Mahmoud Ayoub Receives Distinguished Scholar Award

Left to right, Abubaker al-Shingieti, Executive Director of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Board member, Hartford Seminary; Jamal Barzinji, Vice President of IIIT; and Professor Mahmoud Ayoub

Professor Mahmoud Ayoub, Faculty Associate in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary, has received the 2012 Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) for his leadership in the Institute's Summer Institute for Scholars.

Dr. Ayoub, who received the award at a ceremony on Wednesday, July 18, said that he is honored by the recognition.He also praised the Institute for its commitment to "Islamic studies and Muslim Unity." He complimented Jamal al-Barzinji, vice president of IIIT, and Abubaker Al Shingieti, executive director, for their creative leadership.

The Summer Institute for Scholars 2012 started atIIIT headquarters in Herndon, VA, on July 9 with an opening lecture on "Ethics and Government: IbnTaymiyya Against Extremism" by Yahya Michot, Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations atHartford Seminary. The theme of the gathering this year is "Good Governance in Islam: Classical and Contemporary Approaches."

The program included lectures, paper presentations and panel discussions by more than 15 scholars from different academic backgrounds. Also participating were the students enrolled in the IIIT Summer students program for the current year.

Dr.Ayoub was born in South Lebanon. He received his education at the American University of Beirut (BA, Philosophy, 1964), the University of Pennsylvania (M.A., Religious Thought, 1966), and Harvard University (Ph.D., History of Religion, 1975).

From 1988 to 2008, he was a Professor and Director of Islamic Studies in the Department of Religion, Temple University, Philadelphia, an Adjunct Professor at the Duncan Black Macdonald Center, Hartford Seminary, Connecticut, a Research Fellow at the Middle East Center, University of Pennsylvania and the Tolson visiting professor at the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley California. In 1998, Dr. Ayoub helped devise and launch a graduate M.A. level program in Muslim-Christian relations and comparative religion for the Centre for Christian-Muslim Studies, University of Balamand, Lebanon, and since the Spring of 1999, has been its visiting professor. Dr. Ayoub also previously taught at San Diego State University, the University of Toronto, and McGill University.

Throughout his academic career, Mahmoud Ayoub has received distinguished awards and scholarships, both for his achievements and researches. Among others, he was a recipient of the Kent Doctoral Fellowship and the Canada Council Fellowship. In 1994-5, he participated in the Fulbright Exchange of Scholars program for Malaysia. In the Spring-Summer of 2000, he undertook a research project on Christian-Muslim relations in Egypt and Lebanon, also on a Fulbright scholarship.

Mahmoud Ayoub is the author of a number of books including, Redemptive Suffering in Islam and The Qur'an and Its Interpreters (vol. 1 & 2). The summer of 2000 saw the release of his two-volume publication, Dirasat fi al-?Alaqat al-Masihiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Arabic (Studies in Christian-Muslim Relations). Islam: Faith and History appeared in 2004. In addition, his articles have appeared in books and journals, like, The Muslim World, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Bulletin of the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies (Tokyo, Japan) and Islamochristiana (Rome, Italy), among many others. Prof. Ayoub has also served and is still serving on a number of Advisory and Editorial Boards.

Mahmoud Ayoub's authority in both the scholarship and comparative study of Islam and Muslim-Christian relations, as well as inter-religious dialogue, as demonstrated by the national and international recognition he has received. This is reflected by his numerous local and overseas scholarly engagements. Since 1999, Dr. Ayoub has participated in the United States' Department of State's program, serving as one of its ambassadors to various parts of the Middle East and S.E. Asia, commenting on American society and institutions, inter-religious dialogue and Islam in America.