Muhammad Arshad Misbahi

Muhammad Arshad Misbahi, or Allama Maulana Hafiz Imam Muhammad Arshad al-Misbahi (born 1968) is the Chair of Al-Karam Scholars Association and has served at Manchester Central Mosque from 1997 to 2015 as the Khatib, Imam and Headteacher.^[1][2][3] He is a graduate from the Islamic Seminary Al Jamiatul Ashrafia. He is considered by many to be among the knowledgeable scholars of his time.^[4]

Hadrat Mufti Muhammad Arshad Misbahi
Title	Imam Arshad Misbahi
Personal life
Born	1968 (age 55–56) Uttar Pradesh, India
Nationality	British
Region	Britain
Main interest(s)	Dars, Taqreer, Islamic Preaching
Occupation	Imam at Anwar ul Haramayn Jami Mosque, Manchester
Religious life
Religion	Islam
Denomination	Sunni
Jurisprudence	Hanafi
Tariqa	Qadiriyya
Movement	Barelvi movement
Muslim leader
Disciple of	Shaykh Sayyid Madani Miyan Ashrafi Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari
Influenced by Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi
Influenced Lacs of Britishers

Biography

Muhammad Arshad Misbahi comes from the family of Sufi Barelvi Muslim in India. His father, Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Miyan Maleg, has been serving Islam for the last three decades in Birmingham and was the former Imam and Khateeb at Oldbury Jamia Masjid in Birmingham.^[5] Imam Muhammad Arshad began his studies at Jamia Al-Karam where he studied under Shaykh Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada and Abu’l-In’am ‘Allama ‘Abd Al-Bari. Later he travelled to India and Pakistan to pursue further and higher education.^[6] In Pakistan, he studied with the late Diya’ al-Ummat, Justice Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari and in India, he studied at Al Jamiatul Ashrafia at Mubarakpur. Upon his return from Pakistan, he began teaching and serving as head of religious studies at Jamia Al-Karam. He completed Tahfeez-ul-Qur’an in Bradford.

He is the founder and patron of the Sunni Society at the University of Nottingham. He has extensively traveled to many countries delivering lectures and seminars. In 2001, he was awarded the ad-Dir’ul ur-Mumtaz award from the Al-Azhar University of Cairo, Egypt.^[7]

Describing the anti-Islam movie, he said that (movie) is "against Islam, against the messenger of Islam, and against the teachings of Islam" and he said "I have four children. My parents are both alive. But I am here to say I love my prophet more than I love my children. I love my prophet more than I love my own self."^[8]

He was among the signatories of a letter written to British PM to support the refugee's arrival in the U.K. As people of faith, we call on your government urgently to revise its policy towards refugees. The best of this country is represented by the generosity, kindness, solidarity and decency that Britain has at many times shown those fleeing persecution, even at times of far greater deprivation and difficulty than the present day., the letter said.^[9][10]

Works

• Alam, Arshad (March 1, 2008) The Enemy Within: Madrasa and Muslim Identity in North India (Cambridge University Press)^[11]

References

1. Evening, Manchester (15 February 2007). "Muslim cleric 'backs execution of gays'". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
2. Bush Hate. iUniverse. September 2008. ISBN 978-0-595-52807-3.
3. "Muslims march to Manchester Arena to pay tribute to victims of attack". The Express Tribune. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
4. Spencer, Robert B. (28 October 2008). Stealth Jihad: How Radical Islam Is Subverting America without Guns or Bombs. Regnery Publishing. ISBN 978-1-59698-556-8.
5. "Manchester Central Mosque". Manchester Central Mosque. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
6. "Jamia Al-Karam graduates and former students serving a community near you – Al-Karam". 20 June 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
7. "Hundreds of Muslim children march to Manchester Arena to honour terror attack victims". www.9news.com.au. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
8. "Dr Muhammad Tahir – euro-islam.info".
9. "Faith Leaders' Open Letter to the Prime Minister" (PDF). statewatch.org. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
10. "Imam accused of 'gay death' slur". 26 October 2006. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
11. Alam, Arshad (March 2008). "The Enemy Within: Madrasa and Muslim Identity in North India". Modern Asian Studies. 42 (2–3): 605–627. doi:10.1017/S0026749X07003113. ISSN 1469-8099.