Ismaili Studies

In the mid 70's, Mehboob was one of the young Ismaili Muslim who deeply starved for religious education in the Western world. This was a period when the Community was struggling to settle in Canada for the very first time. In terms of religious education, the need for qualified missionaries and teachers was more than ever before. In the midst of this considerable vacuum, Mehboob was lucky to obtain the very basic training from Ismailia Association for Ontario (now ITREB). For his intermediate training, he turned to his learned grand-father, Rai Abdul Mohammed Kamadia, who frequently chaired sessions of learning and wisdom among the waezin and the learned. To acquire advance knowledge on Shiism and Ismaili Shiism in particular, Mehboob studied works of Pre-Fatimid, Fatimid and post-Fatimid intellectual missionaries.  It should be emphasized that these works were not only rare but very difficult to locate.  In this period, there were no publications from the Institute of Ismaili Studies.

To further quench his intellectual thirst, Mehboob began to sponge knowledge from various renowned senior missionaries and scholars who were scattered around the world. Some among them were the late Mohammed Bachal, Mohamed Kamaludin, Babul, Dr. Azim Nanji, Dr. Aziz Esmail and Dr. Faqir Mohammed.  The late Missionary Dr. Abualy Alibhai played a major role in Mehboob's pursuit of intellectual, scientific, spiritual and mystical knowledge in Islam in general and Ismaili Shiism in particular.

In mid 90's, Mehboob was convinced that the Canadian and global Ismaili Jamats were in dire need of qualified theologians and scholars. The late Professor Mohammed Arkoun reinforced Mehboob's conviction.

Professor Arkoun was widely known pioneering scholar of contemporary Islamic thought.  In one of his moving addresses in Toronto, the late Arkoun boldly remarked that the Community urgently needed scholars like Dr. Azim Nanji and passionately appealed to younger generation to courageously step forward and play an effective role in supporting the cause of the Imam-of-the-Time.  Mehboob was even more encouraged to engage with the academic world, even though he was forty.

Academic Studies

To become a highly effective ambassador of Ismaili Islam and possess an ability to converse in modern terminology, Mehboob embarked on a journey to the world of scholarship.  In 1994, he committed to a 6-year University of Toronto's unique curriculum specializing in the Study of Religion. To enhance his academic & Ismaili studies, he travelled far and wide. These travels and experiences broadened his intellectual horizons and deepened his understanding of people, cultures, religions, civilizations, arts and socio-economic lifestyles.  

University of Toronto Curriculum

During his academic years, Mehboob aimed to build bridges between Islam & science, politics and religions.  In essence, Mehboob had to become a versatile scholar in order to engage in meaningful and effective dialogues. To derive the very best from the University of Toronto's liberal humanistic education (Honours BA), Mehboob's curriculum was architected with an impeccable logic.

At the outset, Mehboob had committed to a rare multi-disciplinary academic approach; an approach which sought to study the monotheistic, polytheistic and atheistic traditions of humanity. Next, in order to obtain a holistic education, he integrated political and scientific studies in the curriculum. Third, Mehboob carefully selected courses. Fourth, Mehboob reinforced his academic studies with several field trips to Central Asia, Europe, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent. Fifth, Mehboob sought permission to write lengthy scholarly papers. Sixth, professors authorized Mehboob to grapple with two kinds of specialized topics: subject matters which had never been presented as well as rare topics which were handled by a few world authorities.

It is precisely this formula which gave birth to a remarkable research covering a wide spectrum of knowledge-information with links to Judaism, Christianity, Islam including  Ismaili Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, education, film, history, philosophy, politics and science - social & natural. A significant part of this research is captured in Mehboob's academic papers. Some of the themes and topics Mehboob had grappled with include:

i.        An insightful outline & assessment of "knowledge" which originates from Revelation & Science; A detailed overview of Islamic Civilization emerging from the message of Revelation to the Abbasid, Umayyad and Fatimid periods followed by Western Christendom, Renaissance, Enlightenment, Scientific Revolutions and Modernity where the ship of humanity is sinking in a turbulent sea of ignorance.