Our Teachers
Sheikh Zahir Bacchus
Shaykh Zahir was raised in Toronto and completed a degree in Zoology with a minor in history at the University of Toronto. During his years on campus he was actively involved with the Muslim Student Association assisting in organizing many important events such as hosting the Mayor of Sarajevo during the tumultuous years of genocide against Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovinia. Upon graduation In 1996 he left for Amman, Jordan to study Arabic. The following year he enrolled in the Arabic program at the University of Damascus and it is in Damascus that he would spend the next six years of uninterrupted study. In the years he spent in Damascus, Shaykh Zahir had the blessing of meeting and sitting in the company of some of the premier scholars of Damascus, learning Hanafi fiqh, aqida (science of beliefs), mantiq (logic), usul (critical intellectualism), hadith, and tafsir. Shaykh Zahir is a co-founder/director of the Lote Tree Foundation (an educational initiative). He is also the director of professional development at Razi Inc., a company he co-founded that develops specialized curriculum and professional programs to suit the needs of society.
Ustadha Saiema Syed Din
Ustadha Saiema was born in Toronto, Canada to parents of Pakistani origin. She attended, while doing her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, fiqh classes taught by Shaykh Talal Ahdab and attended the first Deen Intensive program in Toronto in 1997. She graduated in 1997 from the University of Toronto with an Honours degree in Psychology. She then left for Damascus to study Arabic and the Islamic Sciences along with her husband, Shaikh Zahir Bacchus. Over the course of six years, she studied the science of Tajweed, Shaf'i fiqh, Arabic grammar, 'Aqeeda, and Methodology of Hadith. She studied under some of the distinguished scholars of Damascus attaining written permission to teach the Islamic sciences. After completing her studies, she returned back to the University of Toronto and completed the Bachelor of Education program, while teaching various halaqahs in the city. She is currently residing in Brampton with her family where she continues to teach the Islamic Sciences as well as being a full-time teacher in the public school board.
Sheikh Zahid Ally
Sheikh Zahid Ally has dedicated greater part of his life serving his family and Muslims in need. After working with Mercy International as a relief worker in Bosnia-Herzegovinia he returned to Toronto with the zeal to seek sacred knowledge. His quest led him to a Deen Intensive program where he sat with some of the most profound teachers in North America. That year he traveled to Syria and Morocco where he met many other scholars and decided to pack his bags with his wife and daughter to formally begin his pursuit of sacred knowledge. In Damascus, Shaykh Zahid and his wife sat with many distinguished scholars, his studies included Shafi’ Fiqh, Aqida, Mantiq, Usul, Hadith. Shaykh Zahid placed special emphasis on Tajweed and Tafsir where he received Ijaza to teach and transmit. Shaykh Zahid returned to Canada in August 2006, he currently lives in Edmonton with his wife and five children. He teaches weekly classes, and lectures at the various universities and Islamic Centers in his community.
Sheikh Sa'ad al Attas
Abu Shu'ayb Sa'd Peters al-'Attas, a South African with roots extending to Yemen. He is a grandson of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace).
He graduated from the Shari'a institute run by the Tahdhib wa Ta'lim endowment in Damascus, Syria. He was in the four year, accelerated program. His studies there included the following: Arabic, 'Ulum al-quran, Usul al-tafsir, Hadith, Aqidah, Fiqh (Shafi'i and some comparative), Usul al-Fiqh, Sira (fiqh al-sira, sirat of the Khulifa al-Rashidin), Mantiq, and Khitaba.
His graduation thesis involved an extensive commentary on the hadiths concerning al-amr bi-l-ma'ruf wa al-nahi 'an al-munkar. He defended his thesis and passed his oral examinations in 'aqidah and fiqh, conducted by Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Khatib, the imam of Jami' al-Darwishiya and director of the school.
Outside of this institute Sheikh Sa'd concentrated on Shafi'i fiqh. He read with Shaykh Hussayn Darawish for three years. During that time he completed Zakariya al-Ansari's Tuhfat al-Tulab with most of al-Sharqawi's marginal notes. He also completed nearly the first third of the same author's Fath al-Wahhab with additional notes from al-Bujayrami’s marginal notes. While doing this he also read al-Shirazi's al-Tanbih with al-Suyuti's commentary, Sharh al-Yaqut al-Nafis, portions of al-Suyuti's al-Ashbah wa al-Natha'ir, I'yanat al-Talibin, and others.
He moved to Keighley in Ramadan 2003 and to Bradford this year where he currently resides with his wife and five children. He teaches the Islamic Sciences to young and old alike, Recently, he went on a speaking tour of Indonesia and Singapore, and was welcomed by the communities in those parts of the world.