User:Sulaiman lebbe

Sheikh Agar Muhammad: D. O.B. 23-04-1960 Deputy Director. Jamiah Naleemiah, Sri Lanka.

Biography: Family background. Sheikh Agar Muhammad was born in Kurunagala district of Sri Lanka. He hails from a very much religious family. His father's name is Abdul Kareem and his mother's name is Kamarun Nihar. He has got three brothers and one sister and he is third in his family. He was born in a village called Thorayaya in Kurunagala district. 2) His education:    He began his primary education at his village school. then he continued his secondary education at Hizbullah secondary Muslim school in Kurunagala district. He continued his further education at Jamiah Naleemiah institute for Islamic higher education. He entered Jamiah Naleemiah in 1976. He successfully completed his Licentiate certificate course at Jamiah Naleemiah with a first class honours degree in 1983. He was appointed as a Lecturer at the same Islamic institute since 1983. He has been serving as one of its best academic staff until present day. whilst he was studying at Jamiah Naleemiah he continued his external degree program of national university of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and successfully completed his General degree with 2:1. class. He is now serving at Jamiah Naleemiah as its deputy director.

3) His language skills and talents:  He is a naturally talented Islamic scholar in Sri Lanka. I think that he is blessed with Islamic knowledge and More Importantly, He has got excellent language skills. He is fluent in four languages: Arabic, Tamil, English and Senegalese Language: He is very much eloquent in Arabic language and speaks classical Arabic languages as an Arab man speaks with eloquence and modern language skills. He has mastered Arabic language and he is able to speak at any international conference or academic circle in Arabic without any hesitation. Sometimes, Arabic academics are surprised at the language skills of Sheikh Agar Muhammad, More importantly, his spoken language skills are astonishing. He is a naturally talented in all branches of Islamic sciences. yet, he specializes in Hadith methodology, principles of Islamic dawa, and Arabic language and rhetoric.  I have had many opportunities to listening to him in London. He spoke fluently with Arab people in fluent Arabic to surprise them with Arabic skills. He is also very much fluent in Tamil language as well. Some Tamil Linguists were surprised to listen to him speaking at some international conferences in London. He spoke in fluent Tamil language. He also speaks Sinhala  Language fluently too. Thus, he is fluent in four languages. 4) His academic careers:  Since he graduated from Naleemiah he has been working as one of its academic staff in different capacities.   He served as a Lecturer for many years, and he was promoted as its academic Dean between 1992-2000 and then he was promoted as its Deputy Director. He is working as its Deputy Director Now. whilst he is working at Naleemiah as full time staff. He has been visiting Academic at many universities and Islamic centres. a)	He has been a visiting Lecturer at Peradeniya University for more than 5 years between 1991-1997. b)	He has been a visiting Lecturer at Islahiyah Arabic college for many years. c)	He has been an Academic consultant for national Institute of Education in Sri Lanka for Islam and Arabic d)	He has been a founding member of Ayesha Sideeka Islamic university for girls in Mawanellah. Sri Lanka, e)  He has been an Academic consultant for Arabic and Islamic Syllabus development for GCSE A/L examinations. 5) His dawa and social works:    With grace of Almighty he has been working in Dawa since his time in Naleemiah. He has earned a Dawa work experience for more than 40 years now. since his early days in Naleemiah he began his dawa works with different of Islamic groups.   His first affiliation with dawa groups was that of Tabligh jamath. During his early years at Naleemiah he went with Tabligh Brothers village to village in Sri Lanka in preaching Islamic message to public. Yet, when his knowledge increased in Islamic science he begun to work with wider Islamic groups. He is of the view that Islam is a complete way of life and T.J brothers although are doing great service in religion he did not agree with their methodologies and scopes and then he worked and supported Sri Lankan Islamic movements: Jammyyath Talabah. Along with his colleague usthaz Mansoor, Sheikh Agar supported Jammiayh for many years, from 1983.Both of them gave academic, and spiritual  foundation for the birth of Jamiyath Talaba in Sri Lanka. it was these two Islamic scholars in Sri Lanka innovated, reformed, revitalised and re-invigorated Islamic movements in Sri Lanka. All credits should go to these two Islamic scholars. With the emergence of Islamic waves in Muslim world, these two scholars introduced international Islamic movements into Sri Lanka. yet, both followed the middle path in Dawa. They are moderate Islamic workers and encourage moderate path in Islamic preaching and works.

6) Sheik Agar's dawa activities: His dawa works started from his teenage time. when he was a student he began his dawa works He continued it and still he is continuously engaged in dawa. His dawa begun with his talks in different mosques in Sri Lanka. He has been almost all big mosques across the country delivering speeches on different Islamic topics and subjects. He was famous for his speeches and talks He has been delivering Friday sermons in many mosques in SL. His sermons in Colombo mosques are very much famous and attracted thousands of people to listen to him  He has been giving talks on national Sri Lanka TV and Radio for many years on different topics He has been delivering talks and speeches at National conferences and seminars on many Islamic topics He has been a chief guest and guest speaker for many national events at universities and schools  He had been to many International conferences in many countries. UK, Australia, Swiss, Malaysia, Morocco, Saudi, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and many countries. 7) His affiliations: He has been a member and consultant of many of religious of organizations  1) He is a deputy leader of all Ceylon Islamic theologians: 2) He is the consultative member of Jamath-Islamic movement in Sri Lanka 3) He is the founder of member of Islahiyah Arabic college 4) He is an Academic consultant of many Arabic colleges in SL. 5) He is a member of editorial board of Islamic magazine called Islamic thought in Tamil. 6) He is member of Islamic fatwa and consultation groups 8) His publication and Academic contributions He has written more than 10 books on different Islamic topics All books are written in Tamil languages some of books are 1) Islamic rulings on Business transactions 2) concept of Isra and Mihraj. 3) Teaching and learning: An Islamic perspective  4) Rules of halal and Haram in Islam 5) daily supplications of Prophet. 9) His participation in national and international conferences: He has participated many national and international conferences. 1) London dawa conferences for Tamil speaking community in London.  He contributed to this for the last 10 years since 1998. 2) SLIF conferences in UK. he contributed to this for the last 10 years since 2003. 3) Australian Sri Lankan Muslim community annual events. He has been for it more than 3 times. 4) Qatar annual Islamic conferences: He has been many time for Qatar conferences.

10) National Conferences:   1) National conference on the concept of Bida: Organised by Naleemiah. in 1985 2) national conference on the concept of Ijtihad: organised by Naleemiah: 1987 3: National conference on the concept of Zakath: collection and distribution in Sri Lanka: organised by Naleemiah: 2002  4) National conference on School of laws in Islam: organised by Naleemiah: 1999 5) National conference on concept of Sunnah : organised by Naleemiah: 2005  6) National conference on concept of fiqh al Aqalliyath: organised by Naleemiah 2008 9) National conference on concept of Shiaism and its spread in SL. 2014. 10) National conference on the Prophetic biography 2011. Educational training and coaching conferences and seminars He has contributed to many teacher training seminars. For teachers, principals, clerics and Imams.

11) His international affiliation with Islamic dawa centres, Universities and scholars:

a) Dawa Centre London. b) SLIF UK c) Islamic foundation. UK d) Doha: Islamic ceneter. e) Bahrain Islamic circle f) Maldives Islamic circles g) Prof Kurshid Ahmad: Islamic foundation h) Dr Manazir Hasan. Islamic foundation I) Prof Anees Ahmad: Paksitan j) Prof Assal Ahmad. Egypt K) Shiekh Yusuf,. al-Qaradwi. L) Dr Husain Hamid Hassan, Egypt. Moreover, he developed academic affiliations and correspondence with many International institutes and academic in many countries.

12) His interested areas of research: Hadith literature and its methodology Islamic dawa methods and methodology Islamic legal philosophy: priorities of Islamic law, legal device of public interest, Legal doctrines of Islamic law, Islamic law for Muslim minorities Islamic education:Training for Islamic teachers Islamic dawa history Islamic history Modern Islamic movement Islamic dawa history Islamic family Islamic ethics Islamic theology  Islamic spiritualism Islamic banking   Islamic psychology And Islamic education are some of his areas of interest 13) His friendship with Al _Haj Naleem: While he was a student and staff in Jamiah Naleemiah he developed a close friendship with life president of Naleemiah: Al-Haj Naleem. JP. He has been with close friendship with Naleem Al-Haj Naleem. He used to visit him regularly and frequently. Al Haj Naleem consulted sheikh Agar many issues. Al-Haj Naleem was inspired with the talks and speeches of Sheikh Agar. He has been a family friends of Al-Naleem. yet, he did not get any material help from Al-Haj Naleem. That shows what type of personality was Sheikh Agar

14) His philosophy in dawa works:  He is a very moderate Islamic scholar in Sri Lanka. He is getting on with all Islamic groups and getting on well with public. He managed to win the hearts and minds of many in Sri Lanka and abroad. His philosophy in dawa has been to work with all Islamic groups. He calls humanity for unity. He calls Muslims in Sri Lanka to be united and to work with all communities. He accepts that difference among human race is divine design. He calls all Islamic groups to be untied and he calls all Sri Lankan communities to be united to build this nation. He strongly believes that humanity today need a spiritual and moral revolutions across the globe. Greed and materialism have taken this humanity to the brink of destruction and decline. Civilizations stand with its moral values and ethics. once moral values are gone what else is left behind by civilizations. He feels that Arab and Muslim world badly need spiritual and moral revolution today. Muslims need unity today than ever before.

He is a charismatic Islamic scholar in Sri Lanka and has managed to influence wider communities in Sri Lanka and South India. He has travelled a lot in dawa works and May Almighty Allah give him long life.

REFERENCE; 1)	www. Sheikh agar Muhammad.org. 2)	Jamiah Naleemiah across the journey of 25 years. 3)	Books of Shiekh Agar. 4)	CDs of Shiekh Agar 5)	All Ceylon Jammiyath Ulama website 6)	Jamiah Sideeka publications 7)	Jamathe-Islame Sri Lanka website