Biographical background
His original name was Dennis Bradley Philips. Bilal was born in Kingston, Jamaica 1946. However, Bilal was a Canadian nationale. His ethnicity was African. He converted to Sunni Islam. Bilal adopted the Hanbali school of jurisprudence in Islam. Bilal followed the Athari Muslim creed. He was a Salafist. Bilal founded the International Open University. Bilal’s Alma mater: He got his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Islamic University of Medina. He got his Master degree at King Saud University, KSA. Bilal Philips got his Ph.D at the University of Wales, UK. Bilal Philips works as an Islamic scholar.
Who is Bilal Philips
Bilal Philips’ nickname is Abu Ameenah. Dennis Bradley Philips, later known as Bilal Philips is a Canadian Islamic scholar who was born in Jamaica in 1946. Bilal converted to Islam in his early seventies. We can say that he reverted to Islam because the blacks of the Caribbean and Central America are the ancestors of the western African slaves who were captured and brought by force to work in the colonies of the (New World). The majority of those West African nigres were originally Muslims. The following generations lost their original faith and were baptized into Christianity, either by force or by oblivion.
Bilal Philips intellectual journey
- In spite of the fact that the majority of the northern, central and even the southern Americans are Christians, the people in central and south America are anti-capitalists. This is due to the unjust US politics in the region. So, Bilal Philips started as a communist. Maybe he was influenced by Che Gevara and Fidle Castro in his youth. So, initially Philips was a Christian who developed into a communist.
The thirst is never Quenched
Bilal Philips in Saudi arabia
As a new convert, Bilal Philips wanted to study Islam academically. So Bilal went to Saudi Arabia where he got his BA in Islamic studies. He studied in al-Madinah al–Munawwarah. After finishing his BA Islamic studies, Bilal got his MA degree in Islamic Theology in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. In the early nineties, Bilal joined the University of Wales in the United Kingdom. Bilal did his PhD In Islamic Theology.
A ten year career serving Islam
After finishing his high studies in Islamic studies, Bilal joined the teaching staff of the Manarat High School in Riyadh. He taught Islamic studies. Along with his work in the Manarat Schools, Dr. Bilal was a lecturer of Arabic and Islamic studies in Dubai. He worked at the American University in Dubai for ten years.
Bilal Philips activity in Dubai
7 years serving Islam in Qatar
- After ten fruitful and successful years in the UAE, Bilal Philips headed for the state of Qatar. In Qatar, Bilal Philips worked as an Islamic consultant for the Islamic Information wing of Sheikh Eid Charity. Also, Bilal gave lectures at the Islamic Information Wing. However, Bilal Philips’ intellectual production was not only lectures. Bilal Philips wrote, translated and commented on more than fifty published books. These books are on diverse Islamic subjects. Moreover, Bilal Philips edited and published a series of fifty-six books. This book series is called the “Eman Reading Series”. This series targets children.
More useful activity
the international open university
In Ajman, UAE, Bilal established and became chairman of the Islamic Studies Department of Preston University in 2002. Five years later and in 2007, Bilal set up and headed the Academy of Islamic Studies in Doha, Qatar. Meanwhile, he inaugurated the International Open University. This Open University offers free Islamic courses to more than hundred thousand registered students worldwide. The students come from more than one hundred and seven countries all over the world.
One of the most influential 500 muslim figures
institutes, colleges and universities
- In 2008, Bilal set up and became head of the English Islamic studies department in the Knowledge International University under the presidency of Shaikh As-Sudais, KSA. In 2009, Bilal established the Da’wah and Islamic Culture College, Omdurman Islamic University, Sudan. Also, he established an Islamic college in India. In March 2010, Dr Bilal Philips launched an accredited tuition-free BA in Islamic Studies degree course at the International Open University.
