Biography
I was born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1961. I married Shetha Al-Dargazelli in 1991. Shetha and I have been living in our adopted home, the UK, since August 1992.
I obtained a BSc in Physics from the College of Sciences, University of Baghdad, in 1984. I received a PhD in Astronomy from the Physics Department, Durham University, in 1998. The title of my thesis was “First Visibility of the Lunar Crescent and Other Problems in Historical Astronomy.”
I worked in IT publishing from 1999-2014. I co-founded Packt Publishing in 2003 and worked as its Operations Director until August 2014. I currently run an editorial services company, Safis Editing, that provides copy editing and proofreading services.
I converted from Christianity to Islam in my early twenties. I have been particularly interested in studying the Qur’an. For more details about how I developed interest in Islam, see the Preface to my book about the historical Jesus.
I am one of the khalīfas (representatives) of Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān, the Master of Ṭarīqa ʿAliyyah Qādiriyyah Kasnazaniyya.
I have published over 15 books in Arabic and English. Subjects that I am interested it in include:
- Historical accounts in the Qur’an and their counterparts in the Bible, other Jewish and Christian writings, and historical sources
- Interpretation and history of the Qur’an
- Sufism and spirituality in Islam.
Below is a list of my most recent books in the English language:
I) Authored Books
9) The First and Last Revelations of the Qur’an. (2014) (Re-published in Malaysia by IBT in 2014)
8) Abrogation in the Qur’an and Islamic Law: A Critical Study of the Concept of “Naskh” and its Impact. (2012) (Re-published in Malaysia by IBT in 2013)
7) Jesus The Muslim Prophet: History Speaks of a Human Messiah Not a Divine Christ. (2010)
6) Jihad in the Qur’an: The Truth from the Source (third edition). (2009) (first edition 2004)
3) The Mystery of Israel in Ancient Egypt: The Exodus in the Qur’an, the Old Testament, Archaeological Finds, and Historical Sources. (With Shetha Al-Dargazelli) (2008) (Complete rewriting and updating of “History Testifies to the Infallibility of the Qur’an,” 1998)
2) The Mystery of the Historical Jesus: The Messiah in the Qur’an, the Bible, and Historical Sources. (2007) (Re-published in Malaysia by IBT in 2009)
1) The Prophet Joseph in the Qur’an, the Bible, and History: A new detailed commentary on the Qur’anic Chapter of Joseph. (2005) (Re-published in 2007)
II) Edited Books
3) The Wonders of Ṭarīqa Kasnazāniyya Brought to India. (2015)
2) Fifteen Letters (Khamsata ‘Ashara Maktuban). (2014)
1) Purification of the Mind (Jila’ Al-Khatir) (second edition). (2008) (first edition 1998) (With Shetha Al-Dargazelli)
Other Writings
I have published over forty scientific and general articles in Arabic and English. They include 16 scientific papers on astronomy and another 6 on the Islamic calendar. I have also written several technical papers and general articles about psychology, parapsychology, Sufism, and other topics.
In addition to publishing excerpts from my published works and writing new articles on my website Qur’anic Studies, I also publish on Islam, politics, and other topics on my blog.
