Dr Hayward has taught Islamic Studies in many elite institutions, including the Royal Air Force College (UK), of which he served as Dean for five years, Khalifah University (UAE), where he headed Humanities and Social Sciences, the National Defence College of the UAE and the Cambridge Muslim College, which he has led since 2023. He weaves together classical Islamic knowledge and methodologies and the source-critical Western historical method to make innovative yet carefully reasoned sense of complex historical issues that are still important in today’s world. His books on Islam include: Warfare in the Qur’an (2012), War is Deceit: An Analysis of a Contentious Hadith (2017), Civilian Immunity in Foundational Islamic Strategic Thought (2019), and The Leadership of Muhammad ﷺ: A Historical Reconstruction (2021). The latter won the illustrious prize of Best International Non-Fiction Book at the 2021 Sharjah International Book Awards. His latest book (2022) is The Warrior Prophet: Muhammad ﷺ & War.