Ali al-Sallabi
Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, or al-Salabi (Arabic: علي محمد الصلابي; born 1963 in Benghazi) is a Muslim cleric, religious scholar and Islamist politician from Libya.[1][2]
Politics
In November 2011, al-Sallabi announced the formation of the National Gathering for Freedom, Justice and Development, an Islamic party that would follow "Turkish-style moderation"[3] and would run in the country's upcoming elections.[2]
Under the rule of Muammar Gaddafi, he was detained in the infamous Abu Salim prison for eight years. After being released, he studied theology in Saudi Arabia and Sudan,[1] obtaining his doctorate from the Omdurman Islamic University in 1999. Subsequently, he went into exile in Qatar. Al-Sallabi has close ties to Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual head of the international Muslim Brotherhood. He is also associated with Abdelhakim Belhadj, emir of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) and one of the commanders of the National Liberation Army.[2][4] Al-Sallabi acted as a mediator in negotiations between Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and the LIFG.[5] Later, he played a key role in providing the rebels in the Libyan Civil War with Qatari humanitarian aid, money, and arms.[1] In October 2011, the international relations expert Daniel Wagner described al-Sallabi as Libya's most influential politician.[6]
Al-Sallabi has sharply criticised Mahmoud Jibril, the president of the National Transitional Council, Libya's interim government. Al-Sallabi has denounced Jibril and his allies as "extreme secularists" who would try to enrich themselves. He claimed that the new administration was "worse than Gaddafi."[7]
Works
Al-Sallabi has also gained a wide audience among Muslims in the West due to his vast writings and scholarship on the early history of Islam. His biographical works on the Prophet Muhammad and the early Caliphate add up to over 8,000 pages across several volumes. They have been translated in their entirety into English by several reputable publishers. [8]
- al-Wasatiyah fi al-Qur'an al-Karim, Master's thesis, Omdurman Islamic University
- Noble Life of The Prophet (3 Vols), Dar-us-Salam Publications, 2005
- The Biography Of Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq, Dar-us-Salam Publications, 2007
- Umar bin Khattab His Life and Times (2 Vols), Dar-us-Salam Publications, 2010
- The Biography Of Uthman Ibn Affan (R) - Dhun-Noorayn, Dar-us-Salam Publications, 2007
- Ali ibn Abi Talib (2 Vols), Dar-us-Salam Publications, 2011
- Umar bin Abd Al-Aziz (R), Dar-us-Salam Publications, 2011
- Faith in Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, International Islamic Publishing House (IIPH), 2009
- Salah Ad-Deen Al-Ayubi (3 Vols), IIPH Publications, 2010
- al-Hasan ibn 'Ali: His Life and Times, IIPH Publications, 2014
References
- 1 2 3 Dagher, Sam; Levinson, Charles; Coker, Margaret (17 October 2011). "Tiny Kingdom's Huge Role in Libya Draws Concern". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
- 1 2 3 "Libyan cleric announces new party on lines of 'moderate' Islamic democracy". The Telegraph, 10 November 2011. Accessed 26 November 2011.
- ↑ "Many similarities in Arab Spring, European chaos". CNN World, 21 November 2011. Accessed 26 November 2001.
- ↑ "Libyan Islamist demands role for 'moderate' Islam", Ahram Online, 10 October 2011, retrieved 15 February 2012
- ↑ Nakhoul, Samia (11 March 2011). "Libyan scholar urges help for rebels fighting Gaddafi". Reuters Africa. Reuters. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ↑ Wagner, Daniel (8 October 2011). "Libya’s Coming Islamist Government". Journal of Foreign Relations. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
- ↑ McDonnell, Patrick J. (14 September 2011). "Libyan rebel factions showing fissures". Denver Post. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ↑ http://www.kalamullah.com/ali-sallabi.html