Shaykh Zakaria Abdelaziz

The Journey

Shaykh Zakaria Abdelaziz is Canadian-born Somali. But those that know him say he lived in Tarim, Yemen for so long he is basically Yemeni.

He comes from a lineage of scholars. His father, grandfather and great grandfather were all graduates of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. His family are descendants of the Shaykh and historian Abdur Rahman al-Jabarti. With this legacy in mind, Shaykh Zakaria’s father took his family to Egypt when Shaykh Zakaria was just 11 years old to learn Arabic and memorize the Qur'an. In Egypt, Shaykh Zakaria’s father met Habib Ali al-Jifri who recommended Shaykh Zakaria study at Dar al-Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.

By the age of 13, Shaykh Zakaria began his studies in Tarim, Yemen at Dar al Mustafa. Starting at such a young age, he was often the youngest in the class. He fondly remembers his interactions with the Habaib at a young age and yearning to be like them. He completed the 10-year degree program, which requires memorization of both the Qur'an and Riyadh as-Saliheen.

After 17 years studying abroad, Shaykh Zakaria returned to Canada with his family in 2021. He now teaches locally across the GTHA.

In this episode, he talks about how his father’s encouragement and his teachers’ generosity helped him stay motivated during the rigorous 10 years of study. He speaks about what it really means for knowledge to be sacred and the beautiful wisdom behind what scholars call "a burning beginning" for students of knowledge.

His journey intersects with many familiar names: Habib Abdullah bin Ismail as-Saqqaf, Habib Omar, Habib Ali al-Mashur bin Hafidh, Syed Abdul al-Jifri, Shaykh Mokhtar Jamil, Shaykh Assad Ullah, and he also taught many of our other teachers in the West that studied in Tarim.

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