14/08/2023
Message from QAF Trustees
Dr Muhammad Ibrahim Surty 1941 – 2023
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.
With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of our founder and beloved Ustad, Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Surty, who returned to his creator on the 2nd of August 2023.
Many of you will already know that Dr Surty spent his entire life pursuing the vision of a world where every man and woman could reap the benefits of the Qur’an and benefit themselves, their families, societies and ultimately humanity. To achieve this vision he dedicated himself to developing the pedagogy that resulted in the 90 hours foundation in Quranic Arabic programme, Towards Understanding Quranic Arabic. This course was developed and first taught in the 1970s and 80s at the University of Sokoto in Nigeria to undergraduate Islamic Studies students and subsequently as part of a Master’s course at the University of Birmingham in the UK. Other international universities also benefitted from the course and it was taught as part of a teacher training programme in the UK in the 1990s.
The course has been brought to an even wider audience over the last 3 decades through broadcasts on Islamic TV channels and from the QAF premises in Coventry Road in Birmingham where Dr Surty continued to teach personally until recently.
One of Dr. Surty's most significant achievements was his emphasis on providing free lessons to the community. He was very eager to break down the barriers that might hinder people from learning Quranic Arabic. His generosity of spirit touched the lives of thousands of families, fostering an environment of inclusivity and learning.
The news of Dr. Surty's passing is a profound loss, but his legacy continues to shine brightly through the lives he has touched. His mission of making the Quran accessible and understandable remains an ongoing effort, carried forward by those he has taught and inspired.
Through his mission, Dr Surty was striving for the Qur’an to have a voice in people’s lives so we pray to the Almighty that when the time comes where every soul will be searching for deeds to add to their scales, the Qur’an speaks out for him and intercedes on his behalf.
We pray that Allah accepts his efforts and deeds and grants him his heartfelt and lifelong wish of seeing the face of the author of the book he loved.
Ameen.
QAF Trustees