List of contemporary Islamic scholars

This article is a list of modern-era (20th to 21st century) scholars of Islam who are considered to be leading authorities on the teachings and rulings of the Islam religion.

Geographical categories have been created based on commonalities in culture and language across the Muslim World. Non-scholars (i.e. prominent lecturers, speakers, famous imams, political activists and others) whose scholarly credentials are not clear-cut have been listed at the bottom in a separate category.

Africa & Western Asia

(includes Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania, South Africa Syria, Jordan, Palestine)

Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani (1914–1999), Albania, lived in Syria.
Ahmed Deedat (1918-2005) South Africa
Ali Gomaa (1952-), Egypt
Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar (1930s-2012), Jordan
Taqiuddin al-Nabhani (1909-1977), Palestine
Hassan al-Banna (1906–1949), Egypt
Sayyid Qutb (1906–1966), Egypt
Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy (1928–2010), Egypt
Rashid Rida (1865–1935), Syria
Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi (1849–1902), Syria
Mahmud Shaltut (1893–1963), Egypt
Abd al-Hamid Kishk (1933–1996) Egypt
Mohammed al-Ghazali (1917–1996) Egypt
Sobhi Mahmassani (1909-1986), Lebanon
Abdel-Halim Mahmoud (1910–1978), Egypt
Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali (1927-), Morocco
Fatema Mernissi (1940-), Morocco
Abdessalam Yassine (1928-), Morocco
Abdallah Bin Bayyah (1935-), Mauritania
Abdelhamid Ben Badis (1889–1940), Algeria
Safwat al-Shwadify (1945–2000), Egypt
Aisha Abd al-Rahman (1913–1998), Egypt
Ahmad Muhammad Shakir (1892–1956), Egypt
Amr Khaled (1967-), Alexandria, Egypt
Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad (1927-1988), Egypt
Gibril Haddad (1960-), Lebanon
Abdul Qader Arnaoot (1928–2004), Kosovo-born Syrian
Muhammad bin Yahya al-Ninowy Syria
Muhammad Metwally Al Shaarawy (1911–1998), Egypt
Yusuf al-Qaradawi (1926-), Egypt

The Arabian Peninsula

(includes Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Arab States of Persian Gulf)

Ali Jaber (scholar) (1953–2005), Saudi Arabia
Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz (1910–1999), Saudi Arabia
Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen (1925–2001), Saudi Arabia
Saad Nomani, Saudi Arabia
Anwar al-Aulaqi (1971–2011), Yemen
Muhammad Al-Munajid (1960–), Saudi Arabia
Saleh Al-Fawzan (1933–), Saudi Arabia
Abdur-Rahman al-Mu'allimee al-Yamani (1894–1966), Yemen-Saudi Arabia
Abdul Majeed al-Zindani (1942-), Yemen
Muhammad Muhsin Khan (1927-), Saudi Arabia
Kamal alHaydari (1956–), Iraq
Abdullah ibn Abdulrahman ibn Jibreen (1933–2009), Saudi Arabia
Habib Umar bin Hafiz (1963 -), Yemen
Abdul-Azeez ibn Abdullaah Aal ash-Shaikh (1943 -), Saudi Arabia
Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni (1960 -), Saudi Arabia
Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais (1960 -), Saudi Arabia
Saud Al-Shuraim (1964 -), Saudi Arabia
Salman al-Ouda (1955 -), Saudi Arabia
Mishari Rashid Al-Afasy (1976 -), Kuwait

Pakistan

Abdul Ghafoor Ahmed (1927-2012), Karachi, Pakistan
Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938), Lahore, Pakistan
Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi (1911–1970) Spirtual Leader of Pakistan Movement
Abul A'la Maududi (1903-1979) Hyderabad state, India & Pakistan.
Shabir Ahmed Usmani Had great influence in finding independence for Pakistan
Qazi Hussain Ahmad (1938-2013, Islamabad, Pakistan
Syed Munawar Hasan (1944),b. Delhi,l. Karachi, Pakistan
Allama Muhammad Idrees Dahiri, Pakistan
Muhammad Tahir (1962), Rahmatpur, Pakistan
Junaid Jamshed (1964), Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri (1951 to present)
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Zubair Ali Zai
Talib Jauhari Pakistan.
Ehsan Elahi Zaheer (May 31, 1945 – March 30, 1987)
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed (Urdu: حافظ محمد سعید; born 1950)
Ahmad Rafique Akhtar (1941) Gujarkhan
Abd-al-Hamid Siddiqui
Amin Ahsan Islahi (1904–1997)
Inayatullah Khan Mashriqi (1888–1963)
Khalid Masud (1935–2003), Lahore
Khurshid Ahmad (1932),born in Delhi, live in Lahore, Pakistan
Liaqat Baloch (1952), Lahore, Pakistan
Syed Shujaat Ali Qadri (1941–1993)
Naseer Ahmad Nasir (1910–2000)
Qamaruzzaman Azmi
Syed Tatheer Hussain Zaidi (1956), Lahore
Pir Meher Ali Shah,(1856–1937)
Siraj ul Haq (1962)
Yousuf Ludhianvi (1932–2000)
Zafar Ishaq Ansari (1932)
Zar Wali Khan (1955)
Tariq Jameel (1953)
Israr Ahmed (1932 - 2010)
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi (1951)
Farhat Hashmi (1957)
Azam Tariq (1954-2003)
Tariq Jameel (1953)

India

Syed Ahmad Khan (1817-1898) Delhi, India
Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi (1856–1921) Bareilly, India
Ashraf Ali Thanwi Thana bawn, India .
Abdul Aleem Siddiqi (1892–1954) Meerut-Madina
Kalambadi Muhammad Musliyar (1935-2012) Kerala, India.
Akhtar Raza Khan (1943) Bareilly, India.
Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958) India
Hashim Amir Ali (1903–1987), Hyderabad, India
Mirza Abul Fazl (1865–1956), Allahabad, India
Jalaluddin Umri (1935), Madras, India
Muhammad Hamidullah (1908–2002), Hyderabad (India) exiled in Paris.
Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Delhi, India
Shibli Nomani (1857–1914), India
Asghar Ali Engineer (b. 1939-2013), India
Husain Ahmed Madani (1879–1957), India
Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (1829–1905), Delhi, India
Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi (1885–1944), Khandala, India
Omar Khalidi (1953–2010), Hyderabad, India. migrated to US.
Syed Abdullah Bukhari (1922-2009), Delhi, India
Maulana Mehmud Hasan,(1851–1920) Darul Uloom Deoband
Qazi Athar Mubarakpuri (1916–1996), U.P., India
Saniyasnain Khan (1959), New Delhi, India
Syed Ali Akhtar Rizvi(1948-2002),India
Syed Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi (1913–1999), India
Syed Aqeel-ul-Gharavi (1964), Delhi, India
Syed Qazi Muzainul Haq (1937-2013), Wasa Dargah, India
Syed Mohsin Nawab Rizvi (1911–1969), Lucknow, India
Wahiduddin Khan (1925), New Delhi, India
Rafique Zakaria (1920-2005), India
Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi (1913-1999), Raibareli, India
Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi (1833-1880), India
Ali Kutty Musliyar Kerala, India (1945)
Bahauddeen Muhammed Nadwi Kerala, India (1951)

Bangladesh

Delwar Hossain Sayeedi (1940), Barisal & Dhaka, Bangladesh
Azizul Haque (1919-2012), Dhaka, Bangladesh
Fazlul Haque Amini (1943-2012), Dhaka & Barisal, Bangladesh
Abul Kalam Azad(1947), Dhaka, Bangladesh
Ghulam Azam (1922), Dhaka, Bangladesh
Hafezzi Huzur, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Muhammad Kamaruzzaman(1952) , Dhaka, Bangladesh
Abdur Razzaq , Dhaka, Bangladesh
Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed(1948), Faridpur, Bangladesh
Motiur Rahman Nizami (1943), Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Muhammad Faizullah (1892-1976), Chittagong, Bangladesh
Muhammad Asadullah Al-Ghalib (1948), Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Abdul Quader Molla (1948–2013), Faridpur, Bangladesh
Saheb Qibla Fultali (1913-2008), Sylhet, Bangladesh
Abdur Rahman (1925), Dhaka & Chittagong, Bangladesh

East Asia & Indochina

(includes China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Central Asia)

Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat (1931-), Malaysia
Hussein Ye (1950-), Malaysia
Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Malaysia
Muhammad Ma Jian (1906–1978), China
Abdul Aleem Siddiqi (1892–1954), Singapore
Muhammad Sadik Muhammad Yusuf (1952-), Uzbekistan
Alwi Shihab, Indonesia

Eastern & Central Europe

(includes Turkey, Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo)

Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani (1914–1999), Albania
Mehmet Görmez (1959-), Turkey
Said Nursî (1878-1960), Turkey
Mustafa Ceric (1952-), Bosnia
Abdul Qader Arnaoot (1928-2004), Kosovo
Fethullah Gülen (1941-), Turkey

Western Europe

Ivan Aguéli (1869–1917), Sweden
Tariq Ramadan (1962-), Geneva, Switzerland
Muhammad Asad (1900–1992), Germany, of Jewish origins
Frithjof Schuon (1907–1998), Switzerland

Great Britain

Sheikh Abdul Qayum (1960), London , England
Mohammad Akram Nadwi (1964), Oxford, England
Muhammad Abdul Bari (1953), London , England
Ajmal Masroor (1971), London
Timothy Winter (1960), London , England
Yusuf Motala (1946-), Lancashire , England
Marmaduke Pickthall (1875–1936), Surrey , England
Martin Lings (1909–2005), Kent , England
Abu-Abdullah Adelabu, London , England
Haitham al-Haddad, London , England
Joel Hayward (1964-),(currently teaching in the UAE), Lincoln, England
Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf, London , England

North America

Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi, Houston, USA
Fazlur Rahman (1919-1988), Chicago, USA
Jonathan A.C. Brown (1977-), Washington DC, USA
Mohammed Adam El-Sheikh, Virginia, USA
Ovamir Anjum, Ohio, USA
Khaled Abou El Fadl, California, USA
Mohammed al-Hanooti (1937-), Virginia, USA
Anwar al-Alwaki (1971-2011), New Mexico, USA
Hamza Yusuf Hanson (1958-), California, USA
Hassan Hathout (1924–2009)
Mohammad Fadel, Ontario, Canada
Yasir Qadhi, USA
Faraz Rabbani, Ontario, Canada
Warith Deen Mohammed (1933-2008), Illinois, USA
Zaid Shakir (1956-), California, USA
Faisal Kutty
Louay Safi (1955-)
Muqtedar Khan (1966-), Delaware, USA
Muzammil H. Siddiqi (1943-)
Omid Safi, North Carolina, USA
Seyyed Hossein Nasr (1933-)
Amir Hussain Born in Lahore, Pakistan, raised in Toronto, Canada, living in Los Angeles
Ingrid Mattson (1963-), Ontario, Canada
Sherman Jackson, California, USA
Mohammad Hassan Khalil, Michigan, USA
Jamal Badawi, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Bilal Philips, Jamaica & Toronto, Canada
Ahmad Kutty (1946-), Toronto, Canada (originally from Kerala, India)
Wael Hallaq (1955-), New York City, USA (originally from Palestine)

References