Wahba Al-Zuhaili

Sheikh Wahba Al-Zuhaili died on August 8, 2015. He was Dean of the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies at the University of Sharjah between 2000 and 2006, a professor of comparative jurisprudence and graduate studies at the same university between 2000 and 2008, and a dean at the College of Sharia for Scientific Affairs at the University of Damascus . “Between 1985 and 1997, he was a professor of criminal jurisprudence at the Higher Institute of Legal and Judicial Sciences during 2001, a professor of comparative jurisprudence and Sharia policy at the University of Kuwait between 1997 and 2000, a professor at the Faculty of Sharia at the University of Damascus between 1981 and 1997, and a professor for postgraduate studies. At the “Omdurman Islamic University - Damascus Branch” between 1992 and 1997, and a professor of inheritance at the “Faculty of Islamic Da’wah - Damascus Branch” between 1997 and 1988, and a professor for postgraduate studies in the Faculty of Sharia at the “ University of Jordan ” between 1990 and 1991. He was a member of many jurisprudential and scientific academies, including: “The Islamic Jurisprudence Academy in Jeddah,” “The Jurisprudence Academy in Mecca,” the “Royal Academy for Research in Islamic Civilization” in Jordan, the “Islamic Jurisprudence Academy” in India and the United States of America, and the “Fatwa Council.” He was also a member of the Research and Islamic Affairs Committee and the editorial board of Nahj al-Islam magazine in the Syrian Ministry of Endowments , and a member of the Encyclopedia of Jurisprudence of Transactions in the Islamic Jurisprudence Academy in Jeddah. He worked as Chairman of the Sharia Supervisory Board at: “Islamic Mudaraba and Clearing Company” in Bahrain, and “International Islamic Bank” at the “Arab Banking Corporation” in Bahrain and the United Kingdom, and as Chairman of the Sharia Studies Committee for Islamic Financial Institutions. He also worked on graduating and verifying the hadiths of “Tuhfat al-Fuqa’ by Al-Samarkandi,” and graduating and verifying the hadiths and works of “Jami’ al-Ulum wa al-Hikam by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali” with commentary on them. He presented the “Encyclopedia of Contemporary Islamic Jurisprudence” in 8 volumes and the “Encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence and Contemporary Issues” in 14 volumes. He has many books, including: “The Effects of War in Islamic Jurisprudence - A Comparison between the Eight Schools of thought and International Law,” “The Mediator in the Fundamentals of Islamic Jurisprudence,” “The Fundamentals of Islamic Jurisprudence,” “Islamic Jurisprudence in its New Style,” and “Islamic Jurisprudence According to the Maliki Doctrine.” “Al-Wajeez in the Fundamentals of Jurisprudence,” “Named Contracts in the UAE Civil Transactions Law and the Jordanian Civil Law,” “International Relations in Islam,” “Efforts to Codify Islamic Jurisprudence,” and “Ubadah Bin Al-Samit.” He won many awards, including: “Best Islamic Personality Award” at the Hijri New Year reception held by the Malaysian government in 2008. He was also ranked in 2014 on the “List of 500 Influential Personalities in the World.” He holds a doctorate in comparative jurisprudence in 1971 from the Faculty of Sharia and Law at Al-Azhar University , a diploma in public law in 1968, a diploma in Islamic law in 1967, a master’s degree in law from Cairo University , and a master’s degree in comparative jurisprudence in 1967 from “Faculty of Sharia and Law” at “ Al-Azhar University ”, a diploma in personal status in 1966 from the same university, a bachelor’s degree in law in 1966 from “ Damascus University ”, and a bachelor’s degree in Sharia in 1965 from the same university.