Established in 1996, founded by Hadhrat Shaikh Maulana Yusuf Motala, rector and Shaikhul Hadith of Darul Uloom Bury, the Azhar Academy aims to promote Islamic education and an understanding of Islam among the Muslim and wider non-Muslim community. It is strategically placed in South and East London, and is providing a unique range of previously unavailable services to the suburban areas of the capital city and the South East, now the gateway to Europe.