Heads of the Departments – National Imam Council

Our Team

Dr. Khushtar Noorani

Head: National Imam Council

An Islamic research scholar, author, orator, philanthropist, and Dawah Activist, Dr. Khushtar Noorani received his religious education at different religious seminaries in India and benefited from renowned teachers and spiritual legends. He completed his Quran memorization and recitation specialization as he graduated from the religious seminary in India with a license to teach Islamic sciences. Shaykh pursued higher Islamic studies in Libya and graduated with a specialization in Quran, Hadith, and Fiqh. After completing his classical religious studies, he enrolled in Aligarh Muslim University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Islamic studies and subsequently pursued a master’s in Islamic studies from Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi. He culminated his academic journey by earning a Ph.D. from Delhi University. Dr. Noorani has authored over a hundred articles and several books and received many awards for his outstanding literary and research works. Dr. Noorani is the chief editor of “JAAM-E-NOOR,” the largest circulated and popular monthly religious and spiritual magazine in print since 2002 from the Sub-Continent. Dr. Noorani served as a Panel Member for the Board of Islamic Studies, National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, Govt of India (2012-2014). Currently, he is serving as an Advisory & Review Board Member for multiple prestigious journals. He is also a member of the Dissertation Review Committee at several Universities in India and Pakistan. An active participant in interfaith work, He has been a guest speaker on many popular television channels in India and Pakistan. Recently, Dr. Noorani has been working with Al-Amin Center of Florida (A nonprofit Islamic organization) as a religious head and Islamic theologian.

Mufti Muhammad Sajjad Raza

Chairman: AMAN

Born in the holy city of Madina, Imam Raza received his Ijazat (religious degrees) in a range of Islamic disciplines, completing advanced studies to earn the title of “Mufti,” an expert in Islamic law qualified to issue fatwas. He studied for 11 years at the renowned Islamic institute Jamiat ul Madina and earned an MPhil in Social Sciences from the University of Karachi. He also hosted a religious talk show on the popular international station GEO-TV. For a time in his youth, Imam Raza advocated for hardline political and theological positions, denouncing America as well as those who did not follow his particular religious sect. But encounters with both non-Muslims and Muslims from other sects opened his eyes and his heart to a more inclusive and open-minded path. In 2022, Imam Raza moved to New York City, where he soon became a prominent community leader and today serves as Chief Imam of the Madina Masjid in Brooklyn’s “Little Pakistan.”

Mufti Manzar ul Islam Al-Azhari

Director American Fatwa Council & Chief Patron National Imam Council

Shaykh Manzar Ul Islam al Azhari lived and learned in a traditional seminary for twelve years with his primary teachers. He memorized the Quran at an early age, became multilingual, completed the eight-year course, and graduated with a license to teach as a scholar. He pursued an additional degree in Islamic Studies from Al-Azhar University, as he lived and studied in Cairo for five years and graduated with a specialization in “Principles of Hadith.” Shaykh Manzar served in Al Azhar Dar-Ul-Ifta to complete his qualification as a Mufti and earned a special & rare license to issue legal verdicts in all four schools of thought. After moving to the U.S., Shaykh Manzar studied at U.N.C. Chapel Hill, Oxford University, U.K., and completed his M.L.A. in Liberal Arts from Duke University. He has to his credit over fifty published research papers and books, and has presented his works at several international conferences. Currently, He is pursuing his Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He holds the position of Religious Director and Resident Scholar at the Islamic Center of Morrisville, Morrisville, NC.

Imam Riaz Ahmed Qadri

Vice President National Imam Council and Head AMAN Education Department

Imam Riaz Ahmed Qadri is a shining example of dedication, knowledge, and spiritual leadership. Born and raised in Lahore, Pakistan, he displayed extraordinary devotion from a young age, memorizing the Holy Quran by the tender age of 12. His thirst for knowledge led him to excel in his studies, earning a B.A. in Dars-e-Nizami (Islamic & Shariah Sciences) and later a master’s degree in Islamic studies, specializing in Uloom ul Quran & Tafseer* from a prestigious Pakistani university. Driven by a passion for deeper understanding, Imam Qadri pursued advanced studies in Islamic Theology at the University of Oxford, UK, followed by a Specialized Course in Islamic Chaplaincy at the *Marks field Institute of Higher Education (MIHE), Leicester, UK. Today, as the Head Imam and Resident Scholar at Woodland Mosque & Islamic Center (WMIC), California, USA, he continues to illuminate minds, strengthen faith, and guide communities with wisdom. His journey is a testament to the power of knowledge, faith, and service to humanity.

Allama Tariq Jami

Vice President National Imam Council

Allama Anwaar Alvi

General Secretary National Imam Council

Mufti Hassan Raza Khan

Joint Secretary National Imam Council

Mufti Yasin Chishti

Joint Secretary National Imam Council

Syed Anas Iqbal

Spokesperon National Imam Council

Syed Hamza Shah

Youth Development Director

Born in Pakistan, Syed Hamza immigrated to the United States at the age of 10 and completed his early education in public schools in New York City. Upon receiving a full tuition scholarship, he attained a four-year Bachelor of Arts in computer science and a double minor in comparative religious studies as well as economics from Brandeis University in Boston, MA. During his time at Brandeis, he served as the president of the Muslim Student Association for 2 years. Under his leadership, numerous conferences hosting over a thousand people were held along with workshops and weekly halaqas, raising awareness of Islam as a religion of peace and cultivating spaces for interfaith harmony. Currently, he serves as the youth development director at AMAN.

Our Team

Dr. Khushtar Noorani

Head: National Imam Council

Mufti Muhammad Sajjad Raza

Chairman: AMAN

Mufti Manzar ul Islam Al-Azhari

Director American Fatwa Council & Chief Patron National Imam Council

Imam Riaz Ahmed Qadri

Vice President National Imam Council and Head AMAN Education Department

Allama Tariq Jami

Vice President National Imam Council

Allama Anwaar Alvi

General Secretary National Imam Council

Mufti Hassan Raza Khan

Joint Secretary National Imam Council

Mufti Yasin Chishti

Joint Secretary National Imam Council

Syed Anas Iqbal

Spokesperon National Imam Council

Syed Hamza Shah

Youth Development Director

Imam Bilal Khan

Executive Council Member National Imam Council

Imam Muhammad AbuBakr

Executive Council Member National Imam Council

Allama Aamir Hussain Chishti

Executive Council Member National Imam Council

Allama Sharif Kamalvi

Executive Council Member National Imam Council

Allama Syed Ali Gilani

Executive Council Member National Imam Council

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