About the founder
Mufti Naved Akhtar
Mufti Naved Akhtar is an Islamic scholar, writer and educator based in Shillong, Meghalaya, India, and the founder of Nuqoosh Institute. His work engages Hanafi jurisprudence, Hadith, Islamic thought, questions of faith and atheism, and contemporary religious concerns.
Biography
Educated initially through the secular school system, he later pursued formal Islamic studies at different centres of learning in Uttar Pradesh and subsequently in Bangalore. He then completed the culminating stage of the traditional Islamic curriculum, with an intensive study of Hadith and the classical Islamic sciences, at Darul Uloom Deoband Waqf.
He later spent two years at Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah, Durban, South Africa, where he specialised in Hanafi jurisprudence and Iftaa under the guidance of the late Mufti Ebrahim Desai (rahimahullah).
Alongside his traditional Islamic studies, he has completed a Diploma in Islamic Finance and has undertaken further training and courses in areas including counselling, leadership, Hadith studies and other related disciplines.
Education
- Uttar Pradesh — Formal Islamic studies at different centres of learning, after an early education in the secular school system.
- Bangalore — Continued Islamic studies.
- Darul Uloom Deoband Waqf — The culminating stage of the traditional Islamic curriculum, with an intensive study of Hadith and the classical Islamic sciences.
- Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah, Durban, South Africa — Two years of specialisation in Hanafi jurisprudence and Iftaa.
- Diploma in Islamic Finance — With further training in counselling, leadership and Hadith studies.
Teachers
- Mufti Ebrahim Desai (rahimahullah) — Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah, Durban
Current roles
- Founder — Nuqoosh Institute
- Khateeb — Bilal Masjid, Shillong
- General Secretary, Islah-e-Mu‘ashrah — Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Meghalaya
Writing and research
Mufti Naved’s interests extend across classical Islamic scholarship and contemporary intellectual questions.
He is the author of Haqeeqat ki Gawaahi, a work addressing atheism, belief and some of the major intellectual questions surrounding the existence of God and religion.
He is also the author of Nuqoosh-e-Ilm o Fikr, a collection bringing together writings on a range of scholarly, intellectual and contemporary Islamic subjects.
In addition to his books, he has written shorter monographs, essays and critical studies on various religious and intellectual questions, including Unity Amidst Diversity, alongside writings dealing with Islamic law, Hadith, theology and contemporary Muslim discourse.
His approach to writing seeks to combine engagement with the classical scholarly tradition with careful attention to the questions and circumstances of the present.
Books and publications
- Haqeeqat ki Gawaahi — On atheism, belief and the major intellectual questions surrounding the existence of God and religion.
- Nuqoosh-e-Ilm o Fikr — A collection of writings on scholarly, intellectual and contemporary Islamic subjects.
- Unity Amidst Diversity — A shorter monograph.
Teaching and community work
Mufti Naved serves as Khateeb of Bilal Masjid in Shillong, Meghalaya, where he is involved in preaching, teaching and community guidance.
He also serves as General Secretary for Islah-e-Mu‘ashrah, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Meghalaya, contributing to educational, social and reformative initiatives in the region.
Alongside his scholarly and community work, he is also engaged in business, giving him direct exposure to many of the practical commercial and social questions that arise in contemporary Muslim life.
Nuqoosh Institute
Mufti Naved founded Nuqoosh Institute as a platform for accessible yet serious Islamic learning.
The institute seeks to bring together traditional scholarship, research, structured learning and thoughtful engagement with contemporary questions through articles, scholarly Q&A, courses, lectures and other educational resources.
Its aim is not merely to transmit information, but to make sound Islamic scholarship more accessible while maintaining intellectual seriousness, scholarly method and relevance to the questions Muslims face today.
Rooted in tradition. Engaging the questions of our time.
Areas of work
- Hanafi jurisprudence — Fiqh and Iftaa, applied to the questions people bring today.
- Hadith — Reading narrations in context, with sources and qualifications.
- Islamic thought — Ideas, worldviews and contemporary Muslim discourse.
- Faith & atheism — Careful engagement with the intellectual questions around belief.
- Islamic finance — The practical commercial questions of contemporary Muslim life.
- Teaching & community guidance — Preaching, structured courses and personal guidance.