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Faculty Directory

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SHAYKH MANZAR UL ISLAM AL AZHARI

Shaykh Manzar Ul Islam al Azhari lived and learned in a traditional seminary for twelve years with his primary teachers. He memorized Quran at an early age, became a multilinguist, completed the eight-year course, and graduated with the license to teach as a scholar. He pursued an additional degree in Islamic Studies from Al-Azhar University as he lived and studied in Cairo for five years and graduated with a specialization in "Principles of Hadith." Shaykh Manzar served in Al Azhar Dar-Ul-Ifta to complete his qualification as a Mufti and earned a special & rare license to issue legal verdicts in all four schools of thought.

After moving to the U.S., Shaykh Manzar studied at U.N.C. Chapel Hill, Oxford University U.K., and completed his M.L.A. in Liberal Arts from Duke University. He has to his credit, over fifty published research papers and books and has presented his works at several international conferences. Currently, He is pursuing his Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He holds the position of Religious Director and Resident Scholar at the Islamic Center of Morrisville, Morrisville, NC.

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SHAYKH DR. KHUSHTAR NOORANI

An Islamic research scholar, author, orator, philanthropist, and Dawah Activist, Dr.Khushtar Noorani received his religious education at different religious seminaries in India and benefitted from renowned teachers and spiritual legends. He completed his Quran memorization and recitation specialization as he graduated from the religious seminary in India with a license to teach Islamic sciences. Shaykh pursued higher Islamic studies in Libya and graduated with a specialization in Quran, Hadith, and Fiqh. After completing his classical religious studies, he enrolled in Aligarh Muslim University, where he completed his Bachelorette degree in Islamic studies and followed up with a Masters in Islamic Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi. He culminated his academic journey by earning a Ph.D. from Delhi University.

 

Dr.Noorani has authored over a hundred articles and several books and received many awards for his outstanding literary and research works.  Dr. Noorani is the chief editor of "JAAM-E-NOOR," the largest circulated and popular monthly religious and spiritual magazine in print since 2002 from the Sub-Continent. An active participant in interfaith work, He has been a guest speaker on many popular television channels in India, Pakistan, and Iran. Recently Dr. Noorani has been working with Al-Amin center of Florida (A nonprofit Islamic organization) as a religious head and Islamic theologian.

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SYED ANAS IQBAL - Associate Professor

Principles of Fiqh & Principles of Hadith

Syed Anas Iqbal is an Assistant Professor at Albaheej Institute, where his role also involves leadership on the curriculum committee. His educational journey reflects his diverse interests and dedication to learning. He earned his Bachelor's in Islamic Studies from Albaheej Institute and is the first graduate of Albaheej's pilot program, specializing in the Principles of Jurisprudence and Hadith. Beyond that, his academic pursuits have taken him on a fascinating path. He holds the Chartered Certified Accountant qualification from the UK and completed his M.B.A. in Finance at Colorado State University.

Additionally, he obtained a Master's degree in Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University, specializing in World Religions. His commitment to traditional Islamic sciences is underscored by the teaching & spiritual licenses he has received from esteemed Islamic scholars. His contributions to the Houston Muslim community extend beyond academia. He founded "Socratic Cafe," a group based in Houston that hosts monthly critical-thinking discussions on Religion.

Furthermore, he initiated "Healing Hive," an online Islamic Religious/Spiritual counseling service. It offers specialized Pre/Post Islamic marital counseling and Loss and grief Counseling tailored to the Muslim community, with a panel of licensed social workers, therapists, and counselors dedicated to addressing mental health needs. Intriguingly, he has also served as an Imam in various mosques across three continents during his two-decade-long learning journey.

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Maurice Hines

Faculty Research

Maurice Hines is an educator, researcher, and information specialist with a background in classical Arabic texts of history, exegesis, educational philosophy, and the basics of the traditional Islamic sciences. He holds master’s degrees in Teaching Arabic from the Khartoum International Institute for Arabic Language, Library and Information Science from North Carolina Central University, and Islamic Studies from the American University in Cairo, where he also served as a librarian. His thesis was titled “Interpretatio Islamica and the Unraveling of the Ancient Sabian Mysteries,” in which he explored the identity of the Sabians in classical Arabic texts. He previously instructed Arabic at various institutions of higher learning, such as Elon University, Zaytuna College, and Bennett College, where he served as Arabic Project Director. He has also worked in several other libraries and archives. His interests range from archival work and African American history to Arabic teaching pedagogy, information literacy, and ancient Near Eastern history. He is the author of Oral Histories for Muslim Communities, Thoughts from Sudan, Islam and the Ancient Mysteries, the Maurchives blog, and the Arabic language blog Turjuman al-Asr. 

Al- Baheej Institute is pleased to include ustad Maurice Hines in the Team of its faculty as a  researcher and information specialist.