Dr.Ali

Dr. Ali Muhiddin Al-Qaradaghi

Dr. Ali Muhiddin Al-Qaradaghi was born in 1949 in the city of Qaradagh/Sulaimanyah in Kurdistan region of Iraq. He is from a scholarly and cultivated household that traces its linage to our great Master Al-Hussein (May Allah be pleased with him). While still an adolescent in Qaradagh, he received his early education and memorized the Holy Quran. Then he moved to Sulaimanyah to learn at the hands of his uncle Sheikh Najmaddin Al-Qaradaghi, and Sheikh and connoisseur Mustafa Al-Qaradaghi, together with a number of Sulaimanyah scholars. Afterwards he pursued his studies in Baghdad  to be educated by Sheikh and connoisseur Abdulkarim Al-Mudarris, and Sheikh Abdulqadir Al-Khateeb.

Qaradagh is also the native land of a good number of scholars and ascetics like Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Kabeer, Sheikh Muhammed Najeeb Al-Qaradaghi, Sheikh Omer Al-Qaradaghi, Sheikh Mustafa Al-Qaradaghi, Sheikh Baba Rasul, Sheikh Nooraddin and Sheikh Najmaddin and many others. Moreover, Qaradagh is the birthplace of the ascetic Sheikh, the divine scholar, our master Khalid Al-Naqshbandy.

Dr. Ali Al-Qaradaghi has received his scientific license from a number of great scholars including Sheikh Mustafa Al-Qaradaghi in 1970. He also graduated from the Islamic Institute as the top graduate. He enrolled in the Great Imam Abu-Hanifa College in Baghdad wherein he graduated with distinction. In addition, he obtained his M.A. and Ph.D with a high distinction recognition from the college of Shariah Law in the University of Al-Azhar . His Ph.D thesis was recommended to be printed and finally translated into a number of international languages. The title of his Ph.D thesis is “The Principle of Satisfaction in Islamic and Civil Law”. The thesis tackles all the eight schools of Jurisprudence together with Roman, English, French, Egyptian, and Iraqi Laws.

He joined the teaching staff in Shariah Law College in the University of Qatar in 1985 in which he was promoted to the professorship degree in 1995. He wrote more than 30 books and conducted 100 researches most of which are on Islamic financial transactions, banking and economy, Islamic Jurisprudence, scientific books examinations and Islamic thought.

Most of the scholars of our era testified to Dr. Ali’s jurisprudential and encyclopedic knowledge, his depth and accuracy, and his exploration of Islamic economy and transactions. He encompasses both classical and modern studies especially in the field of Islamic economy and contemporary issues. Sheikh Mustafa Al-Zarqa, in his report on Dr. Ali’s promotion for the professorship degree, said, “We are dealing with a new jurisprudent of broad perspective.” Furthermore, Imam Sheikh Yousif Al-Qardhawi wrote in his introduction to Dr. Ali’s book entitled Ruling on Investment in Stocks, that, “Numerous questions that demanded decisive answers were confronted by the expert Dr. Ali muhiddin Al-Qaradaghi who is well qualified for such challenges. Praise be to God, he has become an authority in the jurisprudence of financial transactions. He has been working on this field since the completion of his Ph.D thesis which was also tackling this topic.”

Al-Qarghawi also stated that, “Dr. Ali has the qualifications that enable him to possess the foretop of research and deduction. He mastered the Holy Quran, the Prophet’s tradition (Sunna) and explored various books on jurisprudence. Besides, he is well informed about our modern era, and the man-made laws as he moderately combines the jurisprudence of both Islamic heritage with nowadays reality. He is fully aware of both texts and objectives which are positive tools in the hands of every jurisprudent in his confrontation with the dilemmas of the Age.”

Al-Qardhawi continued, “With a balanced perspective and a belief in the moderate approach, no wonder that he has been successful in his search for all that is meticulous and accurate, though infallibility is solely possessed by the Prophet (PBUH). It is also no wonder that our dear colleague Dr. Ali has become a common denominator in all research seminars, scientific conferences and jurisprudence assemblies that hold and discuss aspects of various transactions. He is one of the few experts who are trusted by the nation’s scholars.”

Scientific Certificates

  • Ph.D in Shariah Law from the University of Al-Azhar on the topic of contracts and financial transactions in 1985. He graduated with first class honor distinction.
  • Master Degree in comparative jurisprudence from Shariah Law college / University of Al-Azhar with distinction in 1980.
  • Bachelor Degree in Shariah Law with distinction in Baghdad in 1975.
  • The scholar license in Islamic sciences signed by a number of Sheikhs in 1970.
  • A Diploma from the Islamic Institute in 1969. He was the top graduate in Kurdistan Region at the time.

Employments

  • Secretary General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.
  • Chairman of the ISESCO’s Supreme Advisory Council for the approximation of sects which is affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
  • Vice President of the European Council for Fatwa and Research.
  • Formerly a professor and head of the Department of Jurisprudence and Fundamentals in the College of Shariah Law and Islamic Studies in the University of Qatar.
  • Chairman of the Board of Trustees in the University of Human Development in Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
  • Chairman of the Kurdish Islamic League.
  • Chairman and executive member of the Fatwa and Shariah Supervisory Boards of a number of Islamic banks and Islamic Insurance companies in Qatar including Qatar Islamic Insurance Company; and outside Qatar, including Dubai Islamic Bank in the UAE, Investors Bank in Bahrain and the First Investment company in Kuwait.

Memberships of Councils, Committees and Associations  

  • Member of the Shariah Council for Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions.
  • Founder of the Rahma Humanitarian Foundation in Scandinavia.
  • Founding member of Sheikh Eid Bin Muhammed Al Thani Charitable Foundation in Qatar.
  • Member of the General Assembly of Qatar Charity and its Islamic Law Advisor.
  • Member and Secretary of the Council of the College of Shariah Law; a member of many of its committees; the reporter of its scientific symposium, a member of its journal of the Sunna and honorary Biography research, and a member of its preparatory committee of Seminars and conferences. 
  • Expert in the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (OIC) which is affiliated to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jedda.
  • Expert in the Islamic Fiqh Council which is affiliated to the Islamic World League in Mekka.
  • Expert in the International Zakat Organization (IZO)
  • Supervisor of the Islamic Banks College in Lootah Online University.
  • Member of the board of Trustees and member in the executive board of the International Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC) in Bangladesh.
  • Member of the Academic Advisory Board of Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.

Participation in Scientific Conferences and Symposiums

  • The Scientific symposium in Shariah Law College in the University of Qatar, which tackled the issues of the problem of Debts and the Islamic Approach to solve it; the fluctuation of paper currency and its impact on rights and commitments; Arbitration on Contracting via modern means of communication and cash reception via those means; stock market arbitrations, and other issues.
  • The founding conference of Mosques affiliated to the Islamic World League in 1975. A paper is presented under the title of “The Concept of Mosque in Islam and its Requirements Nowadays”
  • Conference on the Problem of Education among the Afghan Mujahideen, wherein the issue of workplace literacy of the Mujahideen was tackled extensively in 1987.
  • All periodic sessions of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, since the fifth session in 1989 till now. In each session, a paper or two are presented by Dr. Al-Qaradaghi.
  • A paper or two are presented by Dr. Al-Qaradaghi in all the periodic sessions of the Islamic Fiqh Council affiliated with the Islamic world League since 1995.
  • All the Symposiums of the International Zakat Organization (IZO) in Kuwait. In each symposium, a paper or two are presented by Dr. Al-Qaradaghi since 1988.
  • All the periodic sessions of the European Council for Fatwa and Research since the initiation of the first session.
  • The preparatory committee of the Symposium of the Prophet Biography and Tradition Center in March 1990.
  • Coordinator of a symposium on Inflation supervised by the Islamic Fiqh Academy and the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah in October, 1995.
  • A symposium on “Law Teaching and the Qatari Society Requirements” in the Shariah Law College in the University of Qatar on December 23-26, 1995. Dr. Al-Qaradaghi’s paper was on the science of discordancy and how it is utilized in teaching the Law.
  • A number of symposiums on Endowments in Abu-Dhabi, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
  • Most of the economic symposiums in Kuwait Finance House and the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah and others.
  • Symposiums and sessions of (Dallah Albaraka Holding) with papers and economic feedbacks, particularly in Ramadhan sessions.
  • The symposium of Insurance and Law held by the college of Law in Al-Shariqa University on May 14-15 , 2003.
  • Most of the Jurisprudential symposiums and conferences, including those held in the Gulf Countries.
  • The conferences of the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) in Bahrain.
  • The symposium of “Islamic Banks: The Challenges and the Future” of Al-Jazeera Channel on March 5, 2006.
  • The conference of Islamic Finance in Oxford Center for Islamic Studies, on March 23rd 2006.
  • The first Jurisprudential Conference for Islamic financial Institutions in Kuwait in November 2006.
  • The International Symposium for Shariah scholars in the Malaysian Central Bank in Kuala Lumpur in November 2006.
  • International Islamic conference for infrastructure Financing in Doha, November 2006.
  • The Conference of the Development and Innovation of the Islamic Financial industry in Bait Al Mashura Finance Consultations in Kuwait in January 2007.
  • Doha conference for Islamic Doctrines Dialogue in Shariah Law College, University of Qatar in January 2007.
  • The International Conference on “The Child in-between Mother Tongue and Interaction with the Age” in the Childhood Cultural Center in Qatar on February 21-23, 2007.
  • The scientific symposium under the title of “Comprehensive View on Partnership Cheques: Assets Components” in the Islamic Development Bank headquarters on February 25-26, 2007.
  • The Second International Forum for Al-Azhar University graduates under the title “Civilizational Challenges of the Islamic Nation” in Al-Azhar University on April 1-3, 2007.
  • The Second Conference of Wathaq Takaful Insurance Company in Kuwait on April 15-16, 2007.
  • All meetings and sessions of the legislative council of the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions. Also, Dr. Al-Qaradaghi was a member in all their joint committees and scientific committees from February 2007 – February 2008.  
  • The conference of “Iftaa in an Open Open World: Reality and Expectations” in the International Center for Moderation in Kuwait on May 26-28, 2007.
  • Imam Qaradhawi Forum on July 13-15, 2007.
  • The International Conference of Shariah Judiciary in Jordan on September 3-5, 2007.
  • The Second International Islamic Conference for infrastructure financing in Doha on November 4-5, 2007.
  • Jerusalem International Forum in the International Jerusalem (Al-Quds) Institution in Istanbul on November 15-17, 2007.
  • The Eighth Global Conference on Badiuzzaman Nursi’s Thought under the title “Justice for a Better World for Humanity” in Istanbul on November 18-20, 2007.
  • The Second Jurisprudential Conference for Islamic Financial Institutes on November 24-25, 2007.
  • The Fifth Conference of the Shariah Scholars’ Council in the US, held in Bahrain on November 24-27, 2007.
  • A scientific symposium under the title “Islamic Banks: The Reality and the Future” in the Arabic Cultural Center in Damascus, sponsored by Al-Mamoon International Institution on February 2, 2008.
  • The Scientific Symposium under the title “The Jurisprudential Discordance: Restrictions and Role in the Development of Islamic Banking” in the University of Damascus on February 4, 2008.