Dr. Ali Sulaiman Ali - COMING TO ALIM 2008

Sheikh Ali Sulaiman Ali was born in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. He spent much of his childhood in Ghana with various shuyukh. His curriculum there included Arabic sciences (such as grammar), Tawheed, Fiqh, Zudhiyyat (Ascetism), and Seerah of the Prophet (saw). After many years with his teachers, Dr. Ali completed his curriculum and moved on to Saudi Arabia where he enrolled in Medina’s Islamic University. His curriculum included Qur’an,Hadith, Fiqh, Usul al Fiqh, Arabic Rhetoric, Comparative Religions, and many more traditional Islamic sciences.Sheikh Ali graduated with a B.A. in both Islamic Studies and Arabic from Islamic University in the year 1979.

Upon graduation, Sheikh Ali traveled to America where he pursued both an M.A. and a PhD in Islamic Studies at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI). Before receiving his doctorate, Sheikh Ali completed his dissertation on Tafsir bil Ma’thur, specifically dealing with the question of Hujja (the question of authority or binding proof), a question which had been virtually ignored otherwise.

Sheikh Ali has a strong dedication to learning and his dedication to teaching and working for his community is just as passionate. He has a long list of work experience spanning over twenty years. As a teacher, Sheikh Ali has taught Islamic studies at the University of Detroit-Mercy (Detroit, MI). Also, in the nearby Wayne County Community College he worked as professor of Muslim World Studies as well as Arabic. Through correspondence at the American Open University, Sheikh Ali taught the Science of Qur’an, a subject he has previously taught at the ALIM program. He has also accepted a position as a Professor at Islamic American University (Southfield, MI) where he is currently teaching Fiqh, Ulum al Hadith, and Arabic.

Beyond teaching, Sheikh Ali has also been an extremely active member of his community. Starting in 1982, Sheikh Ali accepted the role as assistant Imam in the American Muslim Society in Dearborn, Michigan. After leaving American Muslim Society in 1987, he worked for the next three years in the Mu’adh ibn Jabal Masjid in Detroit, Michigan as an assistant Imam. In 1990, Sheikh Ali accepted the position as full time Imam of the Islamic Center of Detroit for the next eleven years. Currently, he is working as full time Imam in the Muslim Community of the Western Suburbs (Canton, Michigan). He has also contributed a great deal in starting and directing a social service organization, Muslim Family Services, which is still developing today. Sheikh Ali has dedicated time to the ALIM program since its onset, and has been a gift to each community he works with.

Sheikh Ali Sulaiman Ali is co-founder of the American Learning Institute for Muslims (ALIM), a primary instructor at its programs, and a member of its Board of Trustees.