Bilal Philips

Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Philips in August 2010
Personal Details
Born	Dennis Bradley Philips Kingston, Jamaica
Nationality	Canadian
Ethnicity	Jamaican
Era	Modern
Occupation	Islamic preacher
Religion	Islam
Denomination	Salafi
Movement	Salafi movement
Notable idea(s)	founder of Islamic Online University
Alma mater	B.A. - Islamic University of Medina M.A. - King Saud University Ph.D. - University of Wales
Website	www.bilalphilips.com

Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, born Dennis Bradley Philips, is a Canadian Muslim teacher, speaker, and author who lives in Qatar. He appears on Peace TV, which is a 24-hour Islamic satellite TV channel. He considers himself a Salafi who advocates a traditional, literal form of Islam.

Biography

Education

Philips had encountered Islam several times in his travels, but the book that won him over was Islam, The Misunderstood Religion by Muhammad Qutb, the younger brother of Sayyid Qutb.

He received his B.A. degree from the Islamic University of Medina and his M.A. in ʿAqīdah (Islamic Theology) from the King Saud University in Riyadh, then to the University of Wales, St. David's University College (now University of Wales, Trinity Saint David). There at the Lampeter Campus he completed his 1993 PhD thesis, Exorcism in Islam.

Islamic Online University

Philips founded the Islamic Online University in Qatar. On his website Philips writes that distant learning is becoming an effective tool by which ordinary Muslims may learn their faith.

Controversies

Philips came under criticism in Britain for seeming to condone suicide bombers. He said of suicide bombing: "When you look at the mind of the suicide bomber, it's a different intention altogether ... The [enemy] is either too heavily armed, or they don't have the type of equipment that can deal with it, so the only other option they have is to try to get some people amongst them and then explode the charges that they have to try to destroy the equipment and to save the lives of their comrades. So this is not really considered to be suicide in the true sense. This is a military action and human lives are sacrificed in that military action. This is really the bottom line for it and that's how we should look at it." However, Philips did condemn the takfiri group Boko Haram during a visit to Nigeria.

Philips also said that there is no such thing as rape in marriage. He argued that a woman is obliged to give herself to her husband and that the husband may not be charged with rape.

In 2007 Philips was banned from entering Australia on the advice of national security agencies.

In 2010 Philips was banned from entering the UK by home secretary Theresa May for holding "extremist views".

In April 2011, Philips was banned from re-entering Germany as persona non grata.

In 2012, Philips was banned from entering Kenya over possible terror links. Philips was named by the US government as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

In 2013, his Twitter account was hacked by spammers.

In 2014, armed officers raided Islamic institutions in Prague, detaining 20 people during Friday Prayer at a mosque and a community center, and arresting the publisher of a book authored by Philips entitled "The Fundamentals of Tawheed". Law enforcement officials claimed the book "incites xenophobia and violence". A spokesman for the Czech police, Pavel Hanták stated that he did not want to help promote a book that disseminated racism, anti-Semitism and violence against what it called "inferior races." Philips defended his book stating that there was “no place for racism” within it.

In June 2014, the Bangladeshi intelligence service ordered Phillips, who had come to Dhaka to give lectures, to leave the country.

In September 2014, Philips was arrested in the Philippines for “inciting and recruiting people to conduct terrorist activities.” He was expected to be deported by Philippine immigration authorities after police arrested him in southern Davao City. Eddie Delima, an immigration officer in Davao stated: "He’s classified as undesirable because of his extremist views and possible link to terrorist groups". The director of the Philippine National Police in Southern Mindanao, said Philips is being questioned for his possible links with terror groups including the ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). He was deported from the Philippines back to Canada.

In the April 2016 issue of Dabiq Magazine, The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant declared him a murtadd (or apostate).

Publications

Books

• The Purpose of Creation , Islamic Book Services; ISBN 978-8172-313-586
• The True Religion Of God, Islamic Book Services; ISBN 978-8172-314-781
• The Fundamentals of TAWHEED (Islamic Monotheism) International Islamic Publishing House; ISBN 9960-9648-0-9
• The Evolution of Fiqh (Islamic Law & The Madh-habs) International Islamic Publishing House (Edited by Bradley Philips); ISBN 9960-672-86-7
• Usool Al Hadeeth (The Methodology of Hadith Evaluation) International Islamic Publishing House; ISBN 9960-9871-4-0
• Usool at-Tafseer (The Methodology of Qur'anic Interpretation) International Islamic Publishing House; ISBN 9960-9533-2-7
• Tafseer Surah al-Hujurat , International Islamic Publishing House; ISBN 978-9960-967-707
• The Clash of Civilisations, Al-Hidaayah Publishing & Distribution; ISBN 978-1898-649-717
• True Message of Jesus Christ, Islamic Book Services 2006; ISBN 81-7231-360-8
• Purpose of Creation, 84pp, Islamic Book Services 2002; ISBN 81-7231-358-6
• Funeral Rites in Islam, International Islamic Publishing House; ASIN 9960850846
• Polygamy in Islam, Islamic Book Services; ISBN 81-7231-715-8
• Islamic Studies, Al-Basheer 2002; ISBN 1-898649-19-7
• Islamic Studies: Book 1, International Islamic Publishing House; ISBN 978-9960-850-931
• Islamic Studies: Book 2, International Islamic Publishing House; ISBN 978-9960-850-948
• Islamic Studies: Book 3, International Islamic Publishing House; ISBN 978-9960-850-955
• Islamic Studies: Book 4, International Islamic Publishing House; ISBN 978-9960-850-962
• Arabic Grammar Made Easy: Book 1, A.S. Noordeen; ISBN 978-9830-652-511
• Arabic Reading & Writing Made Easy, A.S. Noordeen; ISBN 978-9830-651-415
• Salvation through Repentance, International Islamic Publishing House; ISBN 978-9960-672-960
• Dream Interpretation According to the Qur'an and Sunnah, Islamic Book Service; ISBN 978-8172-314-224
• The Possession of Izzan, Dakwah Corner Bookstore; ISBN 978-983-44208-1-9
• The Exorcist Tradition In Islam, Al-Hidaayah Publishing & Distribution ; ISBN 978-1898-649-724

See also

• List of Da'ees
• List of Islamic studies scholars
• Dawah
• Islam in Canada
• Zakir Naik
• Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo
• Muhammad bin Jamil Zeno
• Yusuf Estes

External links

• Official website
• Official Facebook page
• Official Twitter page
• YouTube page