What Is The Fiqh Council of North America?
The Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) is a body of recognized and qualified Islamic Scholars from the United States and Canada who accept the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah as the primary sources of Islam. Furthermore, FCNA is guided by the judicial heritage of the Prophet’s companions and the legal rulings and methodology of established classical normative Muslim Scholarship.
History Of The Fiqh Council
The Fiqh Council of North America traces its origins back to the Religious Affairs Committee of the then Muslim Students Association of the United States and Canada in the early 1960s. This Religious Affairs Committee evolved into the Fiqh Committee of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) after the founding of ISNA in 1980. As the needs of the Muslim community and the complexity of the issues they faced grew, the Fiqh Council was transformed into the Fiqh Council of North America in 1986.
The Council continues to be an affiliate of ISNA, advising and educating its members and officials on matters related to the application of ShariÌah in their individual and collective lives in the North American environment.
Our Council's Executive Committee
Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi
CHAIRMAN
Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi received his BA in Islamic and Arabic studies from the Islamic University of Medina, Saudi Arabia and later went on to complete a degree in comparative religion at Harvard University. Since 1981, he has served as the director of the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove, California. He is the Chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America. Internationally, he is a member of the executive board of the International Assembly of the Council of Ulama’ in Makkah; a member of the Supreme Islamic Council of Egypt and the Supreme Council of Mosques in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Siddiqi served as the president of ISNA from 1996 – 2000.
Dr. Zainab Alwani
VICE CHAIRMAN
Dr. Zainab Alwani is the Founding Director of the Islamic Studies program at Howard University School of Divinity (HUSD). She is the Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and the chair of the Religious Studies Master of Arts program at HUSD. She is an Islamic scholar, researcher and community activist. Dr. Alwani is also the first female jurist to serve on the board of the Fiqh Council of North America and currently serves as the Council’s Vice-Chair. She is a member and a board member of various national organizations including, Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights KARAMAH, and the American Academy of Religion. Dr. Alwani is currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Islamic Faith and Practice. Her research focuses on Quranic studies, Islamic jurisprudence, the relationship between civil and religious law in the area of family, women and gender, and inter-religious relations.
Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah is the Executive Director/Secretary General of the Fiqh Council of North America and Director Religious Affairs of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. He received his Ph. D. (Theology and Religious Studies) from the University of Wales, U. K., obtained his M.A. (Hons), (Islamic Studies: Usuluddin with specialization in Comparative Religions) from the International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan and B. A. (Hons), (Islamic Studies: Usuluddin) from the same university. He is Hafiz of al-Qur’an. He has taught at the International Islamic University Islamabad, University of Wales, University of North Florida, St. Thomas University and Cardinal Stritch University. He is former president of Sharia’ Scholars Association of North America (SSANA) and Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and author of multiple books and articles.
FCNA Members
Executive Members
Dr. Jamal Badawi
Dr. Yasir Qadhi
Shaikh Abdur Rahman Khan
Shaikh Suhaib Webb
Shaikh Mustafa Umar
Council Members
Shaikh Muhammad Nur Abdullah
Dr. Jasser Auda
Dr. Ossama Bahloul
Dr. Mohammad Qatanani
Dr. Deina Abdelkader
Dr. Abdulbari Mashal
Imam Yahya Hendi
Imam Hassan Qazwini
Dr. Ali Solaiman Ali
Dr. Muddassir H. Siddiqui
Dr. Ihsan Bagby
Dr. M. Adam El Sheikh
Dr. Khalid Nasr
Shaikh Jibreel Speight
Dr. Tamara Gray
Sh. Umer Khan
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