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