Prof. M.A. Zaki Badawi was an esteemed voice of reason and moderation long before these terms became the vogue. At difficult junctures and times of uncertainty he counselled caution and was instrumental in initiating many interfaith initiatives in the United Kingdom and across the globe; a task that lives on in the current leadership heading up the Muslim College.
The presiding young team heading up the Muslim College has not only strived to live up to the spirit of their founder and mentor, they have taken strides in furthering his accomplishments, taking it upon themselves to convey a more genuine reading of Islam, respecting both tradition and contemporary readings of the faith, while, just as importantly, extending and encouraging others to extend the respect and appreciation due to other faith communities.
Even before interfaith dialogue and relations became a much lauded exercise, the Muslim College stood firmly as one of the principal architects of interfaith relations.
Living to the spirit of it’s founder, the Muslim College has set up a pioneering World Religions module as part of its MA in Islamic Studies programme. In this module, students are given the opportunity to pose questions and better understand faith communities that the United Kingdom is home to. The Muslim College firmly believes that specialists AND followers of a faith tradition must teach on the programme so as to deliver a coherent and heartfelt understanding to their faith.
Faiths covered in the World Religions module include:
- Atheism
- Buddhism
- Christianity – Alpha International
- Christianity – Catholicism
- Christianity – Church of England
- Christianity – Jehovah’s Witnesses
- Christianity – Methodist
- Hinduism
- Humanism
- Judaism (Orthodox)
- Judaism (Progressive/Reform)
- Neo-Spiritualism
- Sikhism