Posts in category: Islamic Studies

Sabiq Al-Tihami studied at Al-Azhar Institute and graduated from the College of Sharia in 1947. He held different administrative and academic responsibilities including a Deputy Director of the Department of Mosques, a Director of the Department of Training and Cultural Affairs of the Egyptian Ministry of Endowments, a Director of the Egyptian Mabarra (an Egyptian Government charitable organization) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, a Lecturer at al-Azhar Institute in Cairo and finally Chairman of the Department of Sharia, and a Professor of Graduate Studies at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah.

One of Shaikh At-Tihami’s most important concerns was to present often intricate Islamic laws in a manner that is readily comprehended by students and ordinary Muslims alike. This is best exemplified by his eloquent 3-volume text, Fiqh Al-Sunnah (Sunni Sharia Laws). The style in which this book was written, and the wealth of information it contains, makes it an indispensable source for students throughout the Islamic world. It has been translated into several languages.

Shaikh Al-Tihami authored more than 10 other books andnumerous articles on Islamic laws and other aspects of the Islamic creed, including: Characteristics of Islamic Sharia; Sources of Islamic Sharia; Islamic Doctrines; Our Creed; Elements of Power in Islam, and Call to Islam. He was an active participant in Islamic Conferences; due to his versatile knowledge and lecturing skills, he was frequently invited by Muslim communities in Europe, the United States of America, and the former Soviet Union to lecture.

Shaikh Al-Tihami was awarded Egypt’s Order of Merit (First Class) in 1989 for his lifelong academic contributions and outstanding services to his country.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Yusuf Al-Qaradawi memorized the Holy Quran by the age of nine. He was educated in Al-Azhar, receiving the Alimiyya degree in 1952 from the College of Usul Alad-Din (Religious Fundamentals of Islam), a Post-Graduate Diploma in Arabic Language Studies in 1958 from the Institute of Advanced Studies in Arabic Language and Literature, and a Master’s degree in 1960 and a Ph.D. in 1973 from the Department of Quranic Studies at the College of Usul Al-Din.

Professor Al-Qaradawi’s contributions include more than 120 books and articles on different Islamic issues, ranging from the fundamental principles and laws of Islam to the needs and challenges of modern Muslim societies. He is also famous for his popular poplular Al-Jazeera Television program Al-Shariah Wa Al-Hayat (Sharia and Life), with an estimated 40 million viewers worldwide, and Islam Online, a website he established in 1997. Many of his books have been translated into other languages. Shaikh Al-Qaradawi’s contributions to the study of Islamic law are best illustrated in his book Fiqh Al-Zakat, a major reference in the Islamic world.

Professor Al-Qaradawi was the founder and the Dean of the College of Shari’a and Islamic Studies and the founder and current Director of Sunnah Research Center at Qatar University. He is also the President of the World Muslim Scholars Association, the European Council for Islamic Guidance and Research, the Supervisory Commissions of Islamic Banks of Qatar and Bahrain, Vice-President of the International Commission for Alms in Kuwait, and Member of the Islamic Academy of Fiqh of the World Muslim League and several other Islamic research institutions and charity organizations. He is a trustee of Oxford University Center for Islamic Studies and has been recently named technical consultant for an epic movie in English on the Prophet Muhammad.

Professor Al-Qaradawi received the Islamic International bank prize in 1990.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Hasan Al-Sa’ati received his B.A. in English Language from Fuad Al-Awal University in Cairo in 1938, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from London University in 1946. After graduation, he served at the High Institute for Social Services in Halwan and Alexandria University before joining Ain Shams University, where he became a Professor of Sociology at the College of Arts, and the Dean of the College between 1961-1968. After his retirement, he was named a Professor Emeritus at Ain Shams.

Professor Al-Sa’ati was a pioneer Arab sociologist and educator. His professional studies in sociology were published in numerous scholarly articles in Arabic and English, as well as 16 books including: Social Dynamics in Industry: A Monographic Study of an Egyptian Enterprise; The Middle Classes in Egypt; The New Aristocracy, and Bourgeoisie in Egyptian Society: Applications of Socialism; Sociology and Development in Contemporary Egypt, and Youth and Violence and Religion: Secularization and De-Secularization.

Professor Al-Sa’ati’s studies combined a deep understanding of theory with a keen awareness of the society’s actual workings, and an insistent attempt to explore a field long dominated by Western thought. His research on sociology from the Islamic perspective, such as his articles on the role of Islam in the social and economic development of Egypt and the impact of urbanization and modern industrialization in Islamic societies, as well as his other studies of broader aspects of sociology, influenced an entire generation of sociologists in Egypt and the Arab world.

Professor Al Sa’ati was awarded the Egyptian Order (Second Class) in 1977, an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Al-Awzai’ Islamic College in Lebanon in 1990, and the Egyptian State Prize for Social Sciences in 1992.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Al-Seddiq Al-Darir graduated from Law School and obtained his Ph.D. in Islamic religious law (Sharia) from Cairo University in Egypt in 1967. He was a Professor Emeritus at Khartoum University, and a member of Arabic Language Academy in Khartoum, the Islamic Fiqh Academy in Jeddah, and the Islamic Fiqh Academy of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Makkah, and an honorary member of the Indian Islamic Academy at Aligarh. He was also a member of the Supervisory Commission of Islamic Financial Institutions in Bahrain, and Chairman of the Supervisory Commission of Islamic Banks, Financing, and Insurance Institutions in Sudan and was considered the pioneer of that field in Sudan.

Shaikh Al-Darir started his career as an administrator before joining the Faculty of Law in Khartoum University, where he became a Professor of Islamic Sharia. He authored a number of books on Islamic financial dealings such as terms of contracts, insurance, banking, equities and loans. These books include: Insurance Contracts in Islam; Family Law System in Sharia Courts in the Sudan, and Al-Gharar in Contracts and its effect on Contemporary Transaction. The last-mentioned text is particularly important, thoroughly researched and well-documented work that reflects Al-Darir’s deep knowledge of the fundamental economic concepts of Islam and their applications in contemporary economics and finance. Professor Al-Darir also wrote many scholarly articles on Islamic financial dealings and participated in conferences and lectured at several Arab universities.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Muhammed Chabra received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Karachi University in 1956, and a Ph.D. at Minnesota University in 1961. He worked at the Institute of Development Economics and the Islamic Research Institute in Pakistan, then as a research assistant at Minnesota, and associate professor of economics at Wisconsin and Kentucky Universities, before becoming Consultant to the Saudi Arabian Monetary Organization for 34 years.

An accomplished scholar of Islamic economics, Chapra made seminal contributions to Islamic economics and finance over the past several decades. He published around 15 books and monographs and more than 90 articles and book reviews. One of his groundbreaking contributions is his book Towards a Just Monetary System (1985). Reviewing that book in the Bulletin of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, Professor Wilson of the University of Durham described it as “the most lucid presentation yet of the monetary theory of Islam.” Chapra’s books were translated into many languages and are taught in universities worldwide. He delivered numerous invited lectures and participated in hundreds of conferences worldwide.

Dr. Chapra is currently a Research Advisor at the Islamic Research and Training Institute of the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah. He is a member of the Royal Economic Society (London), the American Economic Association, the Saudi Economic Association, and the Islamic Economic Association. He is also a member of the editorial boards of a number of prestigious international journals of economics.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Saleh Al-Ali received his Ph.D. from Oxford University in 1945, and was a research fellow at Harvard in the 1950s. For several decades, he was a Professor and a Professor Emeritus of Islamic History at the College of Arts and Sciences in Baghdad University, and an active participant in the cultural and intellectual life of his country. He was also Dean of the Institute for Higher Islamic Studies, member of Baghdad University Council and Acting President of the Center for Revival of Arab Scientific Heritage. He was also an honorary member, an associate member, and a corresponding member of the Arabic language academies of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, the Islamic Academy in Aligarh (India), the Jordanian Royal Academy for Islamic Civilization Research, and the Spanish Islamic Institute in Madrid. He was the President of the Iraqi Academy from 1978 to 1996.

Professor Saleh Ahmed Al-Ali was an accomplished scholar of Islamic history. He authored, edited and translated more than 25 books in addition to 170 articles, research papers and review articles dealing with different aspects of Islamic history and thought. His authoritative texts: The Social and Economic Structure of Basra During the First Century AH and Plans of Basra Region encompass a detailed characterization of Islamic cities during the early post-Islamic era and are examples of Al-Ali’s distinction. Other major books by Al-Ali, all of which testify to his exceptional erudition, include: Baghdad Layout of the 5th Hejira Century; Architectural Features of Baghdad; and Baghdad, City of Peace. Professor Al-Ali also wrote on governance and affairs of the Islamic State and translated Rosenthal’s: A History of Muslim Historiography and other books in his field.

Professor Al-Ali received the Jalal Sadiq Prize in Cairo in 1945.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Miqdad Yalçin commenced his education in Turkey, continued it in Syria, and completed it in Al-Azhar University and Dar Al-Ulum College in Cairo. After receiving his doctorate degree and general and special diplomas in education from Egypt, he returned to Turkey to teach at the College of Theology in Ankara University. In 1980, he was employed by the Department of Education in the College of Social Studies at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, where he became a professor of Islamic studies.

Professor Yalçin published numerous research articles, conference papers and nearly 60 books in Arabic and Turkish, dealing predominantly with Islamic education and related topics. His major works in education include: The Role of Islamic Education in Building the Individual, The Society and Civilization, Educational Psychology in Islam (jointly with Yusuf Al- Kadi), and Foundations of the Islamic Education Theory.

These texts illustrate Yalçin’s deep knowledge of fundamental principles of Islamic education and their impact on the Muslim’s personality and ideals, which are the foundations of an Islamic nation. His books also discuss Islamic education as it compares to modern educational concepts based on contemporary western thought.

Yalçin participated in editing an Encyclopedia of Islamic Education.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

After Mohammad Kotb had completed his general education, he obtained a degree in English Language at Fuad Al-Awwal University in 1940, and a Diploma from the High Institute for Education and Psychology in Cairo in 1941.

He worked for some time as an English language teacher, then joined the Egyptian National Library (Dar Al-Kutub Al-Misriyya) and was subsequently appointed translator in the Egyptian Ministry of Education. Thereafter, he was transferred to the Department of Culture in the Ministry of Higher Education as a supervisor of the 1000-book project, which was launched to produce books at affordable prices. In 1972, he moved to Saudi Arabia as a teacher in the Sharia College in Makkah.

Mr. Kotb was a prominent Islamic educator and thinker. He is also a prolific writer and orator. In addition to hundreds of articles and popular lectures, he authored close to 35 books dealing with a wide range of educational, social, psychological, historical, theological and contemporary issues concerning Muslims. His two-volume book, The Methodology of Islamic Education, is an insightful account of present-day concepts of education from an Islamic perspective.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Abdulaziz Al-Duri obtained his B.A. from London University in 1940, and his Ph.D. in Islamic History from the same university in 1942. Since then, he had been teaching Islamic history in Iraq and Jordan for more than half a century. During his tenure in Iraq, he became the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Baghdad University, President of the University and subsequently President of the Higher Council of Iraqi Universities. He was also the President of the Iraqi Association of Writers and Authors, and a visiting professor at the American University in Beirut and the School of African and Oriental Studies in London. He was a member of the Iraqi Academy of Science, the Royal Jordanian Academy for Islamic Civilization Research (Al Al-Bayt Foundation for Islamic Thought), and the Council of Custodians of the Library of Alexandria; he was also an honorary member of the Jordanian Arabic language Academy and a corresponding member of the Arab Language Academies in Cairo and Damascus.

Professor Al-Duri was a prominent Arab scholar of Islamic history, especially Islamic economic history. He authored and co-authored around 20 books and numerous scholarly articles dealing with various economical, cultural, and historical aspects of the Islamic civilization. His erudition, originality, and clarity of thought gained him wide recognition throughout the Arab and Islamic worlds. Some of his keynote books, such as his illustrious book: The Economic History of Iraq During the 7th Century A.H., were translated into English, German, Turkish and other languages.

Professor Al-Duri’s distinguished contributions to Islamic economic history were recognized by a number of prestigious awards and honors. He was awarded both the Order of Independence (First Class) and the Distinguished Order of Education in Jordan, as well as an Honorary Doctorate degree from Halle-Wittenberg University in Germany, and the Iraqi Academy of Science prize.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Mohammed Rashad completed his general education and took a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Fuad Al-Awal University. He pursued higher education in the U.K. and obtained his Ph.D. in the Islamic Doctrine at Cambridge University. He taught for many years at Ain Shams University in Cairo, then traveled to Saudi Arabia where he taught at King Saud University, then at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh.

Professor Mohammad Rashad Salim, a graduate of Cambridge University, was an accomplished Muslim writer and thinker. He authored or edited a number of keynote books on Islamic doctrine, including his illustrious, 11-volume edition of Ibn Taimiyyah’s (1) Dar’a Ta’arudh Al-Aqil Wa Al-Naql (Avoiding Clashes of Thought and Tradition), which remains one of the most influential texts on the Islamic doctrine. Most of his other editions were also focused on the thought and works of Ibn Taimiyya e.g., his editions of: The Path of the Prophet’s Sunnah (2) (8 volumes), Al-Safadiyya (2 volumes) and Righteousness (2 volumes).

Professor Mohammed Rashad was a recipient of the Egyptian State Prize for Islamic Philosophy in 1972 and the Order of Sciences, Literature and Arts in the same year.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.