There are a lot of voices out there teaching Islam, why should you listen to me? What do I have to offer you that is not already being offered somewhere else, by someone else?Like you, I had questions early on about Islam, religion, life, etc., and the answer “that’s just the way it is!” never proved satisfactory for me. For the past quarter century my quest has taken me to numerous universities in Northern America (including Princeton where I obtained my PhD in Islamic studies) as well as several centers of Sunni learning throughout the Muslim world, most notably al-Azhar seminary in Cairo where I did the bulk of my training. While I don’t think a drop down list of my CV will be useful, I do want to highlight the following, as it is essential to answering the questions we began with:• My undergraduate degree was in comparative religions, with a focus on Judaism.• My first MA degree was in a special combined program of Hinduism and Islam, where I was exposed to a deep study of the Dharmic faiths.• While my seminary training covered the major Islamic disciplines, my focus was on Islamic law and Sufism.• I concluded my formal studies at Princeton, obtaining my PhD in contemporary Islamic law in 2014.In addition to my studies, both formal and informal, western and seminary, I have been an entrepreneur since 2003. I formed two successful companies (still going!), and run a charitable foundation (The Coexist Foundation) all while keeping up with my studies, teaching, and writing. My business experience has given me the opportunity to work on some of the most challenging and sensitive issues related to Islam and the public square today. I have worked with: large media corporations, leading newspapers and news magazines, investment banks, heads of state, military personal, law enforcement groups, intelligence officers, universities, and international faith leaders of various traditions. Accordingly, I have a great deal of experience with:• The relationship between Islam, scholars, and government.• The process and trends of issuing fatwas in the contemporary Muslim world, including leading opinions on hot topic issues.• Addressing the threat of violence and extremism.• The inner workings of how both government and media cover Islam.I mention all of this for one specific reason: my study of Islam, coupled with the work that I do, give me some unique insights into how we make sense of Islam today; how we apply something we hold dear, timeless, and sacred in a rapidly changing world.