Yusuf Ziya Kavakci

 

323 Maple street

Richardson TX 75081

Tel: 972-231 5698 / 102 (w)

       972-437 2958 (h)

Fax: 972-231 6707

yzk@iant.com

yzkavakci1@yahoo.com

 

www.iant.com

www.QuranicAcademy.org

www.suffa.org

 

 

Present Position:

Scholar-in-Residence

Islamic Association of North Texas

840 Abrams Rd.

Richardson TX 75081

 

 

Education:

Full Professor (1981) Thesis: "Comparative Study on the Shares of Man and Woman in Inheritance Law." School of Islamic Studies, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey (This is the first time in Modern Turkey's Universities' that a full-professorship officially held as independent academic career in Islamic Law after the fall of Ottoman Empire)

Associate Professor (1973) Thesis: " 'HISBA' Organization in Islamic Law and Culture." Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

Assistant Professor (1969) Thesis: "Muslim Jurists of Qarakhanid Period in Transoxiana (XI-XII A.D. Centuries)." Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

Ph.D. (1967) School of Letters, Institute of Islamic Research, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey



Esq. (1966) Board Certified Attorney, Turkey

 

LLB (1965) School of Law, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

 

B.A. (1965) Islamic Studies, Institute of Higher Islamic Studies, Ministry of Education, Istanbul, Turkey

Imam-Khatib School (1961) Istanbul, Turkey

Vefa Lycee (1960) Istanbul, Turkey

(1957) Passed the national examinations for becoming Mufti (Muslim Bishop, Certified authority to give fatwa/religious edict)

(1955) Passed the national examinations for becoming Waiz (preacher)

(1949-1954) Studied and trained in Tajwid, Qiraah, techniques of recitation of  Qur'an,  Arabic, Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Siyar and allied Islamic Sciences, Hasircilar Qur'anic School, Sakarya, Turkey

(1948) Hifz al-Qur'an (memorization of the Holy Qur'an by heart)

 

 

 

 

Experience:

 

(November , 2007) Attended Training for Media and PR, One Nation, ISNA, Plainfield, Indiana,

Training(2006-2007) Consultant, Fiqh Council of North America, National Organization of Muslim Jurists (Fuqaha), USA & Canada

(2005-Present) Founding Dean/Instructor of Islamic Studies, Suffa Islamic Seminary, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas (Suffa provides college level education in Islamic Sciences)

 

(2004-Present) Founder/Instructor of Alim Program, IANT Quranic Academy, Richardson, Texas

 

(November 2002), Attended Media and PR Training, Islamic Assoc. of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

 

(1988-Present) Resident Scholar, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1988-Present) Family Counselor in Islamic Matters, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1988-Present) Founder and supervisor of Qur'anic School, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas 

(1985-1988) Legal Advisor, OIC (the Coordination Office for the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation among Islamic Countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference), State Planning Organization, Prime Ministry, Ankara, Turkey

(1985-1988) Counselor for the Islamic Development Bank, Ankara, Turkey

(1983-1985) Director for Legal and Administrative Operations, ECE Construction S.A. Tripoli, Libya 

(1983-1985) Lecturer on Islamic Law for Postgraduate Studies, and Member of Doctorate Panel, Al-Fatih University, Tripoli, Libya.

(1983-1985) Counselor on Legal Conflicts between KISKA Construction Company (Turkish Company Operating in Iraq ) and Iraq Water Administration, Baghdad, Iraq

(1983-1985) Arbitration Counselor to Turkish Ozdemir Construction Company and Saudi Arabian Administration, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

(1981-1983) Dean and Full Professor of Islamic Studies, School of Islamic Studies, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey

(1979-1980) Visiting Professor, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

(1974-1981) Associate Professor of Islamic Law, School of Islamic Studies, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey

(1973-1974) Visiting Professor, School of Oriental Studies, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom

(1970-1974) Research Assistant, Institute of Islamic Research, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey 

(1968-1969) Instructor of Islamic Law, Institute of Higher Islamic Studies, Ministry of Education, Istanbul, Turkey

(1967-1968) Military Police, Turkish Army, Ankara, Turkey 

(1966-1967) Lecturer/waiz, Beyoglu, Directorate of Religious Affairs, Istanbul , Turkey 

(1962-1965) Imam of Ahmed Pasha Mosque, Fatih, Directorate of Religious Affairs, Istanbul, Turkey

(1956-1961) Muadhdhin of Hirka-i Sharif Mosque, Fatih, Directorate of Religious Affairs, Istanbul, Turkey


Courses and Lectures:

Nov. 7, 07 Panelist on Religion and Politics, Organized by by Richland and Collin County CC, Phi Theta kappa Chapters, Collin County Com. College.

(2005-Present) With the Cooperation Thanks Giving Square and Dallas Visitors Bureau  hosted & Lectured, US State Departments invitees Scholars from Former USSR member Muslim States of Central Asia  (Tataristan, Kazakistan, Kirgizistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan  and others),  Jordan, Saudi Arabia (multiple groups, including ladies), India, different states of Africa, Balkans, Eastern Europe, France , England, Germany, Director of  Islamic Affairs Department, Beijing,  China and staff members of Organization of Islamic Conference. These all took place different times at Islamic Association of North Texas (IANT),  Richardson,  Texas.

(2006-Present) Weekend Course on Majalla (Ottoman Code Civile, One Hundred General Rules, Majalla’s history, its contents, its importance-recorded and available online www.iant.com)

(2005) Weekend Course on History of Islamic Law (its development, issues pertinent to modern day Fiqh-recorded by video, available online www.iant.com)

(2004-2005) Weekend Crash Course on Arabic Grammar (al-Sarf wa ‘l-Nahw) (recorded on videos, available online www.iant.com)

(2004) Weekend Course on Majalla (Ottoman Code, One Hundred General Rules, Majalla’s history, its contents, its importance-recorded by video and available online www.iant.com)

(2003-2006) Weekend Course on the Grammatical Analysis and Translation of the Arabic Texts of the following Classical Sources (recorded on video, available online www.iant.com):

    1) ‘Aqaid (‘Ilm al-Kalam): a)al-Fiqh al-Akbar by Abu-Hanifa, b) ‘Aqidah al-Tahawi by al-Tahawi, c) al-‘Aqa’id al-Nasafiyya by ‘Umar al-Nasafi, d) Bad’al-Amali by Siraj al-Din Ali al-Ushi

    2) Fiqh: Nur al-Idhah by al-Shurunbilali

    3) Usul al-Hadith: Nukhbah al-Fikar by al-‘Asqalani

    4) Hadith: al-‘Arba’una Hadithan by al-Nawawi

(2002-Present) Daily Lecture and Translation (after Isha), Hashiya Ibn 'Abidin, Radd al-Mukhtar by Ibn Abidin, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(2001-Present) Daily Lecture and Translation (after Fajr), al-Fiqh ala al-Madhahib al-Arba'ah by al-Jaziri, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1994-1995) Saturday Lectures and Translation, al-Sirajiyyah by al-Sajawandi (Arabic text in Islamic Inheritance Law) (also taught grammatical Arabic to the students), Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1993-1997) Daily Lecture and Translation (after Fajr, Isha, before Friday Prayer), Ramuz al-Ahadith by Gumushkhanawi Ahmad Diya' al-Din (recorded by 90 minute 218 audio tapes), Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1992-Present) Weekend Courses, Qur'anic Arabic and Qur’an’s Grammatical Analysis through a thorough reading of Qur’an (Reached to Surah  al-Zukhruf as of October 2007) (recorded on video, available online www.iant.com), Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1992-1993) Daily Lecture and Translation, (twice a day) al-Mukhtasar by al-Quduri (recorded by audio tapes, available online www.iant.com), Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1992 November) Daily Lecture and Translation, (twice a day), Matn al-`Aqa'id al-Nasafiyyah by `Umar al-Nasafi (recorded by audio tapes), Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1992 October-November) Daily Lecture and Translation, (twice a day), Matn al-`Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah by Abu Ja`far al-Tahawiyy (recorded by audio tapes), Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1992 August-October) Daily Lecture and Translation, (twice a day), Nur al-Idah by al- Shurunbilali (recorded by audio tapes), Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1992 June-August) Daily Lecture and Translation, (twice a day), Bad' al-Amali by Siraj al-Din Ali al-Ushi together with its commentary, Daw' al-Ma`ali by Nur al-Din Ali al-Qari, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1992 January-June) Daily Lecture and Translation, (twice a day), Muwatta' by Imam Malik, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1991-1992) Daily Lecture and Translation, Sunan by Abu Dawud al-Sijistani, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1991 April-May) Daily Lecture and Translation, al-'Aqa'id al-Nasafiyyah by ‘Umar al-Nasafi, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1991 January-December) Lecture and Translation, Nur al-Idah by al-Shurunbilali, Qur'anic School, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1989-Present) Courses on recitation and Tajwid of al-Qur'an, Qur'anic School, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1989-Present) Khatm al-Qur'an (periodical recitation of Qur'an from memory in congregation, in an approximate period of three months each), Dallas Central Mosque, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1989-1999) Courses on Qur'anic Arabic, Qur'anic School, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1989-1990) Daily Lecture and Translation, al-'Aqa'id al-Nasafiyyah by ‘Umar al-Nasafi, Qur'anic School, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas
 
(1989-1990) Daily Lecture and Translation, al-Targhib wa 'l-Tarhib by al-Mundhiri, Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

(1988-Present) Regular Lecturer for Area Churches and Schools, Dallas, Texas

(1988-Present) Lecturer on demand at area universities and community colleges, Dallas, Texas

(1988-1989) Daily Lecture and Translation (twice a day) Bidayat al-Mujtahid wa Nihayat al-Muqtasid by Ibn Rushd

(1975-1981) Teaching to university students coming from different colleges of the Ataturk University Arabic text of Tafsir al-Jalain, (finished  twice).

 

Membership:

(2007-Present) Member, Fiqh Council of North America, Washington DC

(2007-Present) Dallas Faith Communities Coalition, Dallas, Texas

(2002-2006) Dallas Mayor & Interfaith Coalition, Dallas, Texas

(2002-Present) Member, Majlis al- Shura (Board of Trustees), Islamic Society of North America, Indianapolis, Indiana

(2002-Present) Member, Peace Institute Advisory Board, Richland Community College, Dallas, Texas

(2000-Present) Member, Richardson Independent School District Religious Practices Advisory Board, Richardson,Texas

(1997-2000) Member, Majlis al-Shura (Board of Trustees), Islamic Society of North America, Indianapolis, Indiana

(1994-2000) Member, Metropolis Muslim Leadership Conference, Dallas, Texas

(1994) Member, Dallas Leadership Conference, Dallas Texas

(1992-1998) Member, Muslim-Christian Dialogue Group, Greater Dallas Community of Churches, Dallas, Texas

(1992-1998) Member, Cousins' Club, Dallas, Texas

(1991) Member, Religious Policies Committee, Richardson Independent School District, Richardson, Texas

(1990-1999) Member, Richardson Interfaith Alliance

(1989-Present) Member, Interfaith Trialogue Group of Bishops, Rabbis, and Muslim Scholars of Dallas-Forth Worth, Dallas, Texas

(1988-Present) Member, Thanksgiving Square, Dallas, Texas

(1988-Present) Member, Fiqh Committee of Greater Dallas and Forth Worth Council of Masajid, Dallas, Texas

(1988-Present) Member, Council of Masajid of Dallas and Forth Worth  Metropolis, Dallas, Texas

(1988 to 2004) Member, Religious Community Task Force of Dallas Independent School District, Dallas, Texas

(1988 to 2005) Member, Greater Dallas Community of Churches, Dallas, Texas



 

Professional Service to Community:
 

(June 14, 08),  Speaker, Domestic Violence, Muslim Community Sevice & UT Arlington, Arlington, TX.

(June 9-10, 08) Round Table on Priority Issues and Concerns of American Muslims, Panelist, Emory Unaiversity, School of Law, Atlanta, Georgia. 

(May 23-26, 08), Speaker (Multipel Times), M.Z. Kotku Vakfi, Retreat and Camp, Rocky Gap Resort, Maryland.

(May, 4, 08) Presentation on Islam, Q/A, King Glory Lutheran Church, 6411 LBJ Frwy, Dallas, TX.

(April 17, 08), invited and  was participant with a group representing Muslims of US and met Pope Bnedict XVI, Washigton DC, during his visit USA.

(April 12), 08), Invited by Governor  of Texas Rick Perry and and paticipated on berhalf of Muslims in Golden Jubilee Texas Gala in honor of His Highness the Agaha Khan and met with both, Buda, Texas.

(November, 2007) Lecture on “Islam: Continuation of Christianity and Judaism, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.

(September, 2007), Key Note Speaker,  Fast-A-Thon, MSA, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas

(2007) Lecture to HS  Students, Saint. Marks, Catholic School, Dallas, Texas (This is yearly event, takes place in Ramadans)

(2007) Invocation of Texas Senate Opening Session, Austin, Texas 

(2007) Strategic Planning Committee of Muslim Scholars on Muslims in Crisis and Solutions, Washington DC

(2007) Brainstorming on Strategic Issues of Muslims, Chicago, Illinois

(September, 2006) Conference, “The Concept of Law: Islam and the Wets”, Collin County Community College, Dallas, Texas

(2006) Lecture to Baylor University Students (Waco), Aprox. 200 of them, Richardson, Texas, This is  yearly event.

(1995-Present) Q/A Sessions with Muslim Women (every other month) (available on website)

(2002-2005) Live Fatwa Sessions, www.IslamOnline.net

(2002-2003) Lectures to Richardson Police Department, Richardson, Texas

(May 2001) Key Note Speaker, Baccalaureate Ceremony, Berkner HS, Richardson ISD, Richardson, Texas.

(2000-Present) Facilitator of relations between Federal Bureau of Investigation and Muslims, Dallas, Texas

(1988-Present) Answering Religious Questions (Fatwa), Islamic Association of North Texas, Richardson, Texas

 

Conventions  and Conferences:

(April 18-30, 08), Panelis Speaker on behalf of US State Department, Spain and Ausria on Islam and Muslim Life in US (varous programs in different cities arranged by US Embassies). 

(March 27, 08), Panelist, Arab Amarican Cultural Experince, University of North Texas, Dallas Campus.

(March 11, 08) Creating a new common grourund  in our search for understanding, Richland College Emeritus Program Spring 2008 Symposium,Dallas, Texas (Panelist).

(February 11  ,08), Islamofobia and Teacher and Tedy Bear Incident in Sudan, American Religious Town Hall Meeting, Recording for TV, Dallas, Texas (Panelist) 

(January 19, 08) Islam ve Bati Sempozyumu" (Islam and West Symposium), Vienna, Austria (Panelist).

(November 2007) “Islam, Muslims in America, Muslim Life in American Democracy”, Bucharest, Romania (Series of lectures, done by the request of US State Department)

(August 31-Sept. 2, 2007), Speaker, ISNA. Annual Convention, Chicago, Illinois.

(December 16-17, 2006) Uluslararasi Muhammed Hamidullah Sempozyumu Chair, Beyan Yayinlari, Istanbul, Turkey

(September 2006) Address to the Rotary Club of Dallas, Dallas, Texas

(December 17, 2005) Preserving Islamic Memories, Collectif Hamidullah, Paris, France

(2005) Association of Muslim Social Scientists Conference, Co-Chair, Arlington, Texas

(2004) Association of Muslim Social Scientists Conference, Co-Chair, Dallas, Texas

(2004) Invocation of Inauguration of Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, Dallas, Texas

(2004) Conference on Unity, Dallas, Texas 

(2003) Organization of Chaplains Conference, Dallas, Texas

(September 2002) Address to the Rotary Club of Dallas, Dallas, Texas

(1989-Present) Regular Speaker at Annual Convention of Islamic Society of North America, Chicago, Illinois

(October 30-November 1, 1992) Conference of The Association of Muslim Social Scientists, Lansing , Michigan

(December 27-29, 1991) Muslim Student Association Seminar on “Problems and Solutions of Muslims,” Columbus, Ohio

(October 25-27, 1991) Conference of the Association of the Muslim Social Scientists, Detroit, Michigan

(September 1990) Meeting of Continental Council of Masajid, Chicago, Illinois

(October 1990) Conference of the Association of the Muslim Social Scientists, Detroit, Michigan

(1988) First International Conference on Scientific Miracles of Qur'an and Sunnah, Islamabad, Pakistan

(1987) First Congress of Islamic Banks, Istanbul, Turkey

(1987) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Organization of Islamic Conference, Istanbul, Turkey

(1986) Finance Ministers’ and National Resources Ministers’ Meeting, Organization of Islamic Conference, Istanbul, Turkey

(1986) Meetings of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation among Islamic Countries under the Organization of Islamic Conference, Istanbul, Turkey

(1986) Conference on the Establishment of Religion, Islamic Call Society, Tripoli, Libya

(1985) Turkish-Arab Relations, Turkish Arab Association, Istanbul, Turkey

(1985) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Organization of Islamic Conference, Istanbul, Turkey

(1985) Meeting of the Standing Committee For Culture and Information Among Islamic Countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference, Dakar, Senegal

(1983) Conference on Ijtihad Al-Multaqa li'l-Fikr al-Islami, Kostantiniyyah, Algeria

(1981) Conference on Islamic Revolution, Government of Islamic Republic of Iran,Tehran, Iran

(1979) Muslim Students' Association Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana

(1977) Sind Through the Centuries Conference, Karachi University and Sind University, Karachi, Pakistan

(1976) Conference on Islam-Christianity Dialogue, Islamic Call Society, Tripoli, Libya

(1976) First International Conference on Islamic Economics, King Abdulaziz University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

(1973) Congress of Orientalists, Sorbonne University, Paris, France

(1964) Annual Conference of Federation of Student Islamic Societies, Manchester, United Kingdom 

 

Signatures:

1988 Sigined, Declaration of World Thanksgiving, Dallas, Texas.

Oct.13, 2007, Signed together with 137 Muslim Scholars and Clerics of the world an open letter addressing to Pope and Christian leaders ”to leaders of Christian Churches, everywhere”  under the title “A Common Word Between Us and You” ,initiated by the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan                         

 

Publications:
Turkish:

       Muslim Jurists of Qarakhanid Period in Transoxiana (Ankara: Ataturk Universitesi Yayinlari, 1976), pp. 322

       Hisba Organization (Ankara:  Ataturk Universitesi Yayinlari ,1975), pp. XIX-150


       Syrian-Roman Code and Islamic Law, (Ankara: Ataturk Universitesi Yayinlari, 1975), pp. XI-78

       Methodology of Islamic Studies, (Ankara: Diyanet Isleri Baskanligi, 1976), pp. 215




English:
       Methodology of Islamic Research (Philadelphia: Xlibris, 2007)

 

       Fiqh, Islamic Law and Usul al-Fiqh (Philadelphia: Xlibris, 2007) (forthcoming)


       Islam Briefly (Istanbul, 1991), pp. 15

       Islamic Inheritance Law (Dallas: al-Hidaya, 1994)

 

Translations: 

      Hadith Litterature, Siddiqi M. Z. (Istanbul: Irfan Yayinevi, 1966) (from English to Turkish)

      Islam and Modern Economics, M. Hamidullah (Istanbul: Yagmur Yayinevi, 1967) (from French to Turkish)

      Al-Usrah Fi'l-Shar' al-Islami, Farrukh O. (Istanbul: Sebil Yayinevi, 1968) (from Arabic to Turkish)

     Angora Reform, Ostrorog C. L. (Istanbul: Istanbul Universitesi Edebiyat Fakultesi Yayinlari, 1972) (from English to Turkish)

     Economics of Islam, Muhammad Ahmad Mahmud (Istanbul: Dirilis Yayinlari, 1976) (from English to Turkish)

       Islam and the Problem of Economic Justice, Fazlur Rahman (Erzurum: Ataturk Universitesi Yayinlari, 1976) (from English to Turkish)

      A Travelogue of my Journey to the Cape of Good Hope, Omer Lutfi Efendi, Cape Town, South Africa (Cape Town: Federation of Islamic Organizations, 1991) (from Ottoman Turkish to English)

 

Articles:

“Islam: Its Status” in Image Magazine (2007)

"What Muslims Need in U.S.A." in Image Magazine (1992)

"The Importance of 'Ilm al Khilaf to North America" in American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, Vol. 8, Number 3 (Dec. 1991)

"Sighting the Moon and Ramadan" in Image, Magazine (1991)

"29th. Congress of Orientalists (Paris 1973)" in Islam Tetkikleri Enstitusu Dergisi vol. V, Parts 3-4, Istanbul 1974

"The Foundation of International Islamic Law" by Hans Kruse in Islam Tetkikleri Enstitusu Dergisi vol. V, Parts 3-4, Istanbul 1974 (translated from German to Turkish)

 

Texts Ready for Publication:

Turkish:

        Bibliography of Islamic Law

        America I saw and My Comments

Arabic:

        al-Furuq by al-Karabisi: A textual criticism in Arabic

English: 

      Multaqa 'l-Abhur by Ibrahim al-Halabi (Translation from Arabic into English, 250 single spaced pages, draft)

       Travel Accounts of Cape of Good Hope by Omer Lutfi Efendi (Translation from Ottoman Turkish into English, 130 single spaced pages)

 

Works under Study:

Islamic Issues of Muslims in America: An Analytical Study and Suggestions for Solutions

 

Languages:

Turkish, Arabic, Persian, English, German (reading level) and Ottoman Turkish.

 

Personal:

Born in 1938, Hendek, Sakarya, Turkey

Naturalized US Citizen