Shaykh Sulayman, one of the UK’s leading scholars, joins LCI as Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies.
Sheikh Sulayman van Ael is the founder of The Ark Institute, an educational institution based in London. After becoming Muslim at the age of 18, he traveled the world to seek knowledge and gained ijazah (teaching licenses) in various disciplines from scholars from Sudan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Jordan (where he received ijazah from the Grand Mufti of Amman to give religious verdicts). He graduated from Rotterdam University with a BA in Theology and MSc in Islamic Counselling. He lectures extensively and has appeared on CNN and Al Jazeera. His multi award-winning Belgian national television documentary, My Jihad, was translated into 12 languages. As a scholar who resonates with young and old alike, Sheikh Sulayman is a powerful, dynamic and credible voice for the emerging formation of a confident, faithful identity of Islam in Europe.