IMAM MAHMOUD OMAR
Imam Mahmoud Khalifa, PhD, is the Resident Imam of Al Rashid Mosque and a highly respected scholar in Islamic jurisprudence and theology. He graduated from Al-Azhar University with a specialization in the fundamentals of Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) and theology, and later earned his doctoral degree. He currently serves as President of the Edmonton Council of Imams (ECI) and is an Associate Professor at the Islamic University of Minnesota.
At the age of 24, Imam Mahmoud was appointed as a member of the Al-Azhar Fatwa Council in the Al-Monufia province, where he continued advanced studies in Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh and received formal ijazah to issue fatawa. He holds ijazah in all ten major and minor Qira’at (variants of Qur’anic recitation), as well as ijazat in the major Hadith collections, including Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Al-Muwatta, and Sunan al-Tirmidhi, studied through an authenticated chain of narrators.
Imam Mahmoud is deeply committed to education and mentorship. He teaches and grants ijazat in Hadith, Fiqh, and Usul al-Fiqh to students locally and internationally, and remains actively engaged in developing scholarly leadership within the Muslim community.
IMAM JAMAL TALEB
Imam Dr. Jamal Taleb was born in Tripoli Lebanon, he has been serving as an Imam in Canada for almost 30 years in different religious and educational institutions. He is married and blessed with three daughters and one son.
Imam Jamal’s academic specialization is in Islamic Studies and Arabic Literature. He holds traditional ijazah-based bachelor’s degrees in both fields, a Master’s degree with High Honors from the University of Tripoli, and a PhD in Islamic Studies from the Islamic University of Beirut. His doctoral research focused on Family Structures Between Shariah and Canadian Laws: A Comparative Study.
In addition to his scholarly work, Imam Jamal has held several leadership roles, including serving as a board member of the Canadian Council of Imams, representing the Lebanese Dar al-Fatwa in Canada, and serving on the Fiqh Majlis in Canada. He currently serves as an Imam at the Canadian Islamic Centre (Al Rashid Mosque) and as a Visiting Imam at the Edmonton Islamic Academy, where he continues to support religious education and community development.
IMAM ALI JOMHA
Imam Ali Jomha was born in Canada and has been serving as an Imam and da‘iyah since 1996. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies from Al-Azhar University and a Master’s degree in Islamic Sharia from the University of Tripoli. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Islamic Studies.
Imam Jomha is a member of the Shura Council at Markaz Al-Islam in Fort McMurray and serves as the Counselling Imam at Al Rashid Mosque. In this role, he focuses primarily on family and youth counselling, working to support individuals and families while helping shape strong Islamic character among young people.
Alongside counselling, Imam Jomha is actively involved in community outreach, development, and da‘wah. His work reflects a deep commitment to strengthening faith, supporting families, and fostering meaningful engagement within the broader Muslim community.
IMAM SADIQUE PATHAN
Imam Sadique Pathan is a community leader, spiritual counselor, registered social worker, and therapist. He serves as the Outreach Imam of Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton, Alberta, and is also the Head of Outreach, Public Relations, and Media for Islamic Relief Canada in the Western Canada region.
Imam Sadique holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Calgary, a Master’s degree in Social Work from Dalhousie University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Usool al-Deen from the University of Jordan’s Faculty of Islamic Studies. His pursuit of Islamic knowledge has taken him to study with eminent scholars in Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and the United Kingdom.
He currently provides counseling and therapeutic services through his private practice, Revive Counselling. Professionally, he also serves as a Senior Community Engagement Specialist with Islamic Relief Canada. His previous experience includes working as a Behavioral Health Consultant with the Southside Primary Care Network (2016–2022), a Field Practicum Coordinator at Qatar University’s Faculty of Social Work (2013–2016), and roles in child and family services across Canada, the United Kingdom, and Jordan.
IMAM AHMAD BADAWI
Imam Ahmad Badawi began his journey in Islamic studies and Qur’an memorization at the age of ten and completed memorizing the Qur’an by the age of twelve. He continued advanced studies in Hadith, Tafsir, and Tajweed, which led to his appointment at the age of twenty as an Imam and Qur’an teacher at Masjid Al-Jadid in Hama, Syria.
Since then, Imam Ahmad has dedicated his life to teaching Qur’anic recitation and supporting students in their journey toward full memorization of the Qur’an. In recognition of his excellence in Qur’anic sciences, he was awarded the SANAD Award in 2009.
In 2011, Imam Ahmad founded the Imam Al-Shatibi Institute, which has since grown into a respected and fast-growing Islamic educational institution. He continues to serve as its Director, overseeing programs focused on Qur’an, Tajweed, and Islamic scholarship.
IMAM SAID AHMED
Imam Said Ahmed was born in Kismayo, Somalia, and began memorizing the Qur’an at the age of eight under the guidance of Sheikh Ali Hassan. He completed his memorization by the age of twelve and later moved to Egypt, where he attended Al-Azhar High School before continuing his studies at Al-Azhar University. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Da‘wah and Islamic Culture.
During his years of study in Egypt, Imam Said actively served the Muslim community through various mosques and expanded his knowledge across multiple disciplines of Islamic studies under the mentorship of renowned scholars. He moved to Canada in 2018 and has since been serving the community at Al Rashid Mosque.
Imam Said is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the Islamic University of Turkey, continuing his commitment to lifelong learning and service to the Muslim community.
