RELIGIOUS DIRECTOR/IMAM

Azfar Uddin graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Education, with a minor in History, from Benedictine University, earning distinction and maintaining high honors throughout his academic career.

He completed his memorization of the Qur'an at the age of 12. Shaykh Azfar then returned to the Institute of Islamic Education to pursue his goal of becoming an Islamic scholar, completing the ‘Alimiyyah Program—a five-year, post-secondary program designed to train students in the classical foundations of Islamic sciences. He completed the last two years of the ‘Alim program, including the Dawrah al-Hadith year, from Darul Uloom Online.

Shaykh Azfar obtained a Master’s in Islamic Theology from American Islamic College. His research papers include:

• The Ethics of Playing Sports
• The Misconceptions of Sufism
• Is the Prohibition of Music in Islam a Blanket Statement for All Types of Music and Songs in All Situations?
• Is the Law of Apostasy One of the Non-Negotiable Aspects of Islamic Law?

For his thesis, he interviewed over 50 imams, focusing on:

• How Imams Can Survive and Possibly Thrive While Working in the Masjid

In addition to his academic achievements, Shaykh Azfar has taught ‘Aqidah, Fiqh, Sīrah, and Arabic to middle and high school students. He currently teaches a bi-weekly family-oriented tafsir program at his masjid, a sirah program focused on justice, and a tajwid course for adult sisters in the community. Through his established rapport with scholars and imams, Shaykh Azfar has also invited various experts in their fields to share their knowledge with the IFN community.

His writings have been featured in prominent publications such as Muslims Matters, USA Today, The Daily Herald, The Chicago Tribune, and The Chicago Sun Times.

Shaykh Azfar was awarded the Dr. King Award for his service to the Lake County community, particularly for his work with Muslim inmates. He has received numerous accolades for his leadership, excellence in teaching, and dedication to community service.

Shaykh Azfar has completed Adult Mental Health First Aid training and attends the annual AMJA (Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America) Imam Conferences to stay up-to-date with contemporary issues and solutions within the Muslim community.

In addition to delivering insightful lectures at mosques, high schools, and universities, Shaykh Azfar founded the Concise Advice 21 YouTube channel, which aims to teach various aspects of Islam. The channel features interviews with Muslim scholars, students of knowledge, doctors, lawyers, and other Muslim professionals.

Since January 2016, Shaykh Azfar has been serving as the Imam at Islamic Foundation North. His khutbahs focus on how the Qur'an and Sunnah provide practical solutions to our everyday challenges. He is a certified marriage facilitator through SYMBIS (Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts) and offers comprehensive pre-marital education sessions.

Outside of his scholarly pursuits, Shaykh Azfar enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee, often throwing the frisbee as far as he can—even if it’s to the detriment of his team—playing pickleball, and trying to keep up with his elderly community members on the court. He also likes to channel his inner Steph Curry while playing basketball.

Shaykh Azfar’s ultimate goal is to build a thriving community united upon the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah.

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