Shaykh Riaz Walji enrolled onto the Four Year Hawza Programme at the Al-Mahdi Institute in 2005. During the final year at the Institute, he simultaneously read a Masters degree in ‘Islam in Contemporary Societies’ at the University of Warwick. He graduated in 2009 from both the Al-Mahdi Institute and the University of Warwick.

His hawzawi interests include uṣūl al-fiqh, philosophy, comparative mysticism as well as the contextualisation of religions/sects and their scriptures and law. He has been involved in teaching and module development for the Al-Mahdi Institutes Hawza Programme since he graduated. Riaz is also continuing his Advanced Hawzawi studies under the supervision of senior faculty at the Institute including Shaykh Arif, Dr Fanaei and Professor Fatemi.

Qualifications:

MA in Islam in Contemporary Societies, University of Warwick, 2009 (Distinction)

MA in Classical Islamic Studies and Arabic (Four Year Hawza Programme), Al-Mahdi Institute, 2009