Mohd Saiful Anwar Mohd Nawawi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fiqh-Usul and Applied Sciences, Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya.

Trained in both Shariah and Science, his scholarship explores how scientific knowledge informs Islamic legal reasoning, institutional governance, and public policy. Using contemporary Islamic astronomy as a principal field of inquiry, his research examines how empirical evidence, computational methods, and emerging technologies support the interpretation and application of Shariah in matters relating to religious observance in contemporary Muslim societies.

His research encompasses lunar crescent visibility, Hijri calendar governance, prayer time calculation, Qibla determination, and the examination of classical juristic concepts through empirical astronomical evidence. Beyond theoretical inquiry, his work contributes to the development and evaluation of astronomical methodologies, technical guidelines, and evidence-based approaches to Shariah governance. Through interdisciplinary collaboration with religious authorities, government agencies, and academic institutions, he contributes to research that informs fatwas (Islamic legal rulings), institutional practices, and policy decisions, particularly in lunar crescent observation and prayer time determination.

His research has been published in journals across Islamic studies and the sciences, including Jurnal Syariah, Jurnal Fiqh, Icarus, Scientific Reports, New Astronomy, and Astronomy and Computing. He is also a co-author of Python for Islamic Astronomy: Modern Computational Approaches to Hijri Calendar, Qibla, and Prayer Times (CRC Press/Routledge, 2025).

He currently serves as President of Persatuan Jurufalak Syarie (JUFAS) and as an expert panel member for government agencies and religious institutions.