Shaykh Mufti Wajid Iqbal
Islamic Scholar, Mufti, Teacher and Spiritual Guide
Shams ud-Din Shaykh Mufti Wajid Iqbal is a British Islamic scholar, jurist and teacher of the traditional Islamic sciences. Based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, he has dedicated his life to the study, preservation and transmission of sacred knowledge, combining scholarly instruction with spiritual guidance and community service.
Coming from a family with a distinguished heritage of Islamic scholarship, Shaykh Wajid Iqbal’s maternal great-uncle, Shaykh Mufti Abdul Hakim, served as the Grand Mufti of Kashmir. This scholarly inheritance helped shape his early attachment to the religious sciences and the traditional institutions through which Islamic knowledge has been preserved for generations.
Early Education and Scholarly Training
Shaykh Wajid Iqbal began his formal Islamic studies at the age of fourteen, studying under the guidance of Shaykh Mufti Faazal al-Bandyalvi and Shaykh Mufti Muhammad Aslam al-Bandyalvi.
He undertook the traditional Dars e Nizami curriculum, studying the foundational and advanced disciplines of Islamic scholarship, including Arabic language, jurisprudence (fiqh), principles of jurisprudence (usul al fiqh), theology (aqidah), Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir) and Prophetic traditions (hadith).
Following the completion of his formal studies, he continued to benefit from the instruction and companionship of his teachers, deepening his understanding of the Islamic sciences and their application.
Authorisation in Islamic Jurisprudence
At the age of twenty seven, Shaykh Wajid Iqbal received authorisation in ifta, the scholarly discipline of issuing Islamic legal verdicts, from Shaykh Mufti Muhammad Aslam al-Bandyalvi and Shaykh Mufti Fazil Naqshbandi.
This authorisation marked an important stage in his scholarly development, recognising his training in Islamic jurisprudence and his ability to address religious questions through the established principles of the Islamic legal tradition.
Spiritual Training and Scholarly Connections
Alongside his formal scholarly education, Shaykh Wajid Iqbal has maintained a deep commitment to spiritual purification (tazkiyah) and the inward dimensions of Islamic practice.
He has studied under and received spiritual guidance from Sayyid Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, the renowned Syrian scholar and spiritual master.
In 2023, he received a further authorisation from Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, strengthening his connection to the living scholarly traditions of Islamic learning and spiritual guidance.
His approach to Islamic education reflects the importance of bringing together outward knowledge, sound belief, righteous action and the purification of the heart.
Teaching, Leadership and Community Service
Shaykh Wajid Iqbal is a cofounder, director and Head Principal of Essential Islam, an educational institution dedicated to making the traditional Islamic sciences accessible to students in the United Kingdom and beyond.
Through his teaching, he has contributed to the education of students seeking structured instruction in the Islamic sciences, from foundational religious knowledge to advanced scholarly study.
He previously taught at Jamiyat Tabligh ul Islam Victor Street Masjid in Bradford, where he contributed to the teaching and transmission of traditional Islamic knowledge.
During his tenure, several students progressed through and successfully completed the full Dars e Nizami curriculum under his tutelage, continuing the tradition of Islamic scholarship and contributing to the development of a new generation of scholars.
His wider community work has also included delivering Friday sermons at Bradford Central Mosque and leading gatherings of remembrance, spiritual instruction and devotion at Zawiyah Al Shifa.
Through these responsibilities, he has sought to connect the study of sacred knowledge with its practical expression in worship, character and everyday life.
Ihya Us Sunnah
Shaykh Wajid Iqbal is the founding scholar under whose leadership Ihya Us Sunnah was established in 2019, with the aim of reviving traditional Islamic learning and making authentic religious education accessible to the wider community.
The organisation was established to serve the community at a grassroots level, providing opportunities for Muslims of different backgrounds and levels of knowledge to study the Islamic sciences and strengthen their connection to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Through its in person and online programmes, Ihya Us Sunnah has delivered courses in Islamic creed (aqidah), jurisprudence (fiqh), Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir), Arabic language and other traditional disciplines.
Alongside its educational programmes, the organisation has facilitated gatherings commemorating the lives and legacies of the Companions, saints and scholars of Islam, seeking to cultivate love for the righteous and an appreciation of the scholarly and spiritual heritage of the Muslim community.
Under his scholarly guidance, Ihya Us Sunnah continues its mission of connecting students to qualified teachers and providing structured pathways for the acquisition of sacred knowledge.
A Commitment to Sacred Knowledge
Central to Shaykh Wajid Iqbal’s work is the transmission of traditional Islamic scholarship through authentic chains of learning and the guidance of qualified teachers.
His scholarly and educational efforts reflect a commitment to preserving the intellectual and spiritual inheritance of Ahl al Sunnah wa’l Jama’ah, while making that inheritance accessible to contemporary Muslim communities.
His dedication to nurturing students is reflected not only in his own teaching but also in the achievements of those who have studied under him, including students who have completed advanced traditional Islamic studies under his guidance.
Through teaching, mentorship, spiritual guidance and community service, Shaykh Wajid Iqbal continues to contribute to the cultivation of religious knowledge, the refinement of character and the strengthening of the Muslim community’s connection to Allah Almighty and His Beloved Messenger ﷺ.
Talks
Recorded and published by Ihya us Sunnah.
- The Story of al-Isra wa al-Miraj, full recital of Imam al-Barzanji (Isra wal Miraj)
- Seeking Scholars Series, Episode 1 (Seeking Scholars)
The Friends of Allah, recorded and published by Essential Islam.
- Shaykh al Akbar Ibn ʿArabī
- Shaykh Dāwūd ibn Bākhilā
- Dātā Ganj Bakhsh ʿAlī al Hujwīrī
- Shaykh Aḥmad al Tijānī
- ʿAllāmah ʿAṭāʾ Muḥammad Bandyālvī
- Abū Yazīd al Bisṭāmī
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