Shaykh Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi

Infobox_Person
name = Hazrat Allama Pir Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi
birth_name = Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi
birth_date = July 12 1967
birth_place = Lahore, Pakistan
religion = Islam, Ahl ul-Sunna, Hanafi Madhab
website = http://www.blessedsummit.com

Hazrat Allama Pir Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi (born 1967) is a British Muslim scholar, principal of the Hijaz College, National Convenor of the Muslim Action Committee (MAC), Secretary General of the International Muslims Organisation, Grand Blessed Guide of the Naqshbandi Hijazi Sufi Order and a barrister at law.

Family of Religious Scholars

Shaykh Faiz is the eldest son of the late Hazrat Mujadid Abdul Wahab Siddiqi and the grandson of Maulana Muhammad Umar Icharvi. He studied under his father and many other great Shayukh of the time. Later he studied at Al-Azhar University in Egypt. [Pages 78-9,Ulama-e-Ahle Sunnah, Mashaikh & Sufis in UK, Khalid Athar, PPA Publications, Lahore ISBN 969-8587-07-1]

Principle of Hijaz College

He is the principal and founding trustee of Hijaz College in Nuneaton, England, where he resides on campus.

Secretary General of the International Muslims Organisation

Shaykh Faiz is also Secretary General of the International Muslims Organisation. IMO works for the religious and social betterment of Muslims and has established offices in 23 countries with the aim of connecting with and helping communities world wide. An Islamic centre was constructed in Toronto under its auspices. Shaykh Faiz, as its president, commissioned the construction of the largest mosque in the Netherlands. [Pages 83-4,Ulama-e-Ahle Sunnah, Mashaikh & Sufis in UK, Khalid Athar, PPA Publications, Lahore ISBN 969-8587-07-1] Shaykh Faiz convened a meeting of the IMO on 11 October 2001 to give a voice to Britain's Islamic scholars pertaining to the events the September 11, 2001 attacks and the impending war in Afghanistan. Shaykh Faiz made the following statement about the dangers of civilian deaths:

"Today the West is trying to deal with Osama bin Laden, but if the situation is not rectified, you will be dealing with thousands of Osama bin Ladens, who throughout the confusion will want to repel and take the law into their own hands," [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1593365.stm BBC News | ENGLAND | Clerics want Afghanistan visit ] ]

Champion of Muslim Unity

The Shaykh is a signatory to Charter 3:103 based on the verse of the Qur'an which urges Muslims to remain united despite sectarian differences. [ [http://www.muslimedia.com/ARCHIVES/special-edition/seerah/seerah4.htm A charter for Muslim unity ] ]

Convenor of the Muslim Action Committee

The Shaykh convened the Muslim Action Committee, an umbrella organisation of Sunni and Shia Islamic scholars and Islamic political groups such as the Islamic Human Rights Commission and Hizb ut-Tahrir to organise a demonstration against the repeated publications of the Danish cartoons of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. The demonstration was the largest in Western Europe and the largest within the UK since the Salman Rushdie incident. The organisation works to combat attacks on Islamic religious symbols. [ [http://www.globalcivility.com Muslim Action Committee] ]

Founder of Hijaz Community Trust

Shaykh Faiz is the founder of the Hijaz Community Trust which operates in various parts in the country to build social cohesion and spirituality in society. HCT also operates in a number of universities. [ [http://www.hijazsoc.co.uk/ Hijaz Society ] ] [ [http://www.huddersfieldstudent.com/content/index.php?page=2998 Huddersfield Students Union - The Home for Huddersfield University Students ] ]

Profession as Barrister

He is a barrister under English and Welsh law, and as such is a member of the Lincoln's Inn. [ [http://www.barristerweb.com/barrister.php?id=115 Online Barrister, Civil Law, Milton Keynes, Warrington, Worcester, London, UK ] ] He practises commercial and conflict law, limiting this to three days per month as his main focus is on social engineering programmes to rejuvenate Muslim communities and enhance their spiritual prosperity.

Controversy over Sharia courts in the UK

Shaykh Faiz was amongst the guests on the "Law in Action" programme aired on the 28 November 2006 which discussed the issue of Sharia courts in the UK, which was covered by many newspapers and other media. Shaykh Faiz made the following observation about the issues [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6190080.stm BBC NEWS | Magazine | The end of one law for all? ] ] :

"Because we follow the same process as any case of arbitration, our decisions are binding in English law. Unless our decisions are unreasonable, they are recognised by the High Court."

Shaykh Faiz was also involved in a debate in London in February 2008 entitled "KINGDOM OF GOD: the Archbishop, the Sharia and the Law of the Land" in response to a speech by Archbishop Rowan Williams, in which Shaykh Faiz defended and advocated the use of Islamic Family Law in the UK and showed hope that in the future a more educated and spiritual Muslim community in Britain would be able to live under all aspects of Sharia Law. [ [http://www.thecitycircle.com/blog2.php?cann_id=532 Video of: 'KINGDOM OF GOD: the Archbishop, the Sharia and the Law of the Land'] ]

Shaykh Faiz launched the [http://www.matribunal.com/ Muslim Arbitration Tribunal] to deal with the issue of forced marriages within the muslim community. [ [http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-news/2008/06/12/muslim-legal-group-says-forced-marriages-causing-a-crisis-65233-21062661/ Birmingam Post] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.blessedsummit.com Blessed Summit]
* [http://www.http://www.hijazsoc.co.uk Hijaz Society]
* [http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/v2apps/videos_viewVideo.php?video_id=22 A Speech in Pennsylvania on Islam and Democracy]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqsOZh_yTQs Shaykh Faiz-ul-Aqtab reciting Darood-e-Taj in praise of Muhammad]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7263090663949480890 Launch of Muslim Arbitration Tribunal]