Ali Rida Rizek (Ph.D., Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Göttingen 2021) is a scholar of the social and intellectual history of Islam, with a particular focus on Twelver Shiʿism. He received his BA and MA in Arabic Language and Literature from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon. He has taught at the American University of Beirut (AUB), the Lebanese American University (LAU), the University of Leiden, the University of Göttingen, and the University of Bayreuth in Germany. His research focuses on the history of Islamic law, Qurʾanic studies, Arabic literature, and classical Islamic education. He has published studies on hadith, legal history, and the classical Islamic ethical discourse. His upcoming book examines, for the first time in a monograph, the life, work, and impact of two early Imāmī legal scholars, namely Ibn Abī ʿAqīl al-ʿUmānī and Ibn al-Junayd al-Iskāfī (both flourishing in the 4th/10th century).
During his time at AMI, Dr Rizek will be presenting his research at the upcoming events:
- Research seminar titled: ‘Between Ibn al-Junayd al-Iskāfī and al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī: Legal disagreement (khilāf) in Early Imami hadith Compendia’ to be held on Wednesday 7th February 2024 at 3:00pm (GMT).
- Hadith Studies conference titled: ‘Compiling a Tradition: The History and Development of the Early Imāmī Hadith Corpora’ to be held on 12th – 13th Febraury 2024.
Fellowship Experience:
AMI is a serious research and teaching institution with a very welcoming and friendly team and interesting perspectives for studying Islam in contemporary contexts.
I specifically benefited from presenting some of my research to a knowledgeable audience that is not always available in the West (particularly in what concerns Shi’i studies).
