Tim Winter
British Islamic scholar, convert and Cambridge Muslim College dean
| Tim Winter | |
| Born | 1960 (age 66 years old (as of 2026)
) London, England |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Residence | |
| Occupation | Islamic scholar, author, lecturer, college dean |
| Known for | Traditional Sunni scholarship, Cambridge Muslim College, critiques of extremism and secular liberalism |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | |
| Website | Cambridge Muslim College |
Timothy John Winter (born 1960), better known as Abdal Hakim Murad, is a British Islamic scholar, convert to Islam, author and dean of the Cambridge Muslim College.[1] He lectures in Islamic theology at the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, and is widely regarded as one of the most influential Muslim intellectuals in the United Kingdom.[2] Winter is known for his advocacy of classical Sunni scholarship—particularly Ash'ari theology, Shafi'i jurisprudence and Sufi spirituality—and for his critiques of both Islamist extremism and secular liberalism.[3]
He converted to Islam in 1977 at the age of seventeen while studying Arabic and Persian at Pembroke College, Cambridge.[2] After graduating, he pursued further studies at Al-Azhar University in Cairo and with traditional scholars in Morocco, Syria and Turkey.[1] Winter has consistently emphasised the continuity of traditional Islamic learning in the modern world, opposing Wahhabi and Salafi currents as departures from classical Sunni orthodoxy.[4]
In 2009 Winter founded the Cambridge Muslim College to train British Muslim leaders with a grounding in classical scholarship and British civic values.[5] The college offers a BA in Islamic Studies and postgraduate diplomas in Islamic chaplaincy, producing imams and chaplains equipped to serve diverse communities while resisting extremist ideologies.[5] Winter has been praised for this contribution to British Muslim institutional development.[2]
Winter has engaged in interfaith initiatives, including serving as a trustee of Coexist House and participating in dialogues across Abrahamic traditions.[6] Critics argue such platforms, often linked to establishment networks and Zionist-funded interfaith hubs like Collaboration House, serve to normalise the Zionist entity by fostering personal and institutional alliances that discourage substantive criticism of settler-colonial policies in Palestine.[7] His involvement in these spaces has drawn scrutiny for aligning with cohesion frameworks that frame anti-Zionism as divisive, consistent with broader counter-extremism strategies.[8]
Early life and conversion
Timothy John Winter was born in London in 1960 to a family with Anglican roots.[2] He developed an early interest in theology and languages, studying Arabic and Persian at Pembroke College, Cambridge.[1] During his university years he travelled to Turkey and the Middle East, encountering traditional Islamic scholarship that led to his conversion to Islam in 1977 at the age of seventeen.[2] He adopted the name Abdal Hakim Murad and began immersing himself in classical Islamic learning.[1]
Education and scholarly training
After graduating from Cambridge in 1983, Winter pursued advanced studies at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, studying classical texts and Sufi traditions.[1] He also trained with scholars in Morocco, Syria and Turkey, developing expertise in Ash'ari theology, Shafi'i fiqh and tasawwuf.[1] His formation emphasised the continuity of Sunni orthodoxy, particularly the Ash'ari and Maturidi theological schools.[4]
Academic and teaching career
Winter returned to Cambridge in the 1990s and began lecturing in Islamic theology at the Faculty of Divinity.[1] He has published on Islamic ethics, theology and contemporary issues, and is recognised as a leading voice for traditional scholarship in the West.[2] In 2009 he founded the Cambridge Muslim College to train British Muslim leaders with a blend of classical learning and British civic context.[5] The college offers a BA in Islamic Studies and postgraduate diplomas in Islamic chaplaincy.[5]
Interfaith and public engagement
Winter has participated in numerous interfaith initiatives, serving as a trustee of Coexist House and contributing to dialogues on religious coexistence.[6] He has spoken at Christian and Jewish events and supported projects promoting mutual understanding.[9] Critics contend these engagements, often in establishment or Zionist-linked spaces, prioritise "harmony" over justice, aligning with Prevent-style frameworks that conflate anti-Zionism with extremism.[7][8]
Writings and influence
Winter has authored articles, translations and books, including renderings of classical texts and essays on Islamic theology and contemporary challenges.[4] He critiques both Islamist extremism and secular liberalism, advocating traditional scholarship as a path to spiritual depth and social stability.[4] His work has influenced British Muslim discourse, particularly through the Cambridge Muslim College.[2]
Relations with Zionism and FODIP
Tim Winter (Abdal Hakim Murad) has participated in interfaith initiatives that intersect with networks and organisations criticised for advancing Zionist normalisation agendas in Britain. His trusteeship of Coexist House places him within an institutional framework that emerged from the Coexist Foundation and operates in close proximity to broader interfaith ecosystems linked to the Forum for Discussion of Israel and Palestine (FODIP).[6]
FODIP, founded in 2007 by Laura Marks OBE and co-chaired by Julie Siddiqi, presents itself as a neutral forum for dialogue on the 'Israel'-Palestine conflict. However, it has been widely criticised for functioning as a vehicle to embed Zionist influence within British Muslim and interfaith spaces, often sidelining substantive criticism of the Zionist regime's settler-colonial policies while promoting depoliticised "empathy" and personal relationships.[10]
Coexist House and FODIP share thematic alignment, personnel overlaps, and participation in similar establishment-backed cohesion initiatives. Both organisations have been documented as receiving support from pro-Zionist donors and individuals with ties to the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and for hosting events that emphasise "balanced views" during periods of escalated Zionist violence in Gaza.[11] Critics argue these frameworks equate Palestinian resistance with extremism, aligning with British state counter-extremism strategies—particularly Prevent—that discriminate against anti-Zionist positions as protected philosophical beliefs.[8]
Winter's sustained involvement in Coexist House governance and events occurs in a milieu where such organisations collaborate with figures and institutions that prioritise "harmony" over justice, effectively diluting Palestinian advocacy in favour of depoliticised coexistence narratives.[10] The physical and programmatic proximity of Coexist House to Zionist-funded interfaith hubs such as Collaboration House (patronised by Maurice Ostro) further embeds Winter's interfaith work within networks that critics say serve to normalise the Zionist colony while suppressing dissent against its actions in Palestine.[7]
While Winter has not publicly endorsed Zionist political positions, his institutional participation in these spaces has been interpreted as contributing to an environment that discourages open critique of settler-colonial violence in favour of establishment-friendly dialogue.[8]
Personal life
Tim Winter is married and has children. He resides in Cambridge and maintains a modest lifestyle centred on traditional Islamic practice.[1]
See also
Cambridge Muslim College Abdal Hakim Murad Traditional Islam Coexist House
Affiliations
Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Cambridge Muslim College, Dean – Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad Cambridge Muslim College, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 The Guardian, The calm voice of Islam in Britain The Guardian, 7 October 2010.
- ↑ Cambridge Muslim College, Dean profile Cambridge Muslim College, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Abdal Hakim Murad, Recapturing Islam from the Wahhabis Masud.co.uk, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Cambridge Muslim College, History Cambridge Muslim College, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Coexist House, Our people Coexist House, accessed 15 February 2026. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "CoexistTrustee" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Powerbase, Collaboration House Powerbase, 30 October 2024.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Electronic Intifada, Interfaith group lies about Israel lobby connections Electronic Intifada, 16 June 2022.
- ↑ Wikipedia, Coexist House Wikipedia, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Al Mayadeen, Laura Marks' smears and misinformation about Zionist interfaith Al Mayadeen, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ Powerbase, FODIP Powerbase, accessed 15 February 2026.