated from Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah
in early 1991.
and then began teaching hadith
at Madinatul Uloom Al-Islamiyyah.
Until 2003, ul Haq 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' and 'The Causes of Disunity'. A poem written by ul Haq called 'Whispers of the Night' has been published on many websites and blogs,,,.
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
. Ul Haq teaches these hadith through an unbroken and authentic chain of narration or sanad
.,. He narrated his complete sanad in Lesson 3 of the Bukhari series before teaching the first hadith. The lessons are currently held at Al Kawthar Academy
in Leicester
and number over 240 that have been delivered to date,. Many video excerpts from the Bukhari lessons are on Al Kawthar Academy's Youtube
channel. Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq is considered to be an authority on hadith
as along with his learning he known to have a prodigious memory. The hundreds of lay students along with many scholars that have attended his Sahih al-Bukhari lectures have attested to the fact that he teaches the hadith without recourse to any notes or translations relying only the original Arabic text. However, for any given hadith he is able to provide the rulings of all the main scholars of fiqh, along with any fringe rulings, which have been derived from that narration.
and Aqeedah. 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 ul Haq is an invited and keynote speaker. In early 2009, ul Haq addressed the credit crunch issue from an Islamic perspective.
Since 2008, ul Haq has been delivering a series of talks on 'The Mothers of The Believers' and also a series of talks on 'The Lives and Learning of the Companions',.
Further, he has devised a syllabus for a part-time Alim
course which is based on a classical curriculum and is designed to help beginners progress from an elementary stage to a very advanced level in Arabic and Islamic Studies. The course covers an in-depth study of Arabic language and literature as well as Islamic theology, Qur'an, hadith and fiqh
. Ul Haq teaches this course in Leicester, UK.
carried a news item by Andrew Norfolk accusing Riyadh ul Haq of being the "homegrown cleric who loathes the British" 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 allegedly having extreme views. However, the hundreds of hours of recordings of ul Haq's lectures in the public domain may suggest otherwise. Simultaneously, Andrew Norfolk published a further "comment" piece in the Times calling the Deobandis historically anti-British, 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".
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. 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.
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". The Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK
(MPACUK) claimed on their own web-site that the Berelvis
were coming out in defence of Riyadh al Haq. 2 days later, MPACUK called the attacks on ul Haq a "decapitation strategy".
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:
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and moved with his family to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1974. He is internationally recognized as a prominent scholar of Islam in the Western world and considered an authority on various Islamic fields including hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
. Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq is a graduate of the oldest and most prestigious Islamic religious seminary in the United Kingdom, Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah
Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah
Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah, better known as Darul Uloom Bury, is the oldest school of its kind in the United Kingdom. Based on the Dars-e-Nizami syllabus found throughout the world, it was founded by Shaikhul Hadith Moulana Yusuf Motala in 1973...
and a spiritual successor of Yusuf Motala
Yusuf Motala
Shaikh al-Hadith Yusuf ibn Sulaiman ibn Qasim Motala is an Indian Muslim scholar of Islam and one of the disciples of the late Shaikh al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandhalwi.-Ancestry & Early Life:...
. Over 400 of ul Huq's lectures are in circulation with the earliest recordings from 1994. The Al Kawthar Academy
Al Kawthar Academy
Al Kawthar Academy is a non-profit, Islamic educational institute based in the Midlands, in the United Kingdom It was founded under the guidance of Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq. The mission statement of the Academy states that it was established 'to cater for the religious, spiritual and educational...
was founded under the guidance of Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq.
Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq hails from a family known for their religious scholarship. His father, Maulana Muhammad Gora, served as an Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
for the early immigrant Muslim community in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
.
Education
His father began his son's religious instruction at a very young age. By the age of ten, the boy 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-IslamiyyahDarul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah
Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah, better known as Darul Uloom Bury, is the oldest school of its kind in the United Kingdom. Based on the Dars-e-Nizami syllabus found throughout the world, it was founded by Shaikhul Hadith Moulana Yusuf Motala in 1973...
in Bury. There, ul Haq undertook an intensive study of Arabic, Quranic tafseer, hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
and fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
under traditionally qualified scholars. His teachers from whom he has ijazah
Ijazah
An ijazah is a certificate used primarily by Sunni Muslims to indicate that one has been authorized by a higher authority to transmit a certain subject or text of Islamic knowledge...
in various Islamic sciences include Yusuf Motala
Yusuf Motala
Shaikh al-Hadith Yusuf ibn Sulaiman ibn Qasim Motala is an Indian Muslim scholar of Islam and one of the disciples of the late Shaikh al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandhalwi.-Ancestry & Early Life:...
and the late Islamul Haq. He also has ijazah in hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
from the late Mufti Mahmood Hassan Gangohi and the famous Muhaddith, Shaikh Yunus of Saharanpur
Saharanpur
Saharanpur is a city and a Municipal Corporation in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur District as well as Saharanpur Division...
, India. Abu ul Haq graduated from Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah
Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah
Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah, better known as Darul Uloom Bury, is the oldest school of its kind in the United Kingdom. Based on the Dars-e-Nizami syllabus found throughout the world, it was founded by Shaikhul Hadith Moulana Yusuf Motala in 1973...
in early 1991.
Preaching and Teaching
After his graduation, he became the Imam of Birmingham Central MosqueBirmingham Central Mosque
Birmingham Central Mosque, is a mosque in the Highgate area of Birmingham, England, run by the Birmingham Mosque Trust. It is one of the largest Muslim centres in Europe....
and then began teaching hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
at Madinatul Uloom Al-Islamiyyah.
Until 2003, ul Haq 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' and 'The Causes of Disunity'. A poem written by ul Haq called 'Whispers of the Night' has been published on many websites and blogs,,,.
Sahih-al-Bukhari
Since 2001, Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq has been teaching an abridged version of Sahih-al-Bukhari to the general public. The collection of hadithHadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
in Bukhari are considered the most authentic collection in Islam. This is the first time ever that these hadith have been taught in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
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
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
. Ul Haq teaches these hadith through an unbroken and authentic chain of narration or sanad
Sanad
Sanad can refer to:*Isnād, the citations or "backings" used to verify the legitimacy of a hadith*Sanad, In British India, a deed granted to native rulers confirming them in their states, in return for their allegiance...
.,. He narrated his complete sanad in Lesson 3 of the Bukhari series before teaching the first hadith. The lessons are currently held at Al Kawthar Academy
Al Kawthar Academy
Al Kawthar Academy is a non-profit, Islamic educational institute based in the Midlands, in the United Kingdom It was founded under the guidance of Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq. The mission statement of the Academy states that it was established 'to cater for the religious, spiritual and educational...
in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and number over 240 that have been delivered to date,. Many video excerpts from the Bukhari lessons are on Al Kawthar Academy's Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel. Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq is considered to be an authority on hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
as along with his learning he known to have a prodigious memory. The hundreds of lay students along with many scholars that have attended his Sahih al-Bukhari lectures have attested to the fact that he teaches the hadith without recourse to any notes or translations relying only the original Arabic text. However, for any given hadith he is able to provide the rulings of all the main scholars of fiqh, along with any fringe rulings, which have been derived from that narration.
Lecture Series
The earliest spiritual discourses by Riyadh ul Haq which are available online date to around 1994. Prior to commencing the weekly Bukhari classes, he taught lessons of Tafseer, FiqhFiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
and Aqeedah. 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 ul Haq is an invited and keynote speaker. In early 2009, ul Haq addressed the credit crunch issue from an Islamic perspective.
Since 2008, ul Haq has been delivering a series of talks on 'The Mothers of The Believers' and also a series of talks on 'The Lives and Learning of the Companions',.
Intensive Study Courses
In November 2008, ul Haq delivered an intensive study course entitled 'The Etiquettes of Seeking Sacred Knowledge'. 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 ul Haq. Al Kawthar Academy organised a second intensive study course entitled 'Fundamentals of Understanding the Glorious Qur'an'. This course was held at Azhar Academy, London on 27 and 28 June 2009. Ul Haq delivered a third intensive course at Azhar Academy entitled 'Ramadhan Dawn till Dawn' on the 8th and 9 August 2009.Further, he has devised a syllabus for a part-time Alim
Alim
-Given name:* Amat Al Alim Alsoswa, Yemeni politician* Alim Ashirov, Soviet footballer* AFM Alim Chowdhury, Bangladeshi physician*Aleem Dar , Pakistani cricketer* Alim Karkayev, Russian footballer* Mohammed Alim Khan, last emir of the Manghit dynasty...
course which is based on a classical curriculum and is designed to help beginners progress from an elementary stage to a very advanced level in Arabic and Islamic Studies. The course covers an in-depth study of Arabic language and literature as well as Islamic theology, Qur'an, hadith and fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
. Ul Haq teaches this course in Leicester, UK.
Influence and International Recognition
Ul Haq is listed in the 2010 Third Edition of 'The 500 Most Influential Muslims' published by Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre This publication is the third of an annual series that provides a window into the movers and shakers of the Muslim world. It highlights people who are influential as Muslims, that is, people whose influence is derived from their practice of Islam or from the fact that they are Muslim. It gives valuable insight into the different ways that Muslims impact the world, and also shows the diversity of how people are living as Muslims today. Ul Haq appears in a section of the publication where '450 leaders are categorized by their diverse fields of work and appear unranked'. In the publication, it is stated "Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq is a very influential speaker and leading Deobandi scholar in the UK. He has been markedly influential through his work with the Al Kawthar Academy in Leicester. Al Kawthar is a leading Islamic educational institution at the forefront of knowledge proliferation through diverse media forms."Allegations of Extremism
In September 2007 The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
carried a news item by Andrew Norfolk accusing Riyadh ul Haq of being the "homegrown cleric who loathes the British" 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 allegedly having extreme views. However, the hundreds of hours of recordings of ul Haq's lectures in the public domain may suggest otherwise. Simultaneously, Andrew Norfolk published a further "comment" piece in the Times calling the Deobandis historically anti-British, but also aired the opposing views of Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra, the chairman of the Muslim Council of Britain
Muslim Council of Britain
The Muslim Council of Britain is a self-appointed umbrella body for national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within British Islamic society. It was established in 1997 to help Muslims, to increase education about the...
’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".
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. 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
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
or battle.
Amongst the immediate responses The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
carried a "Comment is Free" opinion article by Inayat Bunglawala, media secretary for the Muslim Council of Britain
Muslim Council of Britain
The Muslim Council of Britain is a self-appointed umbrella body for national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within British Islamic society. It was established in 1997 to help Muslims, to increase education about the...
, calling Norfolk's work a "toxic mix of fact and nonsense". The Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK
Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK
The Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK is a not-for-profit British Muslim organization set up to address a perceived under-representation of Muslims in British politics...
(MPACUK) claimed on their own web-site that the Berelvis
Barelvi
Barelvi is a term used for the movement of Sufi , Sunni Islam originating in the Indian subcontinent.The Movement is known as Ahle Sunnat movement to its followers....
were coming out in defence of Riyadh al Haq. 2 days later, MPACUK called the attacks on ul Haq a "decapitation strategy".
External links
- Al Kawthar Academy - Lectures of Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq, February 18, 2009
- Al Kawthar Academy on YouTube
- Abu Yusuf Riyad ul Haq audio and video lectures from Halal Tube
- Islamic Information
- Darul Ishaat UK - Purchase All of Audios in CD format
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: