Abu Eesa Niamatullah
Encyclopedia
Imam Abu Eesa is a British Muslim Imam
and Lecturer.
, East London. His common name is in reference to his eldest son Eesa. His tribal heritage is through the Naser Kheil Pathans of the North-West Frontier Province
, Pakistan
.
He has lived in Manchester for over 13 years. Currently, he resides in Manchester UK
. He read Pharmacy
at the University of Manchester
.
He studied Anthropology
at Manchester. Later he studied Arabic, Islamic Law
and the Qur'an in Mauritania
, Medina
, Morocco
, Egypt
and Pakistan
. His main teacher remains Sheikh Kehlan al-Jubury with whom he still continues his studies in Islamic Law and Exegesis. He has also studied Hadith
under the Hadith Expert Abdullah al-Judai.
He was the previous Resident-Scholar of the Cheadle Muslim Association (CMA), Cheshire
, England.
He is a writer online on blogs and websites, including a variety of articles found on Prophetic Guidance. He is an author of original works and a translator from the Arabic language, under the "Nahlah Foundation" publishing house. He teaches Islamic law and principles, and gives the sermon and was the resident scholar of Cheadle Mosque
in his home-town of Cheadle in Cheshire.
His writings are highly regarded by a wide range of Muslim groups, from religious worship to social and political issues. He has lectured in Britain, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and South Africa to audiences of Muslims and non-Muslims.
Abu Eesa teaches the Islam Channel
televised class "al-Adab al-Mufrad" (The Book of Manners), and is the author of a detailed English commentary of the same work.
He has also been involved in various efforts to standardise the use of Islamic Finance principles amongst Western Muslims. He is a member of the C-100, a World Economic Forum
(WEF) Initiative. He is of the religious leaders who attends Davos
, the WEF Annual Meeting in Switzerland.
In an interview with Bloomberg during Davos 2009 on the topic of the global recession, the Imam criticized bankers, saying, "Bankers don't want redemption for the moral wrongs they've committed against humanity ... Redemption is a heavy word for Davos Man because remorse must come with sincerity and the desire to atone for the transgression. There are no sincere acts of sorrow in Davos."
He calls for increased political participation for Muslims as well as minority groups and women, yet is critical of what he sees as "over-kill" in continuing integration debate. Yet he has also cautioned against the unrestricted involvement of Muslim women in public roles, particularly the working environment.
Abu Eesa is known for his preaching of moderation
and his refutations of extremist ideology, acknowledged both by Muslim and non-Muslim audiences. He is also a public commentator on social and anthropological issues affecting the Muslims, including citizenship and integration and gender issues.
He is a local fundraiser and a patron of St. Anne's Hospice in his local area of Cheadle. He completed the Great Manchester Run
in 2006 raising funds for the Hospice. Abu Eesa's popularity seems to reach across the theological divides of the Sunni Madhabs, and he has been considered a reformer before his involvement with "The Pledge of Unity".
Abu Eesa was the first UK instructor for the American-based educational institute AlMaghrib and currently teaches seminars on law.
His main role currently is Strategic Director of the 1st Ethical Charitable Trust, working on social and community issues. He works closely with Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra of the MCB for the British Rainbow project.
Politically, he was considered an active Liberal Democrat
campaigner for his personal friend Patsy Calton
, the previous MP for Cheadle who was succeeded by Mark Hunter
upon Calton's death from breast cancer. His political involvement with the Government has been criticised, more so when he joined part of a select group of religious leaders invited to attend monthly round-table dialogues with MPs at the House of Commons organised jointly by Sadiq Khan
MP and the Muslim Weekly Newspaper.
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...
and Lecturer.
Background
Abu Eesa was born "Niamatullah" in BarkingBarking
Barking is a suburban town in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, in East London, England. A retail and commercial centre situated in the west of the borough, it lies east of Charing Cross. Barking was in the historic county of Essex until it was absorbed by Greater London. The area is...
, East London. His common name is in reference to his eldest son Eesa. His tribal heritage is through the Naser Kheil Pathans of the North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
He has lived in Manchester for over 13 years. Currently, he resides in Manchester UK
Education
Abu Eesa completed his higher education in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He read Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
.
He studied Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
at Manchester. Later he studied Arabic, Islamic Law
Islamic law
Islamic law can refer to:*Sharia: The code of conduct enjoined upon Muslims in the Quran*Fiqh: Muslim jurisprudence...
and the Qur'an in Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
, Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. His main teacher remains Sheikh Kehlan al-Jubury with whom he still continues his studies in Islamic Law and Exegesis. He has also studied 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....
under the Hadith Expert Abdullah al-Judai.
Current activities
Abu Eesa is a teacher and an international lecturer. He founded "Prophetic Guidance" following on from his teacher's magazine of the same name, an organization claiming to be "a non-profit educational institute" that aims to "unify the various Muslim communities by disseminating classical non-sectarian Islamic knowledge, utilising the media in its various present forms".He was the previous Resident-Scholar of the Cheadle Muslim Association (CMA), Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England.
He is a writer online on blogs and websites, including a variety of articles found on Prophetic Guidance. He is an author of original works and a translator from the Arabic language, under the "Nahlah Foundation" publishing house. He teaches Islamic law and principles, and gives the sermon and was the resident scholar of Cheadle Mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in his home-town of Cheadle in Cheshire.
His writings are highly regarded by a wide range of Muslim groups, from religious worship to social and political issues. He has lectured in Britain, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and South Africa to audiences of Muslims and non-Muslims.
Abu Eesa teaches the Islam Channel
Islam Channel
Islam Channel is a UK-based, free-to-air, English language, Islamic-focused satellite television channel funded by advertising and donations. It was reported in 2008 that UK government research found that 97.3% of Muslims watched the channel...
televised class "al-Adab al-Mufrad" (The Book of Manners), and is the author of a detailed English commentary of the same work.
He has also been involved in various efforts to standardise the use of Islamic Finance principles amongst Western Muslims. He is a member of the C-100, a World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
(WEF) Initiative. He is of the religious leaders who attends Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
, the WEF Annual Meeting in Switzerland.
In an interview with Bloomberg during Davos 2009 on the topic of the global recession, the Imam criticized bankers, saying, "Bankers don't want redemption for the moral wrongs they've committed against humanity ... Redemption is a heavy word for Davos Man because remorse must come with sincerity and the desire to atone for the transgression. There are no sincere acts of sorrow in Davos."
He calls for increased political participation for Muslims as well as minority groups and women, yet is critical of what he sees as "over-kill" in continuing integration debate. Yet he has also cautioned against the unrestricted involvement of Muslim women in public roles, particularly the working environment.
Abu Eesa is known for his preaching of moderation
Moderation
Moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes. It is used to ensure normality throughout the medium on which it is being conducted...
and his refutations of extremist ideology, acknowledged both by Muslim and non-Muslim audiences. He is also a public commentator on social and anthropological issues affecting the Muslims, including citizenship and integration and gender issues.
He is a local fundraiser and a patron of St. Anne's Hospice in his local area of Cheadle. He completed the Great Manchester Run
Great Manchester Run
The Bupa Great Manchester Run is an annual 10 kilometre run through the streets in Manchester city centre, which was established in 2003. Usually held in mid-May, it is among the largest and most prestigious mass participation runs in the United Kingdom...
in 2006 raising funds for the Hospice. Abu Eesa's popularity seems to reach across the theological divides of the Sunni Madhabs, and he has been considered a reformer before his involvement with "The Pledge of Unity".
Abu Eesa was the first UK instructor for the American-based educational institute AlMaghrib and currently teaches seminars on law.
His main role currently is Strategic Director of the 1st Ethical Charitable Trust, working on social and community issues. He works closely with Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra of the MCB for the British Rainbow project.
Politically, he was considered an active Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
campaigner for his personal friend Patsy Calton
Patsy Calton
Patsy Calton was a British politician, and was a Liberal Democrat politician, and Member of Parliament for the constituency of Cheadle in Greater Manchester....
, the previous MP for Cheadle who was succeeded by Mark Hunter
Mark Hunter (politician)
Mark James Hunter is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is the current Member of Parliament for Cheadle.-Education and background:...
upon Calton's death from breast cancer. His political involvement with the Government has been criticised, more so when he joined part of a select group of religious leaders invited to attend monthly round-table dialogues with MPs at the House of Commons organised jointly by Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Aman Khan is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Tooting since 2005, succeeding Tom Cox as the Labour MP for the seat...
MP and the Muslim Weekly Newspaper.
Works
- al-Adab al-Mufrad
- The Last Testament
- Recitation of Hisnul Muslim
- The Sanctity of Human Life
- Commentary to al-Adab al-Mufrad (unpublished)
- The Cave – A Commentary to Surah al-Kahf
- Boys and Girls - A Love Story (Video)
- The Night of Power (Video)
Articles
- What's Love Got to do With It?
- The Defining Characteristic of Ahl'l-Sunnah wa'l-Jamā'ah during Fitnah
- The Price of Shari'ah
- The Best of the Best
- Ramadhân: Have You Got What It Takes?
- Reflections at the Onset of the New Hijri Year
- Muslims in Britain: Hope or Hijrah?
- Keeping it Real in the Prayer
- Was There Not Amongst You Even a Single Merciful Man?!
- The Importance of Giving – Charity Starts Here
- You wanted a debate Jack. You've sure got one.
- The Use of Certain Weak Hadīth in Promoting a Ribā-Free Society
- Understanding Taqwā
- Reviving the Recital of Sacred Texts
- Sacrificing the White Bull
External links
- Prophetic Guidance
- Cheadle Muslim Association (Cheadle Mosque Website)
- Imam Abu Eesa on Halaltube
- Ustadh Abu Eesa's Video/Audio (Abu Eesa's Audio/Video Lectures)
- AE (Abu Eesa's blog)
- AE (Abu Eesa's old blog)