Biography
“Know
that if you pray for courage, Allah will not give you "courage”, but
put you in real situations where you have the opportunity to cultivate
courage; if you pray for patience and strength, that He will place you
in situations so that you may strengthen yourself with patience. That is
the true meaning of tests of life that Allah bestows upon you- they are
all truly a Magisterial Favour upon you from your Lord, The Wise!” -- Imam Afroz Ali
Imam Afroz Ali
can clearly remember himself as a child watching his father (may Allah
sanctify his soul) pursue his two greatest passions: serving others and
teaching. This powerful relationship with a man who was both friend
and father, who nurtured him in sometimes surprising ways, inspired in
Imam Afroz a deep understanding the power of role models and leaders to
nurture excellence in an individual. Inspired to be a part of positive
action in his community, Imam Afroz began the journey of a student of
knowledge.
Those
studies have taken Imam Afroz from university-based academia (the
Islamic University in Madina, Saudi Arabia) to more traditional studies
in Yemen, the United States and Mauritania. He has received licences to
teach from some of the most esteemed Islamic Scholars of our time. He
has also travelled to Cairo, Egypt for further studies in Islamic
Jurisprudence with Scholars at al-Azhar University and is on the Board
of Advisors at Markaz Aleem in Cairo, Egypt.
In addition to teaching for SeekersGuidance, Imam Afroz serves on the SG Management Team as the Managing Director.
He is also the Founder and President of Al-Ghazzali Centre for Islamic Sciences & Human Development (http://alghazzali.org/)
based in Sydney, Australia. Imam Afroz conducts corporate training on
a range of subjects, including Team building, Personal Leadership,
Change Management, Business Strategy Development and Corporate Ethics.
He also utilises his corporate training skills to mentor and train
community organisations in Community Sustainability Programs, Personal
Leadership and Interpersonal Skills, Spiritual Development, Motivation
and Goals Setting.
Imam Afroz is a founding member of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change. He is also the recipient of the International Ambassador for Peace award and is an Australian Ambassador for the Charter for Compassion.
He has initiated philanthropic as well as sustainable environment
projects in Australia and abroad, and continues to advocate for peace,
acceptance, justice and interpersonal rights.
Imam
Afroz’s personal interests include an occasional game of soccer or
cricket. He reads widely on environmental science, ethics and practical
spirituality and is passionately interested in ecology, well-being and
human psychology. In his most private times (often in between airports),
he gives Qur’an his utmost attention by reading and reflecting on
classical works of Tafsir. He currently resides with his family in
Sydney, Australia.