Ulema Profiles
Al-Haj Ash-Sheikh Mohammed Jalaldeen Mohammed Riyal (Gafoori) (well known as Riyal Moulavi) was born on the 25th day of January 1933 in a village called Kammal Thurai in the Gampaha District of Sri Lanka. He started his primary education in 1938 at Kammal Thurai Muslim Vidhyalaya, which is now renamed and known as Al-Fala Maha Vidyalaya. In 1942 he left his primary school and joined Maharagama Gafooriya Arabic Collage in 1943 where he continued the studies till 1951. He obtained the honour of Al-Aalim at Gafooriya Arabic College in 1951. He then sat for the Senior School Certificate (S.S.C) examination, which was conducted by the government, in 1954. He continued his secondary school studies at Kalpitiya Senior School until 1956. Moulavi Riyal became a trained teacher from Addalachchenai Training College in Sri Lanka.
Born in the year 1940, Dr. Mohamed Ali Mohamed Shukri passed out with a First Class Honours in Arts (Arabic) in 1965 from the University of Ceylon. Dr. Shukri was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to follow a Post graduate course at the University of Edinburgh, UK in 1973 and was awarded the Ph.D. in 1976.
Dr. Shukri has held Lecturer, Head of the Department positions at the University of Kelaniya and University of Peradeniya and he is presently holding the position of Director at Jamiah Naleemiah, Beruwala, Sri Lanka, since April 1981. He has been a member of various committees and boards of management such as University Council of the University of Kelaniya, Muslim Religious Programmes Advisory Board at Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, since 1998 and founder member of Al-Balagh Cultural Society for the Service of Islam on the Internet, Doha, Qatar, since 1999.
Usthaz M.A.M.Mansoor a well-known Islamic scholar & intellectual was born in 01st July 1958 in Akurana, Sri Lanka. He graduated from the Ja’miah Naleemiah in 1981 and joined Ja’miah Naleemiah as a lecturer in the same year. Subsequently, he also completed his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree at the University of Peradeniya in 1981. He served as a lecturer for nearly 22 years between 1981 and 2002.
He has been active in the field of Da’wah since 1978 to date. He committed his entire life to Da’wah being a full time Islamic Activist since 2002. He is an expert in “Thafseer” nevertheless a generally specialised scholar, a respected think-tank specialised in minority Da’wah. He’s also a well-versed in the middle eastern politics, particularly the Arab spring.
Born in the village of Nachchaduwa in Anuradhapura, Shahul Hameed Mohamed Faleel completed his Licentiate Certificate Examination in Islamic Studies & Arabic Language at Jamiah Naleemiah, Beruwala, Sri Lanka in 1987. In the same year(1987), Sheikh Mohamed Faleel became Bachelor of Arts in the University of Peradeniya and later in year 2000 he became the Master of Arts.
He also became the Master of Philosophy (M.phil. Reading) in Peradeniya University by writing the Thesis: “Concept of Tolerance and Coexistence in Islam and its application in a pluralistic society with special reference to Sri Lanka”. Sheik Mohamed Faleel accomplished the Diploma in Teaching Arabic for non Arabs at King Saud University of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1996.
Born in 1960 in the village of Thorayaya in Kurunegala, Abdul Careem Agar Mohamed completed his Licentiate Certificate Examination in Islamic Studies & Arabic Language with a first class pass at Jamiah Naleemiah, Beruwala, Sri Lanka in 1983. Subsequently he was absorbed to the academic staff of his alma mater as a lecturer. In 1984, Sheikh Agar passed out from the University of Peradeniya with a Second Class (Upper Division), honours degree in Arts.
While rendering his service to the Department of Arabic Language & Islamic Civilization, University of Peradeniya as a Visiting Lecturer in early 90’s, he also held the Senior Lecturer and The Dean of Academic Affairs positions at Jamiah Naleemiah. Currently he is the Deputy Director of Jamiah Naleemiah.
Mufti Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed Rizwe, a renowned scholar from Sri Lanka, not only known locally but widely acclaimed in India and has traveled worldwide on various educational and religious missions to bring together Muslims and other religious communities to a common platform to serve the humanity. In respect to his educational background, Mufti Rizwe completed his primary education at Kingswood College, Kandy, Sri Lanka. During his school days, he excelled in various sports including Hockey, Soccer, Rugby and Karate. Thereafter, he pursued his higher studies at Jamiyathul Uloomil Islamia, Binnoori town, Karachi, which is an affiliate of the Higher Education Commission in Karachi, where he completed his Al Alimiyya Course and double Masters in Islamia and also in Arabic.
As a specialization program, he also pursued on the Islamic Jurisprudence (Al Takhasus Fiqh Al Islamia) and completed it successfully and become a specialist in the subject of Fiqh. Spent a year with a team under the leadership of Moulana Ilyas (Barabangi) in Delhi Research and writing commentary on ‘The Hayathus Sahaba’ (The Lives of the Sahaba) written by Moulana Yusuf Kandhalawi.
Ash Sheikh Mufthi Mohamed Haniffa Mohamed Yoosuf is a prominent and respected Islamic scholar in Sri Lanka. Since of late Mufthi Yoosuf's name has been very popular amongh the house holds in Sri Lanka, for his inspiring series of lectures via various modes, inclduing some lectures via Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and live streaming.
Mufti Yoosuf completed his primary education at Al-Mannar Central College, Handessa, Kandy, Sri Lanka. He completed his initial alim course at Rahmaniya Arabic College (1981), Akurana, and Thabligul Islam Arabic College (1983), Sammanthurai,Sri Lanka where he completed his higher studies in Sharia at Rahmaniya Arabic College, Akurana in 1989.
Ash Sheikh Magdoom Mubarak is a prominent Islamic scholar in Sri Lanka, well known for his insightful and thought-provoking talks on Islam. Born to a devout Muslim family in the village of Malwana a picturesque town with a substantial Muslim population in Central Sri Lanka, Sheikh Mubarak was inspired in his young days by his father Magdhoom Alim who served as a religious teacher in Madhrasa al- Mustafaviyya, Malwana, and later by his teachers such as P.T.M Ibrahim (Azhari) in Madhrasa Maktabul Uloom in Malwana. He pursued his secondary Islamic studies at Ghaffooriya Arabic College, Maharagama, which he completed in 1970 before choosing to start life as a teacher.
As fate would have it, the young Mubarak while teaching at two state-run schools Darussalam Muslim Vidyalaya (today Al Azhar Central College) in Thihariya and Gal-oluwa Muslim Vidyalaya in Minuwangoda was given the opportunity by the Grace of Almighty Allah to pursue his higher studies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1973 through a scholarship and completed his Graduate Studies at the Islamic University in Madina in 1978. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Shari’ah from Al-Madina Islamic University in Saudi Arabia.