Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saiful Anwar Mohd Nawawi is an academic in Islamic Studies, trained in both Shariah and Science, and dedicated to using scientific knowledge in service of Shariah and in addressing contemporary societal needs.

He holds a Bachelor of Shariah, a Master of Science, and a PhD from the Universiti Malaya, and has further enriched his expertise through short academic programs at WISE University (Jordan), the Islamic University of Madinah (Saudi Arabia), the University of Cambridge (UK), Sakarya University (Türkiye), and Dar al-Ifta’ (Egypt).

His research addresses pressing issues shaping the Muslim world, focusing on how astronomy serves Islam - including Crescent Moon Visibility, the Hijri Calendar, Fiqh al-Falak, Falak and Sustainable Development, Qibla and Prayer Time.

He has contributed to numerous national and government-supported projects, including studies on moon-sighting criteria, imaging techniques for crescent observation, synchronization of the Hijri calendar, zoning for prayer times, refinement of Subuh  parameters, lunar influences on climate, Shariah-based frameworks for sustainable astronomical practices,  the determination of two marhalah, qaryah, and balad rates from a contemporary fiqh perspective as well as Qibla, and halal compliance.

Many of these initiatives, developed in collaboration with Malaysia’s national agencies and fellow researchers have contributed to shaping national policies, enactments, or guidelines, strengthening the integration of science with Islamic legal practice.

Dr. Saiful and his team publish in Islamic Studies journals, including Jurnal Syariah, Jurnal Fiqh, Malaysian Journal of Syariah and Law, Jurnal al-Tamaddun, and the Journal of Islamic Marketing.

They also contribute to  scientific journals such as New Astronomy, Astronomy and Computing, ICARUS, and Sains Malaysiana, Malaysian Journal of Science among others. Many of their publications are indexed in Scopus and Web of Science.

He currently serves as Associate Professor at the Department of Fiqh & Usul, University of Malaya, President of the Islamic Astronomers Association of Malaysia (Persatuan Jurufalak Syarie), and Deputy President of the Southeast Asia Islamic Astronomy Association (SEAIAA).

He also sits on expert panels for various government agencies related to his field of expertise. Passionate about collaboration, he actively works to connect scholars, scientists, and policymakers worldwide.