ABOUT IQRA’
The International Qur’an Research Association IQRA' is a research group of scholars and scientists dedicated to Qur’anic research and its practical implications.
Our IQRA’ community includes scholars, students, publishers, and the interested public. Click “Join Us” to become an official IQRA’ member and to receive exclusive member benefits and hear from our leaders, partners, and experts.
Our Vision
To continuously advance contemporary understanding of the Qur’an.
Our Mission
To use multidisciplinary research by scholars and scientists, employing diverse epistemologies, to produce Qur’an commentaries, translations, books, research papers, articles, and multimedia content, which will foster an ongoing contemporary understanding of the Qur’an and its application.
IQRA’ Board Members
Dr Safi Kaskas
Safi Kaskas is an administrator in the managerial sciences with over 40 years of broad-based experience in strategic planning, leadership and business ethics with an emphasis on strategic management in the corporate and academic worlds.
He is a co-founder of East West University, Chicago, IL; and was elected as President of its Board of Directors from 1979 – 2005. He continues to serve on its board as an ex officio.
He is the Founder and President of Strategic Edge Management Consultants, Dr Kaskas helped many mid-level and large corporations successfully develop their business portfolios. His consultant firm focused on strategic development within the health care industry and founded the American Strategic Healthcare Management Company (ASHM) which is active in the healthcare field in Jeddah, Saudi Arabic.
In addition to his focus on strategic management science, Dr Kaskas has studied Abrahamic religions and lectured throughout the US and the Middle East on subjects related to Islam, interfaith and reconciliation between Evangelicals and American Muslims.
He is Senior Researcher in Islam and Multifaith Reconciliation with George Mason University, Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution.
Dr Kaskas translated and published the Qur’an into simple easy to understand English in January 2015 and published The Qur’an with references to the Bible in January2016. This book has 3000 references to the Old and the New Testaments.
The Italian translation to The Qur’an with references to the Bible was completed in April 2016 and was presented to his holiness Pope Francis 1 during the same month.
He just completed compiling the first Hadith book/collection of Prophet Muhammad’s sayings on “The Kindest of Manners”. The book will be published during this year.
Working on the translation of Jules La Beaume (1806-1876) Le Koran Analysé” translated to Arabic by Muḥammad Fuʾād ʿAbd al-Bāqī (1882-1968) (Edition : Le Caire , 1955) تفصيل آيات القرآن الحكيم
Dr Kaskas is a member of the board of the Vatican Foundation International Center Family of Nazareth.
Email: safikaskas@gmail.com
Website: www.kaskas.com
Sofana Dahlan
Sofana is an accomplished lawyer and social entrepreneur. She holds the prized distinction of being one of the first three female lawyers granted the permission to practice law in Saudi Arabia. Dahlan has served as a legal consultant in different parts of the Arab world including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Kuwait.
Most recently, Dahlan was the Vice Governor for Entrepreneurship Advancement at the Small and Medium Enterprises Authority of Saudi Arabia from 2016 to 2017, making her the first woman Saudi senior economic policy-maker. She is the founder of Tashkeil, a Saudi based social enterprise that incubates, accelerates and promotes entrepreneurs and the Saudi National Creative Initiative (SNCI). She is a member of the board of directors of Khadija Bint Khuwailid Centre – a businesswomen’s lobbying center at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
She holds a degree in Islamic Law from Cairo University, an MBA from the American University of Technology, and an executive degree in Global Leadership & Public Policy from Harvard University. She has received numerous awards and accolades, including the honor of being the first Saudi chosen to serve as a fellow of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations in 2011, the 2014 “Most Innovative Woman Entrepreneur” WIL Achievement Award, and the 2015 Silver Stevies Award “Female Entrepreneur of the Year (in MENA and Europe)”. She was also recognized as “Female Entrepreneur of the Year” by Arab Women Awards.
Dr Tariq Mustafa
Dr. Tariq Mustafa (born 1934) is a Pakistani mechanical engineer with a first class honors degree from London University specializing in nuclear and space technology. He led the establishment of Pakistan’s Space and Rocket Technology Program and subsequently, served in high ranking positions in the Government of Pakistan as Federal Secretary of the Ministries of Defense Production, Science and Technology, Public Sector Industry, Petroleum and Natural Resources and Privatization.
He is the founder and current Chairperson of Pakistan’s National Paralympics Committee (PNPC), President of the South Asian Paralympics Committee and the Vice President of the Asian Paralympic Committee. His lifelong interests are reason, revelation and the future of humanity. He has been active in discourse about science and religion and is the author of The Case for God – Based on Reason and Evidence, not Groundless Faith. In September 2015, he has been appointed as a member of the Governing Council of the Institute for Religion in the Age of Science (IRAS).
Dr Muhammad S. Eissa
Muhammad S. Eissa is an author and lecturer of Arabic at the University of Chicago, and prior to that was the Mellon Lecturer at the University of Michigan.
Eissa holds a bachelors, masters and a Ph.D. all from Al-Azhar University in Egypt. He also holds a C.Phil. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Eissa has been a professor of Arabic at American University in Cairo, Illinois Institute of Technology, Northwestern University and Brigham Young University. He is the consulting editor for the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative. Eissa is a Muslim. He serves as an educational advisor to the Islamic Schools League of America.
Eissa wrote along with James A. Toronto the article on textbooks in Egypt in Teaching Islam: Textbooks and Religion in the Middle East.
Eissa is currently a visiting professor at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY.
IQRA’ Executive Members
Dr Safi Kaskas
Safi Kaskas is an administrator in the managerial sciences with over 40 years of broad-based experience in strategic planning, leadership and business ethics with an emphasis on strategic management in the corporate and academic worlds.
He is a co-founder of East West University, Chicago, IL; and was elected as President of its Board of Directors from 1979 – 2005. He continues to serve on its board as an ex officio.
He is the Founder and President of Strategic Edge Management Consultants, Dr Kaskas helped many mid-level and large corporations successfully develop their business portfolios. His consultant firm focused on strategic development within the health care industry and founded the American Strategic Healthcare Management Company (ASHM) which is active in the healthcare field in Jeddah, Saudi Arabic.
In addition to his focus on strategic management science, Dr Kaskas has studied Abrahamic religions and lectured throughout the US and the Middle East on subjects related to Islam, interfaith and reconciliation between Evangelicals and American Muslims.
He is Senior Researcher in Islam and Multifaith Reconciliation with George Mason University, Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution.
Dr Kaskas translated and published the Qur’an into simple easy to understand English in January 2015 and published The Qur’an with references to the Bible in January2016. This book has 3000 references to the Old and the New Testaments.
The Italian translation to The Qur’an with references to the Bible was completed in April 2016 and was presented to his holiness Pope Francis 1 during the same month.
He just completed compiling the first Hadith book/collection of Prophet Muhammad’s sayings on “The Kindest of Manners”. The book will be published during this year.
Working on the translation of Jules La Beaume (1806-1876) Le Koran Analysé” translated to Arabic by Muḥammad Fuʾād ʿAbd al-Bāqī (1882-1968) (Edition : Le Caire , 1955) تفصيل آيات القرآن الحكيم
Dr Kaskas is a member of the board of the Vatican Foundation International Center Family of Nazareth.
Email: safikaskas@gmail.com
Website: www.kaskas.com
Mahmood Sanglay
Mahmood Sanglay has over 27 years of experience as media professional, journalist and publisher of Muslim Views. He is currently the CEO of the publication, focusing on the transition of Muslim Views from a print-first publication to a sustainable digital news business with a global audience.
Sanglay is also a media activist campaigning for the interests of independent community-owned media. He served as president of the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) from 2008, engaging government, industry bodies and the private sector in the interests of community media sustainability.
Sanglay represents AIP on the Adjudication Panel of the Press Council of South Africa, the self-regulatory mechanism for ethical journalism in South Africa. He previously served on the boards of Print and Digital Media South Africa and the Forum for Community Journalists (FCJ).
He is also pursuing an academic interest in developing a case in Islam for independent, public interest and ethical journalism.
He has travelled and worked abroad, and undertaken fellowships in journalism in the United States.
Mohammed Abbasi
Executive Committee Member, IQRA’
Mohammed is a versatile individual dedicated to making a profound impact on individuals and communities.
As an educator and coach, he specializes in meditation, mindfulness, and yoga, guiding countless individuals toward inner peace and well-being. His expertise in Mind Mapping and study skills coaching has empowered university students, including a former President of The Oxford Union.
Beyond education and wellness, Mohammed is a passionate advocate for peace building and conflict resolution through sports, having served as the Director of Peace Building for Football for Peace Global. His work has earned the respect of world leaders and royalty, facilitating dialogue and progress in once-tense regions.
He champions free speech initiatives, encouraging open and candid conversations, aiming to foster a more inclusive and open-minded society.
An avid reader and scholar of philosophy and war strategies, Mohammed has authored a translation of Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” and is a sought-after speaker on the topic.
Mohammed is a transformative force dedicated to positive change. His work in education, wellness, peace building, and free speech initiatives reflects his unwavering commitment to creating a more harmonious and inclusive world.
Dr. Samy Mahdy
Canadian, Egyptian worked before as Physician and Anesthesia specialist. He is the founder of Spiritual Quran Translation website. He is blogger, researcher, author, public speaker, Quran translator, self-book publisher, scholar, intellectual and Islamic writer. He has many books published everything about different subjects in Quran. His work aimed to better understanding of The Holy Quran.
Dr. Ghaith Hani Alqudah
Dr. Ghaith Hani Alqudah earned his Ph.D. in Islamic Jurisprudence and its Foundations from Al al-Bayt University in Jordan. His doctoral dissertation, titled Aḥkām Ahl al-Dhimma, focuses on the legal rulings and rights of non-Muslims living under Islamic governance. This seminal work, originally written by the renowned Muslim scholar Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzīyah in 1330 (12th century), Dr. Alqudah’s dissertation offers a contemporary analysis of these rulings, emphasizing their relevance in modern discussions of interfaith relations and coexistence. His scholarly interests also extend to Muslim-Christian dialogue and the textual analysis of religious scriptures.
Dr. Alqudah holds a Master’s degree focused on the challenges faced by Jordanian Christians, particularly concerning the application of Islamic law within Jordanian personal status laws. His research emphasizes a holistic understanding of Islamic jurisprudence, aiming to bridge the gap between theoretical constructs and their practical application by scholars.
Through a multidisciplinary lens, Dr. Alqudah is a recognized expert in Islamic jurisprudence, interfaith studies, and political Islam. His research challenges prevailing stereotypes and encourages dialogue, promoting peaceful interactions among individuals of different faiths. His notable contributions through published researches include also co-authoring two books, The Prospects of Political Islam in a Troubled Region and Post-Islamism: A New Phase or Ideological Delusions, both published by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Amman. He has also published scholarly articles addressing jurisprudential issues within Islam.
Dr. Alqudah holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Jordan and is a certified professional swimming pool engineer by ISP in the UK. He is also the founder of "Azure Pools" and other companies specializing in the design and construction of swimming pools.
Email:
resesrcherghaith@yahoo.com
Nabeel M.A Alkhalidy
Nabeel M A Alkhalidy is an educator and researcher, renowned for his extensive contributions to Quranic studies. He has dedicated over two decades to the study and teaching of Arabic. He has spent a significant part of his life dedicated to learning the Islamic sciences in areas of Quran, Arabic, Fiqh and Aqeedah.
He is currently advancing his studies in Quranic Exegesis and Etymology, focusing particularly on Quranic linguistics. His research involves collaborations with fellow scholars to explore various dimensions of Quranic linguistics and Exegesis. A cornerstone of his work is the development of a unique curriculum that emphasizes interpreting the Quran through the interpretative tools given to us in the Quran. Nabeel believes that this approach uncovers new and enriched interpretations that are relevant to our times given to us by our Merciful Creator to guide us in the 21st century and beyond.
Nabeel graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1999 and works in the medical field. He is also a content creator and manages the popular YouTube channel "Learn Quranic Arabic," sharing insights into Quranic Arabic with a global audience. This initiative reflects his commitment to utilizing modern digital mediums to disseminate knowledge and engage with students and educators worldwide.
Zain Malik
Executive Committee Member, IQRA’
A Journalist, Youth advocate, and Human Rights activist. Zain is graduated in the field of Mass Communication from Government College University Faisalabad and now pursuing his Master of Philosophy in International Relations from Minhaj University Lahore. He represented Pakistan at The Kathmandu Dialogue, an International Summer School organized by The Kathmandu School of Law in 2019. Zain was shortlisted to represent Pakistan at an International Youth Festival in 2020 organized by the University of Greifswald, Germany. He also obtained a certificate in International Peace & Security in 2021 from the Center for International Peace & Security (CIPS) – National University of Science & Technology, Islamabad. He is serving as the Information Secretary and Spokesperson for the National Youth Alliance of Pakistan. Zain is the Public Relations Officer of the Core Middle East News Organization and also serving as the Public Relations Director of the Global Peace Summit. He served as an Associate Producer for Investigative Journalism at Pakistan Television Corporation Limited (PTV). He served as a Zonal Rotaract Representative of the Rotary International District 3272 for Rotary Year 2021-22. Zain has expertise in enhancing movements and creating propaganda and a wide experience in organizing conferences, public gatherings, seminars, and workshops.
Email: zainmalik@iqra.study
Amina Latif
Amina Latif began her journey of studying the Quran in 2005, driven by a desire to understand how to navigate life while balancing its many aspects. Despite following what she believed were the right steps, she still felt something was missing and struggled to find lasting peace and happiness. To deepen her understanding, she undertook a detailed study of the Quran, exploring word-for-word translations and examining root words. She focused on verses that related to her personal circumstances and applied the teachings to her life. As her insights grew, she began teaching others, launching a YouTube channel to share her knowledge. Her approach to the Quran is shaped by her personal experiences, self-reflection, and a psychological perspective, making her lessons both relatable and applicable to modern-day challenges. Her goal is to help others on their own life journeys.
In terms of academic qualifications, Amina holds an MBA in Finance and a BS in Physics and Math. She has taught in schools, worked in administration, and spent much of her time as a homemaker.
ABOUT IQRA’
The International Qur’an Research Association IQRA’ is a research group of scholars and scientists dedicated to Qur’an research.
Our IQRA’ community includes scholars, students, publishers, and the interested public. Click “Join Us” to become an official IQRA’ member and to receive exclusive member benefits and hear from our leaders, partners, and experts.
Our Vision
To continuously advance a contemporary understanding of the Qur’an.
Our Mission
To use multidisciplinary research by scholars and scientists, employing diverse epistemologies, to produce Qur’an commentaries, translations, books, research papers, articles, and multimedia content, which will foster an ongoing contemporary understanding of the Qur’an.