Mr. Justice Dr. Muhammad Al-Ghazali

Name:

Muhammad Al-Ghazali son of Muhammad Ahmad

Appointment

Judge, Supreme Court of Pakistan

Bench

Ad-hoc Membmer, Shariat Appellate Bench

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

1. Ph.D. (Islamic Studies), Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Doctoral Dissertation: Socio-Political Thought of Shah Wali Allah
2. M.A. Arabic, University of the Punjab, Lahore
3. Fazil-i-Arabi (Hons.) i.e. Honours Degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies
4. Fazil-i-Dars-i-Nizami, i.e. Graduate Degree from a traditionalMadrasah, awarded after completing an 8-year programme, with the following core courses:
   • Arabic Language, Linguistics, Syntax, Morphology, Stylistics and Rhetorics and Classical Logic and Dialectics
   • Islamic Law and Jurisprudence
   • Qur'anic Exegesis
   • Hadith
   • Theology and Scholastics
5. Certificate in French Language and Civilization (up to 5^th degree), from Alliance Franciase, Islamabad.
6. Hafiz-i- Quran,i.e. committed the entire Qur'an to memory in accordance with the principles of recitation.

Background

• Judge, Supreme Court of Pakistan, (ad-hoc Member, Shariat Appellate Bench), since 25^th March 2010.
• Member, International Board of Experts, Centre for Muslim Contribution to Civilization, Doha, Qatar, since February 2014.
• Professor and Head of Islamic Thought, Civilization and Social Sciences Unit, Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad from February 1999 to March 2007.
• Professor and Head, Quranic Studies Department since March 2007.
• Associate Professor and Head Islamic Social Sciences Unit, Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad (March 1995 to Feb. 1999.
• Associate Professor, International Islamic University, Kuala Lumpur,     Malaysia (July 1991- June 1993)
• Assistant Professor, Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad (1985-1991 – 1993-1995).
• Assistant Professor, Department of Arabic language and literature, International Islamic University, Islamabad (October 1981- April 1985).
• Editor, Al-Dirasat al-Islamiyyah, a quarterly and refereed research journal of Islamic Research Institute published since 1965 in Arabic (1987 to-date).
• Associate Editor, Integrated Encyclopedia of the Quran (2007-2010).
• Senior Research Officer, Council of Islamic Ideology,    Government of Pakistan (from July 1979 to October 1981).
• Taught Virtual Courses of Arabic language from Pakistan Television     sponsored by Allama Iqbal Open University (1978-79), under the title:       al-lisan al-Arabi.

SCHOLASTIC WORK

1.  Supervised postgraduate research works for M.Phil. and Ph.D. by the students of the Faculty of Islamic Studies, IIU, during the last thirty five years.
2.  Served, since the last thirty years, as an External Examiner for M.A., M. Phil., and Ph.D. dissertations for the following universities in Pakistan and abroad:
   • University of the Punjab, Lahore
   • Islamia University, Bahawalpur
   • Bahauddin Zakaria University, Multan
   • Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad
   • Karachi University
   • Fatima Jinnah Women’s University
   • International Islamic University, Islamabad
   • Melbourne University, Australia
   • International Islamic University, Malaysia
3.  Editor, Al-Dirasat al-Islamiyyah, a quarterly referred research journal of Islamic Research Institute. This journal was established in 1965 and has completed its 50^th volume.  During the last 30 years of editorship, Prof. Muhammad al-Ghazali worked to ensure regularity and high standard of this journal, reviewed and edited hundreds of research articles written by scholars from Pakistan and abroad, published in 120 issues, running into roughly 50,000 pages concerning significant areas of Islamic studies viz. Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Kalam, Sirah, Tasawwuf, Akhlaq, History, Sociology, political Science, Economics, Language and Linguistics, Poetry, Literature, Grammar, Rhetoric, and problems of contemporary Muslim world etc.
4.  Editor, Annual Journal of the International Islamic University     (a bi-lingual referred research journal published in Arabic and English) (2001-2005).
5.  Editorial Advisor for a number of years to the following journals:
6. • Islamic Studies, Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
   • Intellectual Discourse, International Islamic University, Malaysia
   • Maarif-i-Isami, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, Pakistan
   • Islamabad Law Review, Faculty of Shariah, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
   • Journal of Gender and Social Issues, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

PEDAGOGY

The following graduate, postgraduate and Ph.D. courses were taught by Prof. Muhammad al-Ghazali at various faculties of International Islamic University, Islamabad (1981-1984, 1993-2007) and the International Islamic University, Malaysia (1991-1993):

• Arabic language, Grammar and Rhetoric
• Sciences of the Quran
• Kalam
• Foundations for Sociology in the Quran
• Contribution of Indian Subcontinent to Arabic/Islamic Literature
• Introduction to Social Sciences
• Sociology of Religion
• Philosophy of Religion
• Islamic Creed and Ethics
• Islamic Philosophy
• Islamic Sociology
• Literary Study of the Quran (Course conducted at Ph.D. level)

RAMADAN LECTURES

During 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1989, Dr al-Ghazali visited Australia, under the order of the President of Pakistan/Chancellor, International Islamic University, to participate in various religious activities of Ramadan and to deliver lectures on the Qur’an and its message to the members of the Muslim community of Australia. The duration of each visit had been four weeks. He visited various Islamic religious and educational institutions in Sydney, New Castle and Melbourne.

SOME RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

NAME / TITLE	NAME OF JOURNAL/PUBLISHER	DATE OF PUBLICATION
Universal Social Culture	American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, Herndon, Virginia, USA	Spring 1994
Reason and revelation: Conflict or Convergence	Muslim Education Quarterly, Cambridge, UK	Summer 1994
Rashid Ahmad Gangohi	Turkish Encyclopaedia of Islam, Istanbul	1995
The Problem of Evil: An Islamic Approach	Catholic University Press,Washington DC	1996
Socio-Political Thought of Shah Wali Allah (Book) pp.335	Islamic Research Institute, IIU, Islamabad	2001
Status of Women in Pakistani Society: Problems and Prospects	International Human rights Perspective, Peshawar University	January 2002
The Political Model of the Madinan State	Ma‘arif-i-Islami, Allama Iqbal Open University	March-April 2002
English translation of Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi’s book: (‘How should we respond to the Prophet’s Sunnah?)	International Institute of Islamic Thought, London, UK	2002
This World and the Hereafter (UNESCO Project on Culture of Islam)	UNESCO Press, Paris, France	2003
Criteria of religious Devotion	Intellectual Discourse, International Islamic University, Malaysia	Winter 2003
The Beautiful Names of Allðh (Book)	Dawah Academy, IIUI	2006
Raison D’etre of Madrasah	Islamic Studies,No.2, Vol.45	Summer 2006
Dialogue Between Two Savants on the Spirit of Fasting	Al-Dirasat Al-IslamiyyahNo.2, Vol. xxxxi	July-Sep 2006
Dimensions of Islamic Da’wah and our Intellectual Realities Today	Al-Dirasat al-Islamiyyah	Winter 1980
Draft Islamic Constitution of al-Azher	Islamic Studies	Summer 1981
The Collective Exercise of Ijtihðd in the Present Times	Al-Dirasat al-Islamiyyah	Winter 1983
Finality of the Prophethood	Al-Dirasat al-Islamiyyah	Summer 1985
Teachings of the Prophet and the Intellectual Renaissance of Mankind	Fikr-o-Nazar(Urdu Quarterly)	October-December 1995
Issues in the Cognition of the Divine	Fikr-o-Nazar	Summer 1996
Reflections on Islamic View of Art and Literature	Islamic Studies	Winter 1996
Islam between East and West	Islamic Studies, Special Issue on ‘Islam in the Balkans’, Vol.36, Nos. 2-3	Summer 1997

Exegetical Urdu Translation of Imam Ashraf Ali Thanvi and some of its characteristics	Al-Dirasat al-Islamiyyah,Issue No.3, Vol.xxxvi,	July-Sep. 2001
From Empiricism to Normatism:Toward Sociology of Islam (pp.450)	A Project of Islamic Research Institute	Awaiting publication by Islamic Research Institute
Reflections on Islamic Education.	The Islamic Culture University of Karachi	Vol. XI 2006
Some Rhetorical Features of the Quran(Book pp. 244)	Islamic Research Institute Press.	2014

Reflections on Islamic Education. An Article in Arabic	The Islamic Culture, University of Karachi	2007
Love of the Prophet (SAW)(English translation of a book by Dr. Fazal Ilahi)	Islamabad	2008
Modern Reformist Trends in India and Pakistan	Paper submitted to a seminar in Alexandria Library, Egypt	June 2008
Secular Modernist Bias in Western Social Sciences	Islam and Science, Canada	Summer 2008
Religious Language:In Islamic and Western Perspectives	Annual Journal of IIUI	2009
Written detailed critical comments on the following entries of Integrated Encyclopadia of the Quran:1.  Comments on Al-Aqsa2.  Comments on Atom3.  Comments on Kaffarah4.  Comments on the Angels5.  Comments on Ability6.  Comments on Arabic Language7.  Comments on Arteries & Veins8.  Comments on Authority9. Comments on Bedouins10. Comments on Blessings11. Comments on Books12. Comments on Buying & Selling13. Comments on Agriculture (outline)	Integrated Encyclopaedia of the Quran (Canada)	2008-2010
The Prophet’s Sunnah as the Normative Matrix of Islamic Culture and Society	Insights, Vol.1, No.3	Spring 2009
Basmalah: Some Reflections	Insights	Winter 2009

Work Completed - UNPUBLISHED

• From Empiricism to Normatism: Towards Sociology of Islam (pp.344).
• Contribution of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi to Islamic Thought in the Sub-continent.
• English translation with annotation and introduction to the long prologue to al-Tahrir Wal‘ Tanvir by Shaikh Ibn ‘Ashur, a prominent Tunisian writer of Tafsir.

 SEMINARS/CONFERENCES ATTENDED AND ACADEMIC VISITS UNDERTAKEN

1. National Congress for the Promotion of Arabic held at the University of Karachi under the patronage of the President of Pakistan in April 1974. Contributed a paper entitled: ‘Practical Dimensions of the Promotion of Arabic Studies in Pakistan’ (Urdu).
2. International Conference of Muslim Scholars held in March 1980. Topic of the paper presented in this Conference was: ‘Crime and Punishment in Islamic Shariah’ (English).
3. 14th Seminar on Islamic Thought held in Algiers in August 1980. Contributed a paper entitled: `Dimensions of Islamic Da’wah and our Intellectual Realities Today’ (Arabic).
4. Visit to the Vatican City: On the invitation of late Cardinal Jean Jadot, he visited Vatican in June 1981. In this visit, he attended a number of round table discussions with leading scholars of Christianity alongwith three other Pakistani scholars including Dr. Mahmood A. Ghazi. These discussions were focused on Christian-Muslim Understanding.
5. 16th Seminar on Islamic Thought held in Constantine, Algeria in July 1983. Read a Paper on: ‘Collective exercise of Ijtihad in the present times’ (Arabic).
6. International Seminar on Islamic Solidarity for World Peace held at Islamabad in September 1984 under the aegis of World Muslim Congress, and inaugurated by the President of Pakistan.  Read a paper on ‘The Role of Governments in the Achievement of Civilizational Objectives’ (Arabic).
7. National Science Conference organized by Islamia University Bahawalpur in December 1982.  Read a paper on `The Evolution of Neo-Scholastics in Islam’ (Urdu).
8. Assembly of the World’s Religions held at New Jersy, USA, in November 1985 under the auspices of the International Religious Foundation. Presented a paper entitled: `Growing profanity in our lives — Impact of Secularity — An Islamic Point of View’ (English).
9. International Conference on the Problem of evil, held in Seoul, Korea from 27th April, 1994 to 3rd May, 1994 under the auspices of International Religious Foundation, U.S.A. Presented a paper entitled: `The Problem of Evil — An Islamic Approach’.
10. International Visitor Programme of U.S.A. He undertook a four week long tour of six major states/cities of U.S.A. in August-September 1996, on the invitation of USIS. In this tour, he visited the following leading universities in the U.S.A.: George Washington University, Georgetown University, Memphis University (Tennysee), Washington University (Saint Louis), Saint Louis University, Boston University, Harvard University, Chicago University and Catholic University (Washington D.C.). During these visits he held round table discussions with the Faculty members specialized in Islamic studies about their academic plans related to research and instruction in Islamic Studies.
11. Annual Convention of Islamic Society of North America, 29th August-1st September 1996. Presented two papers, one in the plenary session (the audience numbered 10,000 participants) and the other in a regular session. The topics of the papers were:
    • ‘The Early Madinan Model of Society And State’.
    • ‘The Problem of Contemporary Family’ — An Islamic Response’.
12. International Seminar on Muslim perceptions of the West and Western Perceptions of the Muslims, held in Islamabad in October 1997 under the joint auspices of IRI and Georgetown University, USA. Presented a paper on: ‘A Critique of Western Approach to the Understanding of Islam’.
13. National Seminar on Hadith in the Subcontinent December 2003.  Presented a paper: Shah Wali Allah’s Concept of ‘Peel and Core in Hadith Sciences’.
14. International Seminar on Sirah Islamia University, Bahawalpur, 1999, presented a paper on the contribution of the Prophet to statecraft.
15. International Cultural Week Seminar of the International Islamic University April 1999, presented a paper on “Islamic Critique of the Theory of Clash of Civilizations”.
16. International Cultural Week Seminar of the International Islamic University, April 2000.  Presented a paper: ‘Terms of Engaging in Intellectual Discourse with the Modern Academia’.
17. International seminar on Shah Wali Allah, Aligarh Muslim University, India, March 2001.  Presented a paper on the ‘Contribution of the Magnum Opus of Shah Wali Allah to Islamic Thought’.  Also presided over the first working session and delivered presidential address on the significance of Shah Wali Allah’s magnum opus entitles Hujjat Allah al-Balighah.
18. Participated in 3 workshops on Islamic research organised by Allama Iqbal Open University for its M.Phil students as a resource person, in 2001, 2002, and 2003.
19. Seminar on the Contribution of Shah Wali Allah Dihlavi to Islamic Thought, organized by International Islamic University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, February 2003. Presented the Main Paper entitled: ‘Contribution of Shah Wali Allah to Islamic Thought in the Sub-Continent of India’.
20. International Conference on Future of Islam in Asia, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, September 21-23, 2003. Presented a paper entitled: “Islam: A Religion of Peace and Harmony”. However, travel to Canada had to be cancelled at the last minute due to his illness. This paper was read by someone else on behalf of Dr. Ghazali.
21. International Conference on the ‘Terms for a Fruitful Dialogue’, organized by the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Algeria, 22-25 March 2003. Presented a paper: “Islamic View of Dialogue with Others” (Arabic). He had to cancel the travel to Algiers to attend the Conference due to the outbreak of Iraq War resulting in the cancellation of certain flights.  The paper was included in the proceedings of the Conference.
22. International Seminar on Waqf jointly organized by International Waqf Foundation, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and International Institute of Islamic Economics, International Islamic University, Islamabad.  Read a paper on the ‘socio-cultural significance of Waqf’ and presented comments as a discussant on the paper: ‘Waqf and a Plan for its Revival in South Asia’ by Professor Manzur Alam, Director, Institute of Objective Studies, New Delhi, India, December 2003.
23. One day Seminar on the State of Islamic Education in Gulf Universities, organized by Qatar Foundation, February 2014. Presented a paper on the need to promote genius in Islam.

MEMBERSHIP OF LEARNED BODIES

1. Quarterly Member, Editorial Board of Intellectual Discourse, Research Journal of the international Islamic University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1991-1993).
2. Member, Academic Council, International Islamic University (1999- to date).
3. Member, Board of Studies for Islamic Studies, Islamic University, Bahawalpur (1995-1999).
4. Member, Board of Studies, Faculty of Usuluddin, International Islamic University, Islamabad, (to date).
5. Member, Board of Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, (to date).
6. Member, Board of Studies, Department of Education, International Islamic University, Islamabad, (to date).
7. Member, Board of Studies for Arabic, Bahauddin Zakariyya University, Multan, (1999-2001).
8. Member, Foreign Teacher’s Promotion Committee, International Islamic University, Islamabad, (2000 - 2006).
9. Member, Executive Committee of International Institute of Islamic Thought (U.S.A.) Pakistani Chapter, (1989-2003).
10. Member, International Board of Experts, Qatar Centre for Muslim Contribution to Human Civilization (since Feb. 2014).

PROFICIENCY IN LANGUAGES

• Arabic:  read, write and speak
• English:  read, write and speak
• Urdu:  read, write and speak
• Persian:  read only
• French:  speak

 ACADEMIC JOURNEYS

In the course of his academic career, Dr. Muhammad al-Ghazali visited the following countries: India, Thailand, Singapore, Syria, Algeria, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Australia, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Italy, U.K. France, Netherlands, Czech Republic, USA, Libya, Lebanon and Qatar.

TRAVEL WITH EMINENT SCHOLARS

Dr. Muhammad al-Ghazali had been blessed with a rare opportunity to travel within the country and abroad, with some of the most outstanding scholars of our time e.g. late Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah, late Dr. Ihsan Haqqi, late Mr. A.K. Brohi, late Dr. Mustafa al-Zarqa, late Dr. Ismail Faruqi, late Shaikh Muhammad al-Ghazali, Muhammad Sallam Madkour, Shaikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, late Shaikh Muhammad Sa‘id al-Tantavi, the former Shaikh of al-Azhar, late Professor Abdel-Wahhab al-Messiri, and late Dr. Ma‘ruf al-Dawalibi.  These precious occasions afforded him an extremely rewarding opportunity to sit at the feet of these great luminaries and partake some of their knowledge and wisdom.

REFERENCES:

1. Prof. Dr. Malik Badri,University Professor of Psychology, International Islamic University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
2. Prof. S. Parvez Manzoor,Professor Emiratus, Stockholm University, Sweden,Editor, Muslim world Book Review,Leicester, U. K.
3. Prof. Kamal Hassan,University Professor & former Rector International Islamic University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia