Habib Ali al-Jifri
Encyclopedia
Habib Ali Zain al-`Abideen al-Jifri (Arabic: الحبيب علي زين العابدين الجفري; born April 16, 1971) is an Islamic scholar
from Hadhramaut
, Yemen
of the Shafi'i
school of fiqh
, and the Ashari school of aqida.
, Saudi Arabia
, tracing back his lineage to the family of 'Ali
, the fourth Caliph of Islam and cousin of the Prophet
Muhammad
.
He follows the Ba'Alawi sufi
order, a tradition that has been based in Yemen for approximately 800 years and traces back to the Prophet Muhammad.
, Egypt
, Syria
and other countries, and receiving their sole discretion. He is the holder of degrees in Islamic sciences.
.
He is a member of the board of Dar al-Mustafa
Seminary in Yemen, a member of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought
in Jordan, and is also affiliated with various other international Islamic organizations.
He has strong connections with many centers and academies involved with international dialogue in religions and civilizations, including the Center for Faith and Culture at Yale University
in the United States. He is also a contributor to A Common Word Between Us and You
, an Islamic-Christian dialogue. He received the annual award of the Augen Biser Foundation in Germany for the year 2008 for his contribution to Islamic-Christian dialogue.
A noted critic of Wahhabism
, he has made his reputation on conference and television appearances. He wrote the book Jesus Christ the Son of Mary and His Most Blessed Mother.
He was interviewed by Dalia Mogahed
from the Gallup Centre for Muslim Studies
.
's The Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talaal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.
Ulama
-In Islam:* Ulema, also transliterated "ulama", a community of legal scholars of Islam and its laws . See:**Nahdlatul Ulama **Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama **Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal**Jamiat ul-Ulama -Other:...
from Hadhramaut
Hadhramaut
Hadhramaut, Hadhramout, Hadramawt or Ḥaḍramūt is the formerly independent Qu'aiti state and sultanate encompassing a historical region of the south Arabian Peninsula along the Gulf of Aden in the Arabian Sea, extending eastwards from Yemen to the borders of the Dhofar region of Oman...
, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
of the Shafi'i
Shafi'i
The Shafi'i madhhab is one of the schools of fiqh, or religious law, within the Sunni branch of Islam. The Shafi'i school of fiqh is named after Imām ash-Shafi'i.-Principles:...
school of fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, and the Ashari school of aqida.
Background
Habib Ali al-Jifri was born in JeddahJeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, tracing back his lineage to the family of 'Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
, the fourth Caliph of Islam and cousin of the Prophet
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
.
He follows the Ba'Alawi sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
order, a tradition that has been based in Yemen for approximately 800 years and traces back to the Prophet Muhammad.
Education
Al-Jifri grew up in an educated environment, and became interested in Islamic sciences, studying under a number of scholars in the Hijaz and HadhramautHadhramaut
Hadhramaut, Hadhramout, Hadramawt or Ḥaḍramūt is the formerly independent Qu'aiti state and sultanate encompassing a historical region of the south Arabian Peninsula along the Gulf of Aden in the Arabian Sea, extending eastwards from Yemen to the borders of the Dhofar region of Oman...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and other countries, and receiving their sole discretion. He is the holder of degrees in Islamic sciences.
Career
Al-Jifri is the founder and director-general of the nonprofit privately-funded Tabah Foundation for Islamic Studies in Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
.
He is a member of the board of Dar al-Mustafa
Dar al-Mustafa
Dar al-Mustafa is a madrasah in Tarim, Hadhramaut, Yemen.-History:In 1993, the Islamic seminary was founded by Habib Umar bin Hafiz. The Dar al-Mustafa campus was officially opened in May 1997 and incorporated as a center for traditional Islamic scholarship....
Seminary in Yemen, a member of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought
Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought
The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought is an international Islamic non-governmental, independent institute headquartered in Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre is affiliated with it....
in Jordan, and is also affiliated with various other international Islamic organizations.
He has strong connections with many centers and academies involved with international dialogue in religions and civilizations, including the Center for Faith and Culture at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in the United States. He is also a contributor to A Common Word Between Us and You
A Common Word Between Us and You
A Common Word between Us and You is an open letter, dated 13 October 2007, from leaders of the Muslim faith to leaders of the Christian faith. It calls for peace between Muslims and Christians and tries to work for common ground and understanding among both faiths, in line with the Qur'anic...
, an Islamic-Christian dialogue. He received the annual award of the Augen Biser Foundation in Germany for the year 2008 for his contribution to Islamic-Christian dialogue.
A noted critic of Wahhabism
Wahhabism
Wahhabism is a religious movement or a branch of Islam. It was developed by an 18th century Muslim theologian from Najd, Saudi Arabia. Ibn Abdul Al-Wahhab advocated purging Islam of what he considered to be impurities and innovations...
, he has made his reputation on conference and television appearances. He wrote the book Jesus Christ the Son of Mary and His Most Blessed Mother.
He was interviewed by Dalia Mogahed
Dalia Mogahed
Dalia Mogahed is an American Muslim scholar of Egyptian origin. She is the Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, a non-partisan research center that provides data and analysis to reflect the views of Muslims all over the world. She was selected as an advisor by U.S...
from the Gallup Centre for Muslim Studies
Gallup
Gallup can refer to:*Gallup, New Mexico*Gallup, South Dakota *George Gallup, American pollster*Elizabeth Wells Gallup, American educator and scholar...
.
Awards and recognition
In 2009, Al-Jifri was listed 37th in the world's 500 most influential Muslims by Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
's The Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talaal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.