“Indeed Allah grants openings, and blessed are those who have sat at the feet of Shayh Zaqir. Such words often run the risk of sounding rather cliché, however, this experience has been anything but cliché. I firmly remember the words of my trusted friend, ‘a hidden gem’ as she referred to Shaykh Zaqir. At that time, she was studying the Diploma in Leicester. I was always sceptical of such opportunities as I had become tired of similar adverts. However, my friend, certainly is not, amongst those guilty of embellishing their words, I was left with no choice but to listen carefully. With this scepticism I enrolled on the Diploma. By this point, years of confusion had accumulated, although I had attended many credible courses that added value to my religious/intellectual journey, however, unanswered questions still ran through my mind, rooted deeply in my inability to reconcile the confusion amongst seemingly contradicting hadith and the seemingly controversial issues in Islam.”

“It is incredible, how Shaykh Zaqir is able to present challenging and complex concepts in the most approachable manner. Approachable to the lamen, not only to able to understand for the self but also be able to share with others. I have attended courses that have left me with greater confusion on the issue of seemingly contradicting hadith, however Shaykh Zaqir reduced its complexity without losing any meaning and he did the same for many of the controversial issues associated with Islam. In addition, the topics covered in this course are so perceptively chosen as to prepare the individual student to become a strong representative of our religion. Representative to ourselves, family, friends and those in society. The course equipped me with the ability to confidently answer questions of the existence of God, the proof that the Quran is a miracle, how we reconcile the seemingly contradicting hadith, the science behind the life of our Prophet (saw) and many of the controversial issues namely, slavery, the problem of evil, evolution and much more. Furthermore, joining DA is joining a family, a family of support from colleagues and even more so from Shaykh Zaqir. Shaykh Zaqir evidently takes great interest in the care of each of his students. It still amazes me how Shaykh offers support to each individual on such a personal basis that I am left to wonder how he physically achieves this. Regardless of your background and whether you feel accepted in other communities or not, this is certainly a community that carries the message of Rumi, ‘come, come, whoever you are… ours is not a caravan of despair’.”