{{Short description|Imam of Manchester Central Mosque Victoria Park (1997–2015)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox religious biography | religion = [[Islam]] | honorific_prefix = ''Hadrat'' [[Mufti]] | name = Muhammad Arshad Misbahi | image = | caption = | title = Imam Arshad Misbahi | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1968}} | birth_place = [[Uttar Pradesh]], India | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | other_names = | nationality = [[British people|British]] | era = | region = [[United Kingdom|Britain]] | occupation = Imam at [[Anwar ul Haramayn Jami Mosque, Manchester]] | denomination = [[Sunni]] | jurisprudence = [[Hanafi]] | creed = | movement = [[Barelvi movement]] | main_interests = Dars, Taqreer, Islamic Preaching | notable_ideas = | notable_works = | alma_mater = | Sufi_order = [[Qadiriyya]] | disciple_of = Shaykh Sayyid Madani Miyan Ashrafi <br /> [[Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari]] | awards = | influences = [[Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi]] | influenced = Lacs of Britishers | module = | website = | signature = }} '''Muhammad Arshad Misbahi''', or '''Allama Maulana Hafiz Imam Muhammad Arshad al-Misbahi''' (born 1968) is the Chair of Al-Karam Scholars Association and has served at [[Manchester Central Mosque]] from 1997 to 2015 as the Khatib, Imam and Headteacher.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Evening |first=Manchester |date=2007-02-15 |title=Muslim cleric 'backs execution of gays' |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/muslim-cleric-backs-execution-of-gays-1045667 |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=Manchester Evening News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1QHjy23Vq0YC&dq=arshad+misbahi&pg=PA145 |title=Bush Hate |date=September 2008 |publisher=iUniverse |isbn=978-0-595-52807-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-05-27 |title=Muslims march to Manchester Arena to pay tribute to victims of attack |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1420728/muslims-march-manchester-arena-pay-tribute-victims-attack |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref> He is a graduate from the Islamic Seminary [[Al Jamiatul Ashrafia]]. He is considered by many to be among the knowledgeable scholars of his time.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spencer |first=Robert B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NcRUBAAAQBAJ&dq=arshad+misbahi&pg=PA56 |title=Stealth Jihad: How Radical Islam Is Subverting America without Guns or Bombs |date=2008-10-28 |publisher=Regnery Publishing |isbn=978-1-59698-556-8 |language=en}}</ref>

==Biography== Muhammad Arshad Misbahi comes from the family of Sufi [[Barelvi]] Muslim in India. His father, Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Miyan Maleg, has been serving Islam for the last three decades in Birmingham and was the former Imam and Khateeb at Oldbury Jamia Masjid in [[Birmingham]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manchester Central Mosque |url=https://manchestercentralmosque.org/ |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=Manchester Central Mosque |language=en-US}}</ref> Imam Muhammad Arshad began his studies at [[Jamia Al-Karam]] where he studied under Shaykh Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada and Abu’l-In’am ‘Allama ‘Abd Al-Bari. Later he travelled to India and [[Pakistan]] to pursue further and higher education.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-06-20 |title=Jamia Al-Karam graduates and former students serving a community near you – Al-Karam |url=https://alkaram.org/jamia-al-karam-graduates-and-former-students-serving-a-community-near-you/ |access-date=2023-10-30 |language=en-GB}}</ref> In Pakistan, he studied with the late Diya’ al-Ummat, Justice Shaykh [[Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari]] and in India, he studied at [[Al Jamiatul Ashrafia]] at [[Mubarakpur, Azamghar|Mubarakpur]]. Upon his return from Pakistan, he began teaching and serving as head of religious studies at [[Jamia Al-Karam]]. He completed Tahfeez-ul-Qur’an in [[Bradford]].

He is the founder and patron of the Sunni Society at the [[University of Nottingham]]. He has extensively traveled to many countries delivering lectures and seminars. In 2001, he was awarded the ad-Dir’ul ur-Mumtaz award from the [[Al-Azhar University]] of [[Cairo]], Egypt.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-05-27 |title=Hundreds of Muslim children march to Manchester Arena to honour terror attack victims |url=https://www.9news.com.au/world/hundreds-of-muslim-children-march-to-manchester-arena-to-honour-terror-attack-victims/0cfa9824-5c53-4aab-8d6b-4ab60d2fbaf0 |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=www.9news.com.au}}</ref>

Describing the anti-Islam movie, he said that (movie) is "against Islam, against the messenger of Islam, and against the teachings of Islam" and he said "I have four children. My parents are both alive. But I am here to say I love my prophet more than I love my children. I love my prophet more than I love my own self."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://more.bham.ac.uk/euro-islam/tag/dr-muhammad-tahir/|title=Dr Muhammad Tahir – euro-islam.info}}</ref>

He was among the signatories of a letter written to British PM to support the refugee's arrival in the U.K. ''As people of faith, we call on your government urgently to revise its policy towards refugees. The best of this country is represented by the generosity, kindness, solidarity and decency that Britain has at many times shown those fleeing persecution, even at times of far greater deprivation and difficulty than the present day.'', the letter said.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statewatch.org/media/documents/news/2016/sep/uk-fr-interfaith-refugee-initiative-letter-9-16.pdf|title=Faith Leaders' Open Letter to the Prime Minister|website=statewatch.org|access-date=24 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2006-10-26 |title=Imam accused of 'gay death' slur |language=en-GB |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/6087430.stm |access-date=2023-10-30}}</ref>

== Works ==

* Alam, Arshad (March 1, 2008) ''The Enemy Within: Madrasa and Muslim Identity in North India'' ([[Cambridge University Press]])<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Alam |first=Arshad |date=March 2008 |title=The Enemy Within: Madrasa and Muslim Identity in North India |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-asian-studies/article/abs/div-classtitlethe-enemy-within-madrasa-and-muslim-identity-in-north-indiadiv/B379EDB3792152514242793A82625CBF |journal=Modern Asian Studies |language=en |volume=42 |issue=2–3 |pages=605–627 |doi=10.1017/S0026749X07003113 |issn=1469-8099|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}} *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Misbahi, Muhammad Arshad}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1968 births]] [[Category:Sunni imams]] [[Category:Barelvis]] [[Category:Hanafis]]