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List of contemporary Islamic scholars

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List of Modern-day Muslim scholars (20th to 21st century), i.e. scholars on Islam who are themselves Muslim.
See Muslim scholarship for disambiguation.


MUST HAVE WIKI ENTRY

  • Entries in the main section MUST HAVE their own wiki page to be listed here as a scholar.
  • If scholar does not have his/her own wiki Entry, he/she is moved to the bottom of the page under 'MISSING WIKI ENTRY'
  • General Muslim Speakers, Activists, Politicians, who do not qualify as a scholar per se, are moved to the bottom of the page under the listing 'GENERAL ENTRIES'
  • It is preferred that entries be moved to the bottom instead of being deleted outright to allow a broad range of participation and difference of opinion.

North America

  • Hamza Yusuf - (1960-) Public speaker, Shaykh Hamza spent years studying Islam and Arabic in the Muslim world following his conversion in 1977. Recently founded California-based Zaytuna Institute to implement his vision of a revival of islamic sciences.
  • Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips - (1952-) Jamaican-born Dr. Philips of Canada has virtually lived overseas since his conversion, for decades studying and preaching in Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, UK, and U.A.E. at various times. A popular TV personality, he is also a prolific author of numerous books and audio material.
  • Imam Zaid Shakir - (1956-) Closely associated with Hamza Yusuf, like whom, he converted to Islam in 1977 and studied in Syria for seven years thereafter and now features at the Zaytuna Institute in California.
  • Nuh Ha Mim Keller - (1954-) Translator of classical Islamic books and a specialist in Islamic Law, Shaykh Nuh is also n authorised sheikh in tasawwuf in the Shadhili Sufi order and currently lives in Amman, Jordan.
  • Sherman Jackson - is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Visiting Professor of Law and Professor of Afro-American Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
  • Leila Ahmed - (1940-) Egyptian-born Ahmed is a professor of Women's Studies and Religion at Harvard and has authored works on Islamic history and Muslim feminism.
  • Laleh Bakhtiar - (1938-) Chicago-based Iranian-American Muslim convert Dr. Bakhtiar is a psychologist, book publisher, editor, translator of numerous classical works, including 'The Sublime Quran, an English translation of the Qur'an. She has lectured extensively in both academic and religious institutions.
  • Asma Barlas - (1950-) Pakistani-born Prof. Barlas of New York is the author of several books on Islam and Muslims with emphasis of emancipatory interpretation of the Quran and Islamic feminism.
  • Ingrid Mattson - (1963-) Canadian Muslim convert Prof. Mattson holds a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Chicago. In 2001 she was elected Vice-President of ISNA and in 2006 she was elected the first female President of the organization.
  • Amina Wadud - (1952-) American Muslim convert Prof. Wadud is an Islamic feminist, imam, scholar, author and activist and a visiting professor at Gadyah Mada University's Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies in Indonesia.
  • Jamal Badawi - Egyptian-born Prof. Badawi is a long-time faculty at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is a well-known author, activist, preacher and speaker on Islam and Muslims, having researched and starred in a 352-segment television series on Islam.
  • Seyyed Hossein Nasr - (1933-) Iranian-born Prof. Nasr from George Washington University is a prolific writer in the fields of Islamic Esotericism, Sufism, Philosophy of Science, and Metaphysics.
  • Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo - (1960-) Former Imam of the Islamic Center of Boulder, Colorado, UC-Berkley graduate Imam Zarabozo, originally of Spanish heritage, is a prolific writer.
  • Taha Jabir Alalwani - (1935-) Iraqi-born Dr. Alalwani was previously chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America. He writes frequently on the Islamization of Knowledge, the need for Ijtihad, and Muslim Minority Jurisprudence.
  • Muqtedar Khan - (1966-) Indian-born Prof and Director of Islamic Studies at the University of Delaware has authored several books and articles on Islam, Islamic philosophy, international and interfaith relations. He has a reputation for a critical advocacy of tolerance and compassion in the understanding of Islam.
  • Ahmad Kutty - (1946-) Dr. Kutty, originally from Kerala, India, is a long-time founding member of numerous Islamic organizations in Canada, having completed his Doctoral studies in Shari’ah thought at McGill University.
  • Wael Hallaq - (1955-) Palestinian-American Dr. Hallaq is Professor in the Humanities at Columbia University and has numerous academic works in the field of Islamic Law and Philosophy to his credit.
  • Jerald F. Dirks - (1950-) Dr. Dirks is a former ordained Methodist minister, Harvard Divinity College graduate, Muslim convert and popular author of several books on Islam and Christianity.
  • Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi - (1975-) is an American Imam of Indian parentage, currently pursuing doctoral studies at Yale University, having graduated in Islamic Studies from Islamic University of Madinah.
  • Muzammil H. Siddiqi - (1943-) is an American Islamic scholar, theologian and chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America.
  • Khaled Abou El Fadl - (1963-) is a professor of law at the UCLA School of Law where he teaches Islamic law, immigration, human rights, international and national security law.
  • Omid Safi - is Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where he specializes on Islamic mysticism (Sufism), contemporary Islamic thought and medieval Islamic history.

Great Britain

  • Abu-Abdullah Adelabu - London based Nigerian born Muslim cleric, academic and publisher is the founder and Amir (i.e. President) of Awqaf Africa London and Awqaf Africa Muslim Open College. Sheikh Adelabu studied in Damascus Syria, where he obtained a Ph. D. Degree. His students are behind several Islamic publications including EsinIslam.com, IslamAfrica.com and Delab International magazine.e
  • Ahmad Thomson - Rhodesian-born British barrister and Muslim convert Ahmad Thomson is a high profile public figure for Islam in Britain, with several books to his credit.
  • Abdalqadir as-Sufi - (1930-) Scotsman Abdalqadir as-Sufi is the leader of the Darqawi-Shadhili-Qadiri Sufi Tariqa, founder of the influential Murabitun Movement and author of numerous books on Islam, Sufism (Tasawwuf) and political theory.
  • Abdal Hakim Murad - (1960-) High profile British convert T.J. Winter is Shaykh Zayed Lecturer of Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University and has several translations of classical works to his credit.
  • Marmaduke Pickthall - (1875–1936) Novelist and orientalist British convert M.M. Pictkhall is forever linked to his famous translation The meaning of the Holy Qur'an.
  • Martin Lings - (1909–2005) was an English Sufi Muslim writer and scholar, a student and follower of Frithjof Schuon, and Shakespearean scholar. Having earnt a BA in Arabic and a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London).

Western Europe

  • Ivan Aguéli - Shaykh Abd al-Hadi Aqhili (1869–1917) Swedish-born Sufi and Islamic feminist.
  • Muhammad Asad - (1900–1992) German Jewish journalist and later foreign correspondent to the Middle East, Leopold Weiss converted to Islam and wrote several books including a highly regarded translation of the Qur'an.
  • Tariq Ramadan - (1962-) Born in Switzerland to exiled Egyptian parents. He has written several major works primarily on Islamic theology and the position of Muslims in Europe.
  • Frithjof Schuon - (1907–1998) Swiss-born Frithjof Schuon was known as a philosopher, metaphysician and author of numerous books on religion and spirituality, writing primarily in French. He is also considered one of the chief representatives of the Perennialist School.

The Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Gulf States)

Greater Levant (Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt)

The Maghrib (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya)

  • Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali - (1927-), Morocco
  • Abd al-Qadir - (1808–1883), Algerian born Sufi scholar
  • Fatema Mernissi (1940-) is a Moroccan professor, lecturer, feminist writer and sociologist. Her work explores Islam and the role of women in it, analyzing the historical development of Islamic thought.

Africa Proper (Nigeria, West Africa, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan)

Persia (Iran)

Muslim Europe (Turkey, Albania, Bosnia)

Sub-Continent (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan)

Far & Near East (China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Central Asia)


Miscellaneous

See also

References