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Revision as of 17:41, 24 November 2009 by At-thanawi (talk | contribs) (→Activities)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Ebrahim Desai | |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | South Africa |
| Alma mater | Jamia Islamiyyah Dhabel |
| Era | Modern era |
| Region | Islamic scholar |
| School | Sunni Hanafi |
| Main interests | Fiqh, Hadith, Islamic Finance |
Ebrahim Desai is a scholar and teacher of Islamic law based in Camperdown, South Africa. He is known around the world for his work on fatawa on the Ask Imam portal, an online Islamic questions and answers database. Desai currently heads the Dar al-Ifta of Madrassa In'amiyyah, Camperdown as the Principal Mufti and he also holds the prestigious position of Senior Lecturer of Hadith (Shaykh al-Hadith) there, which includes teaching the Sahih of Imam Bukhari to students of Islamic knowledge.
Desai is an active member of the Islamic scholarly community in South Africa and also a consultant on matters relating to Islamic Finance to various financial institutions.
Biography
After completing the memorization (hifz) of the Qur'an, Ebrahim Desai engaged in an in-depth study of the Islamic sciences at the hundred year old seminary of Deobandi persuasion, Jamia Islamia, located in Dabhel, India. In Dabhel, he studied the Darse Nizami curriculum for nine years, which included the study of Qur'anic Tafsir, Usul al-Tafsir, Hadith, Usul al-Hadith, 'Ilm al-Mantiq (Logic) and 'Ilm al-Kalam (Theology), Islamic jurisprudence according to the Hanafi school of Islamic law, Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic jurisprudence), Arabic Grammar among other subjects. After the completion of this course he was awarded the 'Alimiyya degree.
Desai, after becoming an 'Alim (Islamic scholar), decided to pursue a takhassus (specialization) course in Ifta under Mufti Ahmad Khanpuri of Dabhel for two years. This is where he learned the principles of issuing fatawa. After the completiong of this course, he completed another year of studies in Ifta under the late Grand Mufti of India, Mufti Mahmud al-Hasan Gangohi, the author of the multivolume Fatawa Mahmudiyya.
Activities
Ebrahim Desai is a shaykh of tasawwuf in the Chishtiyya order, authorized by his late spiritual guide Mufti Mahmud al-Hasan Gangohi. Gangohi was one of the senior most representatives of Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Zakariyya Kandhlawi, who was authorized in the science of tasawwuf by his shaykh, Mawlana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri. Saharanpuri's spiritual guide was Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, a revered figure amongst the Deobandi populace.
Dar al-Mahmood is a website dedicated to Ebrahim Desai's lectures and teachings on spiritual reform to those who are undergoing spiritual training under him.
Desai is also actively involved in Dawah. He travels to various countries on a regular basis. In the past he has held workshops on matters related to Islamic Finance and Shari'ah-Compliance in business and trade in the United States. In March, 2008 he traveled to Hong Kong, China to deliver a lecture to students at the Islamic Kasim Tuet Memorial College (IKTMC).
He also serves as a religious advisor to the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA).
In his role as an authority in Islamic finance, Ebrahim Desai has taken a strict stance on "Shar'iah Compliance" of certain banks and institutions. His opinion shunning the transparency of al Baraka Bank (South Africa) in Islamic finance activities has generated much discussion among the Muslim community in South Africa.
In 2005, Ebrahim Desai was elected to the working committee of the South African Islamic Financial Services Authority (SAIFSA).
Works
He has authored books on Fatawa and a book on Hadith principles. He has also penned numerous articles on various topics relating to Islam. In his work with fatawa on Ask-Imam, it has been noted that Desai plays a much larger role than that of a religious leader.
External links
References
- AskImam About us page
- Staff at Madrassah In'amiyyah Camperdown
- About Mufti Ebrahim Desai at Dar al-Mahmood
- Spiritual Lineage of Mufti Ebrahim Desai traced back to the Prophet Muhammad
- Mufti Mahmud al-Hasan's biography at Al-Haadi
- Report on Islamic Banking and Finance in the United States
- "A inspirational talk was held for S.1 and S.2 students on 26-03-2008. The guest speaker was Mufti Ebrahim Desai. Honourable Mufti Ebrahim is the Head of Darul Ifta, Madrassah Inaamiyyah, Camperdown, South Africa" IKTMC
- Page 2 on IFANCA Magazine
- "The matter has continued to be the subject of discourse on the institute’s website where the head of the institute, Mufti Ebrahim Desai, has held firm to his fatwa. The matter has flared up anew in the media, leading to confusion among the public." The Voice of the Cape March 26, 2007
- "Since the first meeting in Cape Town in November 2005, a working group - which included Mufti Aboobaker Minty, Mufti Ebrahim Desai, Maulana Tauha Karaan, and attorney Zeyn Bhayat - were nominated to do the initial investigations." The Voice of the Cape May 10, 2007
- PDF Available on Al-Mahmood Q&A - Madrassah In'aamiyah
- "Mufti Desai often finds himself in situations where he sounds less like a religious leader and more like a physician's assistant or sex therapist." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette May 22, 2006