Shaykh Muhammad bin Yahya al-Ninowy is the Founder and Director of Madina Institute, an Islamic seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, with campuses in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sudan, and Malaysia. Dr. Al-Ninowy is considered to be a Muhaddith; a scholar of Hadith sciences. He has authored books in Usul, Creed, Hadith, and Sufi sciences. Al-Ninowy traces his lineage back to the Prophet Muhammad. He has been a pioneer working on grass root levels to bring back unconditional compassion and love as the central themes of religion and has been the forerunner promoting non-violence among all people and religions worldwide. Al-Ninowy also holds a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of Illinois, and a doctor of medicine degree.

Prof Khadijah Moloi has worked in education institutions for 47 years.She has held various positions that include school principalship; head of department; both at a secondary school and at the University of Johannesburg in the Department: Education Management;  Acting Executive Director at the  University of Johannesburg;  Director School of Education at North West University, Potchefstroom; head of department at the Vaal University of Technology in the Department: Education within the Faculty of Human Sciences. Her areas of specialization include educational leadership and management; learning organisations; change management; strategic planning and management. She is well travelled and well published in academic journals. She has also published and co-published books and book chapters. Prof Moloi is the Dean of the Faculty of Usul al Din at Madina Institute South Africa.

Shaykh Mukhtar Ahmed, a Hafiz al-Quran, is a graduate (with honours) of the Faculty of Arabic & Shariah at the Islamic University of Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. He holds a Masters degree in Semitics from Rand Afrikaans University and his special area of research was on the well-renowned scholar Imam Jalaluddin Al-Suyuti. Shaykh Mukhtar spent some time teaching various topics at ICOSA, lectured in Hadith, Arabic and Quranic Literature at the University of the Western Cape at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels. He also taught Qur’anic studies and Arabic at a local Muslim high school. Shaykh Mukhtar’s commitment to continuous community development and education manifested in a number of community classes including Hifz, Arabic studies, Tajwid, Fiqh and Hadith. He currently teaches Arabic and Tafseer classes at the Madina Institute.

Mualima Ruwayda Ariefdien studied at the FatimaTuz Zahra Institute and completed her degree at Dar Al Arqam. She then went on to receive her Honours in Arabic at the University of the Western Cape. She studied at Madina Institute in 2017. She is currently lecturing at Madina Institute South Africa in the subjects of Arabic, Hanafi fiqh, Tafseer and Hanafi usul fiqh.

Shaykh Zaid Ibnu Riad Fataar Al-Azhari grew up in Cairo, Egypt.  He attended the Al-Azhar School and College where he achieved a Diploma in Islamic Sciences and completed his memorization of the Holy Quran. He then furthered his studies at the Al-Azhar University in the field of Theology specializing in the sciences of Aqidah (Belief) and Philosophy, graduating with a B.A in Islamic Theology.

Shaykh Zaid also privately studied under various scholars in Egypt receiving Ijazaat (Authority) in Hadith and Aqidah. Shaykh Zaid, a member of the Muslim Judicial Council, is appointed officially by the Minister of Home Affairs as a marriage officer and Commissioner of Oaths.

He is a regular guest speaker on community radio stations such as the Voice of the Cape, Radio Al-Ansaar and Radio 786. He also has his own show on Star satellite which features on DeenTV called Prophetic Breezes concentrating on Fiqh As-Seerah, and he features on other satellite network stations such as ITV.

Shaykh Zaid is the co-Imam of Masjid Al Khair, Weltevreden and is a full-time lecturer at the Madina Institute, where he teaches the subjects of Aqidah, Mantiq (Logic), Ulum Al Quran, Tafsir, Tarikh (History), Fiqhu Sirah, Sirah, Tazkiyya, Hadith, and Quran. He travels in and out of South Africa delivering lectures, inspirational talks and classes -focusing on the youth.  Shaykh Zaid is known for his kind approach with students and is never without a smile. His enthusiastic and vibrant teaching style together with his respectful manner makes him popular among the youth.

Shaykh Fakhruddin Owaisi al-Madani grew up and began his traditional training in the Islamic sciences in the blessed city of Madina al-Munawwara under many ‘ulema of the Hijaz, including Shaykh Sayyid Muhammad ‘Alawi al-Maliki. He then studied for a Bachelor’s in Islamic Theology at ICOSA (recognized by Al-Azhar University). He obtained a Bachelors with Honors in Religious Studies, and Masters Degree in Islamic Studies from the University of Cape Town. He has ijazāt from numerous renowned scholars from the Hijaz, Morocco, Syria, Senegal and Egypt. He has worked in various mosques of Cape Town as Imam and teacher in the past, and currently lectures in the subjects Tafsīr and Hadīth at the International Peace College of Southern Africa, and teaches various texts in Hadith, Tazkiyah, Usul al-Fiqh and History at the Madina Institute.

Shaykh Imtiyaaz Isaacs completed the memorization of the Holy Qur’an at Jamʿiyyat al-Qurra’ at the tender age of 11 years. He, thereafter, continued his studies & completed the Translation of the Holy Qur’an & Islamic Studies at Dar al-Naʿim. Having a thirst for knowledge Shaykh Imtiyaaz then travelled to Egypt where he studied at the prestigious Institute of Al-Azhar where he completed his primary school, high school & university studies at the institute. He majored in Islamic Law at Al-Azhar University. Whilst doing this Shaykh Imtiyaaz also studied under a number of renowned Scholars & has received sanad (authority) & ijazah (license of teaching) from Scholars around the globe including Saudi Arabia, Cairo, Mansura, Dusooq, Turkey & Jordan for the 10 & 14 Qira’at anomalous readings of the Quran & many other sciences. Qira’at and Usul Al Fiqh is his passion & he continues to teach its sciences. Shaykh Imtiyaaz Isaacs is a lecturer at Madina Institute teaching Arabic, Tajwid, Hadith & Usul Fiqh.

Dr Intisar Etbaigha was born and raised in Libya. She completed her university degree in the English language at Al-Tahadi University. In 2006 she was awarded her MA in translation studies (Arabic-English /English- Arabic), Libyan Academy. She moved to South Africa in 2013 to pursue her PhD which she successfully completed in 2018. She studied at the University of the Western Cape and did her PhD in the field of additional language teaching and learning. She worked at the Education faculty at UWC from 2018 -2020. She has actively engaged and presented at a number of local and international conferences and seminars. She represented the University of the Western Cape at workshops with themes such as teaching Arabic as a foreign language and the ESRRRC conference which focuses on MA and PhD students’ research. Dr Intisar has enrolled in many courses related to her professional development including but not limited to online teaching, teaching e-portfolio etc. She has been also busy attending Tajweed, prophetic biography and Tafseer classes as she believes that a true Muslim should always thrive to become a better Muslim. Her teaching philosophy is critical pedagogy and that each student can reach their full potential in their own way. Dr Intisar has recently joined the Madina team as a full-time lecturer of Arabic.