About Me
Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips is a Jamaican Canadian Islamic Scholar who converted to Islam in the early seventies after journeying from Christianity to Communism. Shortly after his reversion to Islam, he embarked on another journey to the other side of the world seeking Islamic knowledge which took him to Saudi Arabia where he completed a BA in Madeenah, and an MA in Riyadh, then to the University of Wales, UK, where he completed a PhD in Islamic Theology in the early nineties.
After graduation, Dr Bilal became a teacher of Islamic studies for 10 years in an Islamic High School, Manaret Riyadh, and a lecturer of Arabic and Islamic studies in the American University in Dubai, UAE, for another 10 years. During his 10 years in the UAE, he also founded the Islamic Information Center in Dubai, and during his subsequent 6 years in Qatar he was the Islamic consultant for the Islamic Information wing of Sheikh Eed Charity in Doha and founder of the Islamic Studies Academy.
He has written, translated and commented on over 50 published books on various Islamic topics. He has also edited and published the 56 book Eemaan Reading Series for children and presented Islamic programs for a number of years on Riyadh Channel 2TV, Sharjah TV for ten years, as well as Peace TV, Huda TV, Islam Channel, UK, and the Deen Show, Chicago, USA.
In 2000 Dr Philips founded the Islamic Online University offering free Islamic courses and a BA in Islamic Studies to over 20,000 registered students from over 160 different countries world wide. He is also the founder and former head of the Islamic studies department of Preston University (2002), Ajman, UAE, the founder and head of the Islamic Studies Academy (2007), Doha, Qatar, the founder and head of the English medium Islamic studies department of Knowledge International University (2008), Riyadh, and head of the College of Da’wah and Islamic Culture (English Section 2009), Omdurman Islamic University, Sudan.
Most recently, Dr Bilal was appointed the director of PERF [Professional Education and Research Foundation] and supervising director of Preston International College and Al-Fajr International School, Chennai, India.
assalamalaykum,
i am in pondicherry university, and i came to know that my friend’s accquaintance wants to accept islam and he is based in chennai,but his parents are putting a lot of pressure on him ,although he is from hyderabad but working in chennai.he wants some support from local responsible person in chennai as he knows few people outhere,please mail your contact details
also i would love to invite you to our university for a talk please mail me your availability and recommendation brochure with a list of universities you have visited etc so that i can convince the authorities.
about me:
i am an ex shia your books and videos greatly influenced me and u are really intellectually irresistable!
Asalamu Alaykum,
I’m so happy that you have this blog. You are one of the very view Islamic scholars we can interact with directly on the internet, so may Allah bless you. If you will advice me concerning my family, I will greatly appreciate it. I have a very large family. My father is married to multiple wifes, and has many children from each, and my grandfather was the same. Unfortunately none of the families or children grew up together. In fact, my entire family–uncles, aunts, cousins, and other distant and close relatives don’t keep contact with eachother. There is a certain akwardness that we all feel towards eachother. This has and still does worry me so much. I have a family who do not care or love eachother. Each family only cares for their immediate families. I often think about the way we are and how we have severed the ties of kinship, and I just get so sad.I know the importance of keeping family ties in Islam but I don’t know what to do, or where to start to bring everyone together. Some of my family members have deep hatred for eachother and they are much older than me, so when I try try to tell them to fear Allah and forgive eachother, they tell me I don’t know anything and to just keep quiet.
How does one build a relationship with family members who did not grow up with them and who are not familiar to them?
Also if you can direct me to helpful sources about family, I would love it.
Jazakalaah Kheyr.
wa alaykum salaam sister Fatima. You will need to find others from the various families who have similar concerns and work together on this. By yourself, it will be very difficult. Perhaps you can get the email, or mail addresses or telephone numbers, of all of them and prepare a general letter you can send to all of them containing Qur’aan and sunnah quotes to remind them of the importance of keeping family ties. And those who respond positively to you, you try to make a meeting or gathering as a begining. In shaa Allah.
May Allah bless and reward you for your concern, and may He grant you success in your efforts.
Sir, Assalamualaikum. I am muhammed Shaduli from Kerala, Alhamulillah, very happy to see your blog. In my life till age of 22 i was not religous, but Alhamdulillah after listening your talk as well as other Daes, i start practice as muslim as well as preaching islam, wheneven i meet a non-muslim i will talk about islam. now i am proud to be a muslim and like to preach islam. last few monhts my parents discussing about my marriage, I told” i wish to marry a girl who reverted to Islam” IshaAllah i will get it. What is islam says about it ?
Asalaam Alykum. i have a q which is very important i wish u can help i have prob not only me but my 2 elder brothers it is called”Delayed sleep-phase syndrome (DSPS)”so i cannot sleep at the same time i mean if i sleep at 12 pm 1 day next will be 1 and next will be 3 and so on so .so i sleep at around 9 am some times 11 am and like that i live in india so my family and other people tell me that allah has created night to sleep and day to work and say i am going agaisnt allah so my q is if i pray the 5 times namaz and other thing is it ok for me to sleep at day and by the way there is a treatment there but.the doc give here in hyderabad they give us some medi which are addictive so i dont take them but allthough my brothers take them and my father but i think they are harram because it causeses what can i say i mean they are like drugs. so can i sleep at morning and is it harram?plz help
wa alaykum salaam,
A good intention. May Allah reward you for it. But make sure that the reverted sister is sincerely practising before you marry her in order to avoid problems later. Let her also read books on marriage in Islam so that she is clear on her rights and yours. You should do the same.
wa alakum salaam brother,
It is not haraam to sleep whenever your system requires it as long as you pray your five daily prayers in their proper times. That is preferable over taking addictive, intoxicating drugs in order to sleep at night – in fact if you can function without the drugs, it is haraam to take them, if they are as you described.
asalaam alykum thanks for that response may allah reward you i have another q it is about the nasheeds?i dont listen to them because lots of them have some kind shirks like calling and asking some thing from prophet(peace be upon him).so i heard a nasheed its very good and i dont c anything shirk(u can also listen to it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsoAOOFyQc8 )in it but they are some lines in it which say.ya habeeb allah rasullah imam ul mursaleen they transalate it like this”Oh Beloved Oh Allah,Mesenger of allah,imam of the prophets and say ”you journeyed from one sanctuary by night to another sanctuary.so my q is .is it shirk wht he is saying r not beacause i guss he is still using the word YA if u heard it before plz tell me is it shirk and can i listen to it.Allah Hafiz .Asalaam Alykum…
its called Qasidat al-Burdah. i read it on islam-qa that this poen contains shirk but the link i have given u i dont think it contains that shirk so if i listen to it is it shirk plz answer…
salam brother i just wanted to ask u which imam do u follow?
Assalam aleikum!
Dear sheikh,My name is Azmy from Ukraine.I am a regular listner of your lectures.Thank you very much for this blog.I have heard that dieying beard in islam is haraam.I`m using henna.In recent videos I see your beard is in black in colour.How do you do this?What kind of die and colour can be used to die beard,except henna?
Thank you.May Allah accept all your efforts in islam.
I follow the math’hab of Imaam Aboo Haneefah, which is the same math’hab of Imaam Maalik, Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee and Imaam Ahmad ibn Hambal. They all followed the same math’hab as that of Aboo Bakr, Umar, ‘Uthmaan and ‘Alee; the math’hab of Rasoolullaah – the Prophet’s Math’hab.
wa alaykum salaam.
You have heard wrongly. It is sunnah to dye the beard. The Prophet (pbuh) instructed his followers to do so. My beard is dyed in brown using common hair dyes. We are not restricted to Henna. Even black is held by many scholars to be permissible on the basis that the Prophet’s prohibition of it was for one individual only and not general – in their interpretation. At any rate, I avoid black.
Assaalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,
May Allah reward you for your efforts in spreading Islam and to establish schools and colleges based on Islamic curricula. I have tried applying for short courses in the IOU but there is always an error and until now i have failed to register there. I found tayyibunonline and I have joined usool al hadith free short course, I have had problems of contacting them via email, since I have posted questions and I have not received an answer until now, it is more than a week, As u r the instructor in usool Al Hadeeth , Please i ask ur help, what should I do none of the questions that i have asked have been answered. Please could you help me?
Can I please have an email id of yours where I can contact you personally to give the info that I gave in IOU for registering and failed to register my name.
Jazakallahu khair.
preservedpearl.
wa alaykum salaam,
For technical problems in registering and doing courses at IOU, please contact Brother Sameer Khan at asst.dean@islamiconlineuniversity.com for help.
Assaalam-o- Alaikum
Can I get telephone number of Dr. Bilal so that I may talk to him.
–Zulfiqar
Wa alaykum Salaam. Is this Zulfiqar Ahmad, vice principal of Manaret Riyadh English Medium schools? You may contact me in Canada, where I am currently, at 1-416-4930011. I will be back in Qatar within a week, if flights through Europe are restarted, by the end of next week and my number there is +9745834013,
Thanx Dr. Bilal. At which time I may call you at 1-416-4930011? I am not that Zulfiqar which you pointed out. I’m doing PhD, and I’d like to discuss some Sharaiah related questions with you.
Acrtually now that I come to think of it, I think his name was Zulfiqar Saleem. Anayway, you may call at any time. I’ll be in a lecture this evening and tomorrow evening, otherwise, in the morning here is fine.
Assalam aleikum Sheikh!
Thank you for the explaination for my question regarding dyeing beard.
I want you take a look on the ummah of my mother land Sri Lanka, in following link.
“Converting To and From Islam: Rifqa Barry of Sri Lanka/USA and Malini Perera of Sri Lanka/Bahrain”
http://transcurrents.com/tc/2010/04/converting_to_and_from_islam_r.html#more
Thank you.
Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim,
assalam u aleikum,
I read the very interesting booklet called ‘ The true message of Jesus .
I wish to draw your attention about a very common mistake made by many when it comes to the concept of immaculate conception.
Page 45 it says that the Qur’an confirms the biblical story of Jesus virgin birth. True.
Meanwhile the dogma of immaculate conception refers in fact to the sinless conception of his mother Mary ( R.A ) . Exempt from the original sin attributed by the church to all human beings and not to the miraculous birth of Jesus ( s.w.s )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_Conception
It is therefore important that such error should be corrected .
Furthermore, Prophet Abraham is reported having had 3 wives, Sarah, Hagar and Keturah.
JazakAllahukhair.
Amin Brunet. da’ee at Al fateh Mosque / Kingdom of Bahrain
wa alaykum salaam brother Amin,
Jazaakumullaahu khayran for your comments and your concern to set the record straight.
However, Mary is commonly referred to as the “Blessed Virgin Mary” in Catholic and Protestant tradition, if virginity is not an issue, then why is this title used. Furthermore, in wikipedia it also states:
The virgin birth of Jesus is a tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while remaining a virgin.
The gospels of Matthew (Matthew 1:18)[1:18] and Luke[1:26-35] say that Mary was a virgin and that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
And, regarding the immaculate conception (which I did not speak about in my book and which is only found in Catholicism) it states:
The general Christian doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus (i.e., Mary’s virginal conception of Jesus) is not to be confused with the Roman Catholic doctrine of her Immaculate Conception, which concerns instead her mother’s conception of Mary.
As to your reference to the 3rd wife of Abraham, (Keturah), you know that there is a difference of opinion about her. She was taken after Sarah died and some say she was Hagar. Any way, the reference was to him having 2 wives at the same time – polygamy, not the total wives he ever had.
was salaam
Dr Bilal
Binshaduli Qatar,
Assalamualaikum,
I am Muhammad Shaduli from, Alkhor- Qatar, an Indian origin working in a company as accounts executive. I wish to do Daewa in free time but I don’t have enough knowledge to do it, especially to non-Muslims. Every day after 3.30 pm I can make use for it. I am an MBA finance graduate from India and I can speak English very well. Moreover I am ready to meet people from Corniche, Hospital and anywhere. Many of many contact circles are followers of Hinduism and Christianity. Now I am unable to convince about Islam, is there any Daewa training program in Qatar, especially in Alkhor? Or any other way to learn Daewa tips to speak with non-Muslims?
wa alaykum salaam brother,
Please join the Da’wah Training Course offered in the Islamic Online University’s first level free intensive courses. That should give you some basic tools and methodologies as well as intellectual guidelines for giving da’wah to your colleagues – in shaa Allaah. You can also contact the Qatar Guest Center and join their volunteer Da’wah program to learn practically how to give da’wah. Your main contact and mentor would be brother Abdul Qawi (Nepali Hindu convert to Islam) 6437747.
Assalamu’alaikum yaa ustadz/my brother Bilal Philips may mercy and blessing always be given to you……. I’m one of the Indonesian who read your book entitled FUndamental of Tawheed and also still follow the development of ISLAM in the world. I have one question to you about one of the surah in Qur’an In ALI IMRAN:104, what do you think about this verse, because some organizations such as Ikhwanul Muslimin, Hizbut Tahrir, Muhammadiyah (the islamic organisation in Indonesia) and many others, use this verse as a basic to make the JAM’IYAH….
I also have a question to you, What do you think about SALAFY.
they claimed that they followed the manhaj of SALAFUSH SHOLIH….
I’m very sorry for my bad grammar.
I look forward for your reply.
Thank You and
WassaLamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.
Salam brother,
Dr Bilal i notice you have delivered various lectures about islam and i hope Allah rewards you for your efforts. I just had a suggestion and Inshallah when you get some spare time you may be able to do it. Could you inshallah please create a comprehensive video lecture in relation to the following topic:-
Allah SWT Mercy
Personally it will benefit me and Inshallah motivate and inspire others too and be a reminder to us that not all hope is lost and it isn’t all gloom and doom as some of us might think.
May Allah help you and make it easy for you.
Salam
Wa alaykum salam my brother,
Thank you for the suggestion which is in fact a very good idea, as gratitude is a very important characteristic which the believers should develop in order to worship Allah as He deserves to be worshipped. Knowledge of Allaah’s mercies in our lives helps to engender gratitude in our hearts towards Allah. So, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained from Allah about His mercy and how He kept 99 % for His true servants in the next life and only 1% was put into this world which resulted in all that we see around us, from the animal kingdom to the birds. Furthermore, the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Whoever does not show mercy will not receive mercy [from Allah].” Something to think about, especially in these times in which some factions among the believers have mercilessly attacked others and abandoned the real enemies of Islam.
Do you believe Jesus was a normal man?
Asalaam Alykum Dr.Bilal Philips.how sound r this hadiths i heard them from Tabliiqi Jammah.1. when prophet(peace be upon him)went to the heavens allah talk to him by the voice of Hazrat Abu Bakr(may allah be pleased with him).2.if u miss one Oblig Prayer and if u make it Qazah still Allah will punish u for 80 years in hell and that 80 years is not from our time but the time of hear after(meaning 1000 years a day from hear) then they Calculate it which comes to 23500000 years of this world r more than that just for making one Oblig prayer? plz help in it is this hadiths authentic i know Tabliiqi Jammah r weak i left them now i am with AHLE-HADITH.Jazak Allah Qair.
Assalamualaikum
Brother Dr Bilal , I heard from your lecture in dawaah course in IOU about an article why different aspect of scientist believe no doubt that there have to be a god. Can you mail this article to me?
wa alaykum salaaam brother. I will try to find it, but I’m out of the country at the moment so it will be difficult. However, if any of the subscribers to this blog have the reference, please furnish it for our brother. It was an article in Time or Newsweek on why most scientists believe in God. Shukran.
wa alaykum salaam brother Amoodi. Both of these stories are inauthentic, and the main book of the Tabligh Jamaat, Fazaa’ili Amal, is full of such exaggerated, fabricated and inaccurate narrations. However, that doesn’t mean that every narration in the books are false. There is a body of correct information, however, the common reader is unable to differentiate between them, so it is advisable not to study Islam from these books, but to use Riyaad as Saliheen, as the Arab followers of the Jamaat do.
Asalam walaikum Dr. Bilal Philips,
My name is Mustafa Tsunooka and I am a revert from Japan. I have been watching your lectures and reading your books for many years, and it has been a great inspiration for me. Jazakallhu Khairan. I have a concern regarding one sister origin from Singapore (currently residing in Japan). She has been interested in coming to Canada and her mother has been very worried about her, since her daughter will be going there alone. She wanted to know if there is any trustworthy Muslima she can be introduced to in Canada. Since I feel that you are a trustworthy brother, I wanted to ask you if you know any network to help new comer to Canada or if you can introduce any good sisters to help this sister out. Shukran. Jazakallahu Khairan
Mustafa
wa alaykum salaam Mustafa,
Canada is a big place my brother. If you can tell me where she’s coming to, perhaps I can find some contacts to help her settle in safely and keep an eye on her and find a good circle of friends to support her in her transition.
No. I believe he was born miraculously (without a father) and was a prophet of God working miracles from the time of his birth until God lifted him up into the heavens prior to the attempts to crucify him, and that he will return to the earth as one of the signs of the nearing of the final hour of this world. And during his return, he will defeat and kill the anti-Christ who will have dominated the earth at that time. However, none of this makes him more than a man of God, chosen to guide humankind from the darkness of idolatry and man worship, to the worship of the Creator of existence, the One True God, known in the Arabic language as Allah (to Arab Christians as well as Muslims).
is it ok to follow tabligh jamat. whats ur comment on this? thanks.
what is the way of prophets dawah? pls. comment
Assalamu Allaikum Bro Philips.
Things have changed sinse i had the pleasure of meeting you &hearing your live lalk in ooman.I am now in Chennai & fully comited to dawa today i got your email from Saddique & inshallaha will contact you I would like to be as much involved with your work as possible please give your tele no &best time in chennai, Warmest Regards YF.
Asalaam Alykum Dr.bilal philips again.how sound is this hadtih i heard it from father that there will me a war before the jugment day(i guss it is 1 sign)in which Muslims And Christains will fight together and after the war is over some christains will say that they won the war becaue of them and muslims will say no beacuse of them and they both will start to each other.and dr bilal philips i want ur opinion that do u think that the time of dajjal is near i know Allah only knows whe he will come but according to his signs do u think is he near because my brothers say that he cant come in this tume there is no way because we TV,Computer,Internet,Planes,cars .etc so he say that it is not possible for him to come at this time but i say to him that If Allah wants Allah will let him come in sitchuation also.Jazak Allah Qhair
assalamu alaikum brother…i am najla from india and i thought that it would be a great pleasure if i had got your email id ,because i was like attending the classes of a sheikh from new york and i am really confused about a few things so i would like to clarify it with you if possible insha allah brother.
Bismillah
Assalamu Alaykum Dr. Bilal,
My name is Muhammad Abdul Ghani from Chennai. Four years ago, I embraced Islam by Grace of Allah. Al-Hamdhu Lillah I recently got married with good Muslimah. She was Quran teacher and was doing lecturing on Islamic topics before marriage. Now she is taking care of household chores.
The local jamath arranged the program for ladies. They are inviting my wife to give lectures. But I don’t like to allow her to give khutbah. In home, we are discussing about Quran and Sunnah not to waste her knowledge of Islam. Is it sin if didn’t allow her?
I heard a Hadith says that Prophet (p.b.u.h) given khutbah for Ladies on particular days. I didn’t heard that any women sahabis given khutbah.
Please guide me as per Islam.
Jazakallahu Kairan.
As-Salaamu ‘alaykum shaykh,
May Allah preserve you and may He reward you greatly for your dawa efforts.
I read on your ‘response to critics’ heavy criticism of Al-Muntada in London and them having straits of the ’suroors’ or words meaning such, but then I see you doing talks with with people who are heavily associated with them, I prefer not to mention names on an open internet forum. Please can you explain why you would abandon them but deal with them in other ways. What is a suroori? What is the true manhaj of Al Muntada, some even say they are takfeeris? I apologise if I worded anything incorrectly in this email, I merely wanted to get to the point, may Allah bless you,
Your brother in Al Islaam, Abu Ibraheem
Assalam aleikum dear Sheikh!
Can a muslim marry a muslim woman who prays , fasts and beleives in quran.But she rejects sunnah(hadis) because she says these are not the word of Almighty.
Jazakhallah!
Wa alaykum salaam Brother Abdul Ghani,
Allow your wife to teach the women. It was the sunnah of the wives of the Prophet (pbuh). In fact they even taught males also. Many of Imaam Maalik’s teachers were females.
Baarakallaahu feekum
Wa alaykum salaam. My email id is aabphilips@gmail.com
wa alaykum salaam brother. My reply was made 10 years ago at a very sensitive time when the SPUBS gang were on the warpath axing all the major du’aat from the “manhaj”. Since then leading scholars of Saudi Arabia have lectured there and have advised the du’aat to work with them in correcting the weaknesses that may have been there.
A “surooori” meant one who had a “salafi” exterior and a “ikhwaani/takfeeri” interior. It was taken from the name of a popular Islamic activist writer of the 90’s who was later accused of making takfeer of or implying deviation of some of the known scholars.
wa alaykum salaam. It would not be advisable or even haraam for one to do so. Such a person has deviated seriously from the path and will create many problems later on in life. The Prophet (pbuh) warned against such people, who would claim to only follow the Qur’aan.
Asalaam Alykum Dr.bilal philips again.how sound is this hadtih i heard it from father that there will me a war before the jugment day(i guss it is 1 sign)in which Muslims And Christains will fight together and after the war is over some christains will say that they won the war because of them and muslims will say no beacuse of them and they both will start to each other.and dr bilal philips i want ur opinion that do u think that the time of dajjal is near i know Allah only knows when he will come but according to his signs do u think is he near because my brothers say that he cant come in this time there is no way because we have TV,Computer,Internet,Planes,cars .etc so he say that it is not possible for him to come at this time but i say to him that If Allah wants Allah will let him come in this sitchuation also.Jazak Allah Qhair.
Thank you for your response may Allah reward you. Ok so you have changed your position towards them based on some advice from our ulama, can I kindly ask who has said this? May Allah bless you, and also have (some) scholars changed their position to salman al awda as I see you promote his site too? I appreciate your clarifications,
Your brother, Abu Ibraheem
Assalamualikum brother,I am a graduate student from York University in Canada.Currently I am in Toronto and if you are here then I would like to meet you in person.Please let me know how I will be able to do that.I look forward to meet you.
Mustafa Rafat Zaman