MY Foundation Welcomes Sheikh Jaffer Ladak as Visiting Scholar for Spring 2026

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MY Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Sheikh Jaffer Ladak as a Visiting Resident Alim for Spring 2026. This residency marks a significant step in MY Foundation’s commitment to providing accessible, consistent, and high-quality religious scholarship to the community.

Biography of Sheikh Jaffer Ladak

Sheikh Jaffer was Director of the DRC Group, supplying locum staff to the NHS until 2011. Thereafter he studied at the Al Mahdi Institute, Birmingham and Hawza al Muntazir, Kerbala.

He currently studies in Qom. He has been Resident Alim in London and Leeds. He completed his MA in Islamic Law and has published seven books. His PhD is on the potential of establishing a Shi’i Fiqh al-Bee’ah (Environmental and Climate Law) at Qom University.

A Unique Opportunity for Consistent Scholarship

During his residency, Sheikh Jaffer Ladak will be based in Manchester, serving the community through a structured and regular programme of learning and engagement.

The residency model offers something rarely available to local communities - sustained access to a scholar over an extended period, enabling deeper understanding, continuity in learning, and meaningful relationships to develop.

Programme Overview

The programme will include:

Weekly Tafsīr sessions (Qur’anic exegesis)

Weekly community lectures and discussions

Friday programmes

Commemorative and celebratory programmes aligned with key Islamic dates

Youth engagement and educational sessions

Opportunities for pastoral guidance and community interaction

A full timetable will be released in due course.

Key Dates & Commemorations

A number of important occasions in the Islamic calendar will be marked during the residency, including:

Commemoration of the destruction of Jannat al-Baqīʿ
Shahādah of Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (a)
Wilādah of Sayyida Fāṭima al-Maʿṣūma (a)
Wilādah of Imam ʿAlī al-Riḍā (a)
Wilādah of Imam Muḥammad al-Jawād (a)
Wilādah of Imam Muḥammad al-Bāqir (a)
Day of ʿArafah and commemoration of Muslim ibn ʿAqīl (a)
Eid al-Aḍḥā and Eid Ṣalāh

All dates are subject to moon sighting.

Strengthening Community Through Knowledge

This initiative reflects MY Foundation’s broader vision of:

Strengthening religious literacy and understanding
Creating spaces for reflection, discussion, and spiritual growth
Supporting young people and families through accessible scholarship
Building a connected and engaged community

By hosting a Visiting Scholar, MY Foundation aims to provide both depth and continuity in religious engagement — moving beyond one-off events towards sustained impact.