Rasūlullāh ﷺ said: “A group of my Ummah will remain upon the truth, victorious, unharmed by those who betray them, until Allāh’s Command comes while they are as such.” Reported by al-Bukhārī (7311) and Muslim (1920). Imām Aḥmad said: “If they are not the Ahl al-Ḥadīth, then I do not know who they are.” Maʿrifah ʿUlūm al-Ḥadīth (pg. 3).
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1. EARLY YEARS
Sheikh Zulfiker Ibrahim Memon was born in Leicester, United Kingdom on 24th October 1977 (11thDhū al-Qa‘dah 1397). During his early years of education he was raised in a Barailwi environment, adopting their methods and culture. He later adopted the Deobandi manhaj when he attended Dar-ul-uloom Bury (UK) to embark on a course of memorising the Qur’an. By the mercy of Allah he completed this course at the age of 14. At this point he wanted to pursue further studies and migrated to Dabhel, Gujarat, India to further his aspirations.
2. JAMIAH ISLAMIA TALIMUD DEEN, DABHEL, GUJARAT, INDIA
During a period of 5 years at the Jamiah Islamia Talimud Deen, Sheikh Zulfiker studied multiple books and subjects, including:
3. RETURN TO ENGLAND
Following the time spent at Jamiah Islamia, Sheikh Zulfiker returned to the United Kingdom where he was appointed the Head of Islamic Studies at the Loughborough Cultural Centre. He assumed this role for three years and it was at the same institution, he took a more senior role in helping students memorise the Qur’an.
4. THE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF MEDINA
At the age of 21, Sheikh Zulfiker was accepted at the Islamic University of Medina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after a successful application. It was at this turning point in his life where Sheikh Zulfiker dedicated his life to the manhaj of the Ahl-ul-Hadeeth. During his time at this institution he graduated with a distinction in the Arabic language after which he graduated from the three year course in the Institute of Islamic Studies and Secondary Education, with distinction. Sheikh Zulfiker then entered the degree programme and attained a Bachelor’s Degree (BA) with first class distinction from the Faculty of Hadeeth. He immediately followed this up by attaining a Post Graduate Diploma with first class distinction in the Fundamentals and Principles of Da’wah in the Department of Higher Studies.
Sheikh Zulfiker is presently pursuing a Master’s Degree in the Department of ‘Aqeeda and Da’wah and is currently compiling his thesis.
5. IJAZAT
During his academic career, Sheikh Zulfiker has acquired various Ijazat from various credible scholars thereby cementing his knowledge in the path of Allah.
6. DA’WAH
Despite the numerous qualifications acquired by Sheikh Zulfiker, his zeal to promote the Manhaj of Ahlul Hadeeth and to spread his knowledge never stops. Multiple books of the Arabic and Urdu language have been published under his supervision whilst being the Head of the Department of Publications for Jamia Umm-ul-Qura, Pakistan. He has also worked as a translator for internet-based media outlets such as madeenah.com. Sheikh Zulfiker has worked very hard to ensure the Deen of Allah reaches the most remote of areas, and currently serves as the Head of Markaz Quba, Nepal. This is a madrasah located and established in the Himalayan region.
Sheikh Zulfiker has also had the honour of protecting the grave of the Messenger of Allah, a role which required him to translate various literature into the English language and thereby advising the attending audience against the sin of committing Shirk and Bid’ah in the presence of the Prophet’s grave. He assumed this role as a member of The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice of the Prophet’s Masjid, al-Madinah and has worked as a translator there for a period of 8 years.
Currently, Sheikh Zulfiker is the head of Markaz Sunnah Leicester (MSL), a Da’wah organisation based in England, UK. Through a dedicated team, he is able to manage the affairs of MSL remotely and yet pursue his thesis at the Islamic University of Madeenah. As part of his management responsibilities, Sheikh Zulfiker visits Masjids in Leicester and other cities around the UK to deliver talks on a host of subjects. He has also previously travelled to Trinidad and Tobago to offer similar services to the Muslim communities there.
7. PUBLISHED BOOKS
Throughout his life Sheikh Zulfiker has had many books published under his supervision in relation to several subjects, including:
Sheikh Zulfiker has also revised and wrote a forward to an academic work by Ali Hasan Khan entitled “A Critical Analysis of the Sufi Creed of the Elders of Deoband and Tablighi Jamaat” (English); edited the book “Taweez: Amulets in the Light of the Quran and Sunnah” (English) by Azhar Majothi and verified its narrations; and he is currently supervising a project in which the Qur’an will be translated into Gujarati. So far 20 parts have been completed.
8. TEACHERS
The following are the names of teachers under whom Sheikh Zulfiker acquired his knowledge up to the present day. It should be noted that some of these names have been mentioned for reference only and not for promotion. To add to this, Sheikh Zulfiker has broken all ties with those affiliated with the Deobandi Manhaj.
Sheikh Zulfiker has remained in contact with his teachers on a regular basis and is always seeking their counsel on various matters. This has enabled him to maintain the highest integrity in his works.
9. INFLUENCES
Whilst studying in India at the age of 18, Sheikh Zulfiker began to read the works of Imam Abdul Jalil Samroodi. It was there where he saw a turning point in his Islamic approach and decided to adopt this methodology. Following this, he attended the Islamic University of Madeenah to pursue his knowledge further.
10. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
The Messenger of Allah stated in an authentic Hadeeth reported on the authority of al Tabarani “Any action without the remembrance of Allah is either a diversion or heedlessness except four acts: walking from target to target (during archery practice), training a horse, playing with one’s family,and learning to swim.” In light of this hadeeth, sheikh Zulfiker makes every effort to carry out these activities besides giving Da’wah in the path of Allah. During his leisure time Sheikh Zulfiker especially likes to engage in swimming and horse riding. Further to this he has expressed his desire to learn archery and shall commit to this in the near future. To further supplement his enthusiasm for knowledge, Sheikh Zulfiker likes to spend time reading manuscripts and reading on the history of Ahlul Hadeeth. He also likes to spend time in Yanbu, a beach in Saudi Arabia prior to sunset. During this period he likes to contemplate and reflect on the creation of Allah almighty.
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