Abd Allah Qadri al-Ahdal
- Died
- -
- Born in
- Yemen
Abd Allah Qadri al-Ahdal (b. c. 1356 AH / 1937 CE) is a Yemeni-born Islamic scholar, educator, and academic at the Islamic University of Madinah, known for his works on Islamic jurisprudence, pedagogy, and contemporary social issues.
Early Life and Education
Abd Allah ibn Ahmad Qadri al-Ahdal was born around 1356 AH (c. 1937 CE) in the region of Abs in northwestern Yemen. He received his early instruction in reading and writing locally and studied the Quran with village teachers, benefiting particularly from a relative who excelled in recitation. Encouraged by that relative to seek further education beyond his home region, he traveled to Samitah in southwestern Saudi Arabia to join the network of schools founded by Abdullah al-Qar'awi. There, he pursued formal studies at the Salafi School (al-Madrasah al-Salafiyyah) and subsequently graduated from the secondary stage at the Scientific Institute (al-Ma'had al-'Ilmi).
In 1382 AH, al-Ahdal enrolled at the Islamic University of Madinah, graduating from its Faculty of Sharia in 1385 AH as part of the university's second graduating class. During his studies, he was a student of the Mauritanian scholar Muhammad al-Amin al-Shinqiti, later preparing abridgments of his shaykh's Quranic commentaries on Surah al-Nur and Surah Hud.
Academic and Administrative Career
Upon completing his university degree, al-Ahdal was appointed as a teacher at the Intermediate Institute affiliated with the Islamic University of Madinah, later transferring to teach at the university's Secondary Institute. He also served as the university's social supervisor, leading student delegations and coordinating joint educational events with teacher-training institutes in Medina.
Al-Ahdal subsequently held senior academic and administrative roles at the university, serving as the dean of the Faculty of Arabic Language and as the head of the Fiqh Division in the Department of Postgraduate Studies. In his official capacity, he undertook international institutional and educational journeys on behalf of the university, including field visits to assess Islamic organizations and advocacy efforts across Southeast Asia. Alongside his administrative duties, he authored research on contemporary social issues and intellectual currents, including Wiqayat al-Mujtama' min al-Muskirat wa-al-Mukhaddirat (Protecting Society from Intoxicants and Narcotics) and the ideological treatise al-Sibaq ila al-Uqul (The Race for Minds).
Answer updated
List of Works
Tal al-Rabwa: Tarbiyat al-Ustadh al-Da'iya li-Tilmidhihi (Dew on the Hillock: The Preacher-Teacher's Upbringing of His Student) is an Islamic pedagogical treatise. It outlines practical guidance for Muslim educators and students on combining religious knowledge with moral action and da'wah, particularly within informal educational environments such as study circles, youth camps, and da'wah gatherings.
al-Sibaq ila al-Uqul (The Race for Minds: Objectives, Means, and Outcomes) is a two-volume Islamic treatise that examines the ongoing ideological and spiritual struggle between truth and falsehood for the persuasion and guidance of human intellects. Expanding on a lecture delivered at the Islamic University of Madinah, it explores the competing objectives, methods, and outcomes of both sides.