Farhat Hashmi is one of the most influential Pakistani-Canadian Islamic scholar and public speaker. She gained popularity as a feminist scholar both in Pakistan and abroad. She is the founder of Al-Huda Institute. The aim of the foundation is to teach the Qur’an and Hadith to women with the intention to make women be the better observant Muslims, in today’s world. She was awarded with a merit scholarship to precede her PhD degree from the University of Glasgow Scotland. The university awarded her the title of Doctor. She was a former lecturer and assistant professor at the Faculty of Usal-al-Din at International Islamic University, Islamabad. In 2004, the foundation established Al-Huda institute in Mississauga and Ontario Canada. The institute offers courses regarding the in-depth understanding of Qur’an and Hadith and attracts students from a number of foreign countries.

In 2015 Hashmi has been honored with Women’s Icon of Pakistan award. She is the recipient of International Contribution to Dawah Award in 2016. She has been named in the list of The 500 Most Influential Muslims of 2020.