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Prof. AbdulHamid Ahmad AbuSulayman: Personality, Intellectual and Scholastic Legacy.

Prof. AbdulHamid Ahmad AbuSulayman (1936-2021), was a great Islamic thinker, reformer and a visionary with deep insight into societal problem faced by the Muslim world. His research, thoughts and leadership qualities endowed the fundamentals of Islamic thought with suasion and the practical aspects of societal problems with the expanse of vision. This is why he occupies a distinctive place in the rank of the world Islamic thinkers of the twenty-first century.

Prof. AbdulHamid Ahmad AbuSulayman was born in Makkah in 1936. After receiving primary and secondary education, he graduated from Cairo University in 1959, and completed his post-graduation in 1963. Ten years later, he earned a degree of doctorate in 1973 from University of Pennsylvania. The topic of his Ph.D. thesis was “Towards an Islamic Theory of International Relations: New Directions for Islamic Methodology and Thought”.

After completing his education, Prof. AbuSulayman entered into the field of scholarly action. He was appointed as lecturer in the King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. From 1982-1984, he served as the head of the department of political science in the University. Later on, he shifted to the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). In 1989, he was appointed as the second rector of the IIUM and worked there as such till 1999. During his rectorship, he made significant contribution to the University. The University achieved new heights and carved out a name for itself internationally. Thereafter, he moved to the United States of America and joined International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) as its President. His instinct as the President of the IIIT saw the phenomenal growth of several important scholastic and intellectual projects which were initiated and completed by him. Among these initiatives the Integration of knowledge got the maximum acceptance. He was responsible for the establishment of several institutions for the building and revival of Islamic thought in various parts of the world. Besides, he penned many books in Arabic and English languages. He passed away at Makkah on August 18, 2021 and was laid to rest there.

His age and background

Prof. AbdulHamid Ahmad AbuSulayman’s formative years were marked by full of turbulences. Several movements were evident in the Islamic world. The wound of the silence of the Sultanate of Ottoman was still fresh. The Muslim Ummah was a divided lot. English colonial power had consolidated itself. Many Islamic resurgence movements had either met with their end or were on the verge of ending. While the atmosphere was by and large gripped by despair, a new wave of Islamic resurgence was also shaping up, the effect of which would influence both East and the West. In the world of Islam, varying far-sighted leaders were holding the fort and a number of pre-eminent thinkers and reformers were coming forward. On one hand, the movement led by Sheikh Mohammad Ibne Abdul Wahab Najdi was gaining strength, Sheikh Hasan Al-Banna’s movement was fast becoming a household name in and outside Egypt. Ideas of the thinkers like Allama Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Sheikh Mohammad Abduh and Sheikh Naqib Attas were echoing in the entire Islamic world. Voices emerging from India were traversing country’s borders and reaching up to the Arab world. While one voice represented Maulana Mohammad Ilyas Kandhalvi the other voice was Maulana Syed Abul A’ala Maududi. The sub-continent was readying to free itself from British imperialism. Not only the Indian sub-continent, but outside of it also, was benefiting from the leadership of Allama Syed Suleiman Nadwi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar. Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi kept himself readied for spreading his message to the Arab world after the Indian sub-continent. This environment enabled Prof. AbdulHamid Ahmad AbuSulayman to view the things from the spectacle of consciousness and thought. He observed, read and understood them all. He tried to adopt every goodness and made use of his experience. That is why his thoughts and perspectives carried weight in the present age and his ideas attracted attention of Islamic scholars.

In the field of action

Prof. AbdulHamid Ahmad AbuSulayman left his imprint in various fields such as knowledge, education and reason in relation to divine revelation. But, his creative capabilities and thoughtful width forbad him from confining himself to these areas. He made a significant contribution to Islamic thought, writing, compilation, editing, children’s literature, organization and training.

Prof. AbuSulayman is known as a prudent expert on Islamic economics. He played a key role in understanding ideological legacy of the principles of Islamic economics. He endeavoured to prepare a complete frame-work for Islamic economics. He deeply studied the principles of Islamic jurisprudence and tried to apply them in the current economic system. He also laid emphasis on the setting up of Islamic financial institutions. He made efforts to present different models of banking, investment and insurance based on even-handed principles.

The services of Prof. AbuSulayman in the field of education as rector of International Islamic University Malaysia are remembered even today. The history of the University will remain incomplete without the mention of his name. In addition to this outstanding educational service, he laid the foundation for an International Islamic School in Malaysia in 1989 and Dar Manar Al-Ra’id Educational Consultations in Riyadh in 2003, as an educational advisory institution. He concentrated on this institution in the last few years of his life.

Scholastic Legacy

Besides his scholastic activities, Prof. AbuSulayman left behind a rich hoard of writings in remembrance. On the whole, his writings call for choosing innovations without dissociating from assets in terms of heritage. One of his intimate friends, Dr. Hisham Al-Talib has alluded to it. Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam has also correlated this by observing that Prof. AbuSulayman was a resident of Makkah. This is why he was adapted to looking every issue from global and civilizational perspective. He held a firm opinion that the western civilization had become outmoded and the humanity would need a new civilization. If the Holy Qur’an and Islamic Shariah are viewed with his complete understanding, an outline of such a civilization will emerge which could become a guiding civilization. The same contemplation is reflected in the project of Islamia Al Ma’arifa (Islamisation of Knowledge) which he made the mission of his life. In his capacity as co-founder and later as president of the International Institute of Islamic Thought, USA, he used all his energies to make it expansive and grand in the locale. In this project, Prof. Ismail Raji al-Faruqi, Dr. Taha Jabir al-Alwani, Dr. Jamal Barzinji, Dr. Ahmad Totonji and Dr. Hisham Al-Talib were involved with their specialization. In India, Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam has been trying to translate this plan into action in conformity with the constitutional framework of India from the platform of the Institute of Objective Studies. Notable among the works of Abdul Hameed AbuSulayman, are: Towards an Islamic Theory of International Relations: New Directions for Islamic Methodology and Thought; Crisis in the Muslim Mind; Contemporary Islamic Reform: Social Methodological Readings; Islamization: Reforming Contemporary Knowledge; Parent-Child Relations: A Guide to Raising Children; The Qur’anic Worldview: A Springboard for Cultural Reform; Violence and Political Conflict Management in Islamic Thought; Marital Discord: Recapturing the Full Islamic Sprit of Human Dignity; Revitalization Higher Education in the Muslim World: A Case Study of the International Islamic University Malaysia; Apostates, Islam and Freedom of Faith; Man between the two laws: Qur’anic Perspective in Understanding Self and the Other; Islamization of Knowledge: A Look Ahead – the Next Ten Years; The Islamic Theory of International Relations: Its Relevance, Past and Present; Islamization of Knowledge: General Principles and Work Plan etc. These books can be accessed on the Website of the International Institute of Islamic Thought, USA.

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