Prior to Zaytuna College
He holds a Ph.D. in Cultural and Historical Studies in Religion (2016) and an M.A. in Ethics and Social Theory (2012) from the Graduate Theological Union. He obtained his B.A. (ijaza ‘ulya) in Islamic Law (Shariah) from the prestigious Al-Qarawiyin University of Fes, Morocco in 2001. He served as full time Islamic chaplain at the State Correctional Institute of Chester, PA from 2002-2007, and is the founding director of the Lamppost Education Initiative. His research interests include the interconnection between law and identity formation, comparative Islamic law, and Islam’s role in the modern world.
Selected Works
Interviews and Media Quotes:
- CNN Interview: Were Syrian Missle Strikes Morally Justified?
- CNN Interview: “Why I was Spared from Amtrak Train 188’s Crash?“
- Huffington Post: “Why Gay Marriage May Not Be Contrary to Islam” by Faisal Kutty
Publications
- Muslim Funeral Guide (Lamppost Productions), 2005
- The Attributes of God (Amal Press), 2006
- Al-Ghazzālī, Abū Ḥāmid (Trans. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali). A Return to Purity in Creed, Philadelphia: Lamppost Productions, 2008
- - Reprinted in 2018 (Lamppost Education Initiative)
- Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (Trans. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali). Tears of the Yearners for the Meeting With God, Philadelphia: Lamppost Education Initiative, 2015
Essays:
- “Preserving the Freedom for Faith: Reevaluating the Politics of Compulsion,” The Review of Faith & International Affairs, Vol. 9, Monday 12 June 2011
- “Scholarly Consensus: Between Use & Misuse,” Journal of Islamic Law and Culture, Volume 12, Issue 2, 2010
- “The Homosexual Challenge to Muslim Ethics” (Lamppost Educational Initiative).
- “The Place of “Isnad” in Islamic Education: Demystifying “Tradition” (Lamppost Education Initiative).
- “Tunisia and the Liberation of Muslim Women” (The Muslim 500), Issue 2018
- “Is There an Interreligious Threat to Religious Freedom?” (Religious Freedom Institute), 7/9/18
Education: Ph.D. & Presidential Scholar, Cultural & Historical Studies, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley M.A., Ethics & Social Theory, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, 2012 B.A., Islamic Law (Shariah), University of Al-Karaouine/Al-Qarawiyin.