Ali Rida Ballut
- Died
- -
- Born in
- -
Ali Rida Ballut (b. 1940 CE), also known as Ali Rida Karabulut, is a Turkish bibliographer and scholar of Hanafi jurisprudence and Maturidi theology from Kayseri, best known for compiling the multi-volume bio-bibliographical reference Mu'jam Tarikh al-Turath al-Islami fi Maktabat al-Alam .
Early Life and Background
He was born in 1940 CE in the village of Süleymanlı, east of Mount Erciyes in the province of Kayseri, Turkey, to a Turkish Muslim family as Ali Rida Karabulut ibn al-Hajj Abdullah al-Qaysari . His father died during the youth of his younger brother, Ahmad Turan Karabulut (b. 1952 CE), whom he subsequently raised and supported .
Scholarly Activity and Standing
Although he did not hold an academic post at a university, he devoted his career to library-based research, manuscript documentation, and compiling reference works for researchers . While the majority of his writings and articles were composed in Turkish, his broader international recognition stemmed from Arabic-language reference projects, including Mawsu'at al-Tibb al-Nabawi ("Encyclopedia of Prophetic Medicine") and Mu'jam Tarikh al-Turath al-Islami fi Maktabat al-Alam: al-Makhtutat wa al-Matbuat ("Dictionary of the History of Islamic Heritage in the World's Libraries: Manuscripts and Printed Works"), a comprehensive catalog of Islamic manuscripts and print editions co-authored with his brother Ahmad Turan and published in Kayseri in 1422 AH / 2001 CE . A bibliographic study he conducted was also published by the Gevher Nesibe Institute for the History of Medicine .
His scholarship received praise from Turkish academics. Professor Ahmet Uğur of the Faculty of Theology at Erciyes University observed that he spent his life immersed in reading and writing among library collections, remarking that he deserved an honorary doctorate for producing indispensable resources for university scholars and students . Professor Ahmet Hulusi Köker of the Faculty of Medicine commended his methodology, noting his diligence and his practice of having specialized scholars review his manuscripts prior to publication . In 2000 CE, his life and scholarly output were the subject of an academic study by Zeynep Atasoy at Erciyes University, which was later published in Ankara .
Answer updated
List of Works
Mujam Tarikh al-Turath al-Islami fi Maktabat al-Alam - al-Makhtutat wa al-Matbuat is an Arabic bio-bibliographical reference work completed in 1422 AH (2001 CE). It indexes Islamic scholarly heritage by documenting authors, their writings in Arabic, Turkish, and Persian, and the locations of their manuscript and print copies across libraries worldwide.