Sheikh Mahomed Shoaib Omar has studied the authoritative works of fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence and Law), across the four authoritative Sunni schools of fiqh, and has specialized in Fiqh Al Muqarin (comparative analysis between Islamic and secular law), and the application of fiqh to contemporary situations and Islamic commercial and financial transactions. He has been guided by his revered teacher, the distinguished jurist, Mufti Taqi Usmani, over the years, in relation to the solution of complex issues, in the field of Islamic Finance. He completed his LLB at the University of Kwazulu/Natal in 1979 and studied Arabic and Islamic Law under Mufti Taqi Usmani in 1982, who is one of the top Shariah Advisors in the industry. He was also a student of Qadhi Mujahidul Islam, the founder of the Islamic Fiqh Academy of India. In 1995, he was granted right of appearance in the High and Constitutional courts of South Africa.
Sheikh Mahomed Shoaib Omar serves as a chairman of several Shari’ah compliant unit trust funds based in South Africa (including the global Shari’ah equity fund launched by Old Mutual). Currently he serves as a member of the Shariah Board of Albaraka Bank SA. He practices as an attorney and has authored over ten books and numerous articles in Islamic Law and Commerce. He has been with BML Islamic since January 2013 as a member and the Chairman of the Shariah Committee.
Associate Professor Dr. Ziyaad Mahomed is a Lead Researcher at the Center of Islamic Social Finance and Head of Micra E-learning at INCEIF University Malaysia. He also served as the Associate Dean of E-learning, and Director of Executive Education at INCEIF. As a Shariah Advisor and Islamic finance practitioner for over two decades, he has advised financial institutions and regulators in Islamic finance, regulation, social finance, fintech and Shariah advisory in over 20 countries.
He holds a PhD and CIFP from INCEIF, an MBA from MANCOSA in South Africa, and a BA (Hons) in Business (Finance) from ARU in the UK. He also holds certification in Islamic law from South Africa and Jordan. He was Managing Director of a boutique consultancy in Shariah advisory since 2006, after serving as National Head of Marketing & Product Development at Albaraka Bank South Africa. Dr Ziyaad specialises in Shariah, Islamic Capital Markets, Fintech, and Social Finance.
Most recently, Dr Ziyaad has published on Shari'ah and ESG, Social Impact Sukuk, sustainability practices and social impact tokens based on DeFi. He has received several awards for his innovation in social finance modelling and numerous best paper awards at academic conferences internationally. He has also received a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to Islamic finance in Africa.
He serves as Chairman of several Shariah boards internationally, including the Shariah Committee of HSBC Amanah (Malaysia), Taj Bank (Nigeria), Ayady Takaful (Maldives), iConsult Africa (South Africa), Iman Ltd. (Uzbekistan), FBNQuest Asset Managers (Nigeria), One17 Capital (Nigeria). He has provided advisory and subject matter expertise to Kazakhstan, the UK, the Philippines, and Nigeria, among others. He has been with BML Islamic since January 2013 as a member of the Shariah Committee.
Sheikh Mufti Yusuf Suliman is one of the few Scholars in South Africa accredited by AAOIFI as Shariah Advisor and Auditor. He also holds Certificates in Qadha (adjudication) from Jamiatul-Imaam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Imarat Shariah, Patna, Bihar, India, and has completed Iftaa (issuance of verdicts) at Darul Uloom Zakariyya, Lenasia, South Africa. He developed the Islamic Banking training material for all South African Banks, having been contracted by BANKSETA.
Sheikh Mufti Yusuf Suliman previously served on the Shariah Boards of the Momentum Investment Cluster including RMB and Advantage. He serves as Head of Shariah Risk & Advisory for the Standard Bank Group. He also served in this capacity for Barclays Africa Islamic banking. He was also appointed as Acting Managing Director of Absa Islamic Banking in 2013. He serves on the Shariah Boards of the Element Investment Managers, Alexander Forbes, Shariah Investments Ltd (Malawi), Bryte Takaful, Capital Legacy, Southchester and Investec Bank. He is also a consultant to numerous Islamic Financial Institutions. . He has been with BML Islamic since January 2013 as a member of the Shariah Committee.
Uz. Ali Nisham holds a Master of Fiqh and Usul-Al-Fiqh, from IUM, Maldives, and a bachelor’s degree in Shariah from Islamic University of Madinah, Saudi Arabia. He also holds a Diploma in Teaching Quran and Islam from Institute of Quran and Sunnah, Maldives. Uz. Ali Nisham is currently perusing his PhD in Shariah and Judiciary from University Sains Islam Malaysia.
He has more than a decade of experience in teaching Shari’ah and Islamic subjects in colleges and universities of Maldives. He also actively engages in strategic planning, development of courses and resource management through his supervisory and managerial roles. He is known for delivering Shari’ah values through innovative and inclusive education to boost academic success. Uz. Ali Nisham has also attended workshops hosted by key Islamic financing organizations in the Maldives.
Currently Uz. Ali Nisham serves as the Dean of Kulliyyah of Shari’ah and Law of Islamic University of Maldives and represents as a member of Trust fund, Ethics and Budget Committee of IUM. He is also a Shariah Board Member at Zakat House of Maldives an Ayady Takaful Maldives. He was appointed to the Shariah Committee on 1st February 2025.