Dr. ʿAbdul ?amid A?mad Abu Sulayman was born in the holy city of Makkah in 1355/1936 and has emerged as one of the most influential figures in contemporary Islamic intellectual reform. His academic credentials span both Islamic scholarship and Western social sciences, uniquely positioning him to address the epistemological and methodological challenges facing Muslim intellectuals.
Educational Background: Dr. Abu Sulayman earned his Bachelor's degree in Commerce from the University of Cairo in 1378/1959, followed by a Master's degree in Political Science from the same institution in 1381/1963. He completed his doctorate in International Relations at the University of Pennsylvania in 1393/1973, where his dissertation work laid foundations for his later contributions to Islamic political thought.
Institutional Leadership: Since 1408/1988, Dr. Abu Sulayman has served as Rector of the International Islamic University (IIU) in Malaysia, one of the premier institutions of Islamic higher education globally. In this capacity, he has implemented comprehensive educational reforms embodying his vision of integrated Islamic knowledge that transcends the dualism between religious and secular studies. His leadership has made IIU a model for institutions attempting to Islamize contemporary knowledge while maintaining academic excellence.
International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT): As Chairman of the Board and a founding member of IIIT, Dr. Abu Sulayman has been instrumental in establishing and guiding the most significant institutional vehicle for the Islamization of knowledge movement. He previously served as IIIT's President from 140507/198587, during which time he shaped the organization's research agenda and publication program. IIIT's extensive series of books, monographs, and occasional papers addressing Islamic intellectual reform bear the imprint of his strategic vision and scholarly guidance.
Professional Experience: Dr. Abu Sulayman's career includes significant administrative and scholarly positions. He served as Chairman of the Department of Political Science at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 140204/198284, where he worked to develop curricula integrating Islamic perspectives with contemporary political science. Earlier in his career, he held the position of Secretary, State Planning Committee, Saudi Arabia (138384/196364), giving him practical experience in governance and policy that informs his theoretical work.
From 139399/197379, he served as Secretary General of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), a position that connected him with Islamic reform and da'wah movements globally and provided insight into challenges facing young Muslims navigating between Islamic identity and modern secular contexts. This international exposure enriched his understanding of the intellectual crisis afflicting Muslim communities worldwide.
Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS): Dr. Abu Sulayman was a founding member of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists in 1392/1972 and served as its President from 140507/198587. AMSS pioneered efforts to develop authentically Islamic approaches to social sciences, establishing institutional frameworks and professional networks that continue supporting Muslim scholars working toward knowledge Islamization.
Scholarly Contributions: Dr. Abu Sulayman has authored several influential works addressing the reform of Islamic thought and the intellectual dimensions of Muslim revival. His books include:
- Crisis in the Muslim Mind: A foundational text diagnosing the intellectual malaise preventing Islamic civilizational renewal, examining psychological, social, and educational dimensions of the crisis while proposing comprehensive reform strategies.
- The Islamic Theory of Economics: Philosophy and Contemporary Means: Developing Islamic economic alternatives grounded in revelation-guided ethics rather than materialistic assumptions underlying conventional economics.
- Towards an Islamic Theory of International Relations: Reconceptualizing international politics from Islamic foundations, moving beyond uncritical adoption of Westphalian concepts while engaging seriously with contemporary international relations realities.
These works, alongside numerous articles published in academic journals, have established Dr. Abu Sulayman as a leading voice in contemporary Islamic intellectual discourse. His writings consistently emphasize transcending both uncritical traditionalism and wholesale Westernization, calling instead for creative ijtihad that applies eternal Islamic principles to contemporary realities through systematic methodology.
Conference Leadership: Throughout his career, Dr. Abu Sulayman has been instrumental in organizing international academic conferences and seminars that bring together scholars committed to Islamic intellectual renewal. These gatherings have fostered dialogue, established research priorities, and built networks supporting the Islamization of knowledge movement globally. His ability to convene diverse scholars and facilitate productive discourse has multiplied his influence beyond his own writings.
Intellectual Legacy: Dr. Abu Sulayman's work is characterized by several distinctive qualities:
Methodological Rigor: His approach combines deep grounding in Islamic sources with serious engagement with modern social sciences, refusing to sacrifice either for the other's sake. This integration models the interdisciplinary expertise he advocates.
Balanced Tone: Unlike some Islamic discourse marked by defensive apologetics or polemical attacks on Western thought, Abu Sulayman writes with scholarly objectivity and intellectual confidence, acknowledging both Islam's foundational strengths and Muslims' current deficiencies honestly.
Systematic Vision: Rather than addressing isolated issues, his work presents comprehensive frameworks for understanding the Ummah's intellectual crisis and pursuing genuine reform through interconnected changes in epistemology, methodology, and educational infrastructure.
Practical Orientation: While philosophically sophisticated, his work always maintains focus on practical implementationhow to actually reform educational institutions, develop interdisciplinary Muslim specialists, and produce scholarship that addresses contemporary realities from Islamic foundations.
Historical Consciousness: Abu Sulayman's analysis demonstrates deep understanding of Islamic intellectual history, neither idealizing the past nor dismissing its insights, but rather seeking to understand principles that enabled early Islamic success and reasons for subsequent decline.
Continued Influence: Decades after his major works were published, Dr. Abu Sulayman's diagnosis of the Ummah's intellectual predicament and his prescriptions for reform continue shaping discourse among Muslim scholars, educators, and intellectuals globally. Students at Islamic universities engage his texts; researchers cite his frameworks; and institutions attempting educational reform reference his vision. Through institutional leadership, scholarly production, and strategic guidance of reform efforts, Dr. ʿAbdul ?amid A?mad Abu Sulayman has established himself as one of the most significant figures in contemporary Islamic intellectual lifea pioneering voice calling the Ummah to authentic engagement with modernity through systematic revival of Islam's intellectual foundations.