Abdul Jabbar Al Rifai

Al Rifai received his three degrees with high distinctions: doctorate in Islamic philosophy in 2005, master in Ilm al-Kalam (theology) in 1990, and bachelor in Encyclopedia of Islam in 1998. Al Rifai obtained a doctoral title in 2012. He supervised and discussed more than 60 PhD dissertations and master's theses in philosophy, Ilm al-Kalam (theology), and Islamic sciences. Al Rifai’s published works has reached 50 titles till date.

Abdul Jabbar Al Rifai (Arabic: عبد الجبار الرفاعي) is an Iraqi professor of Islamic philosophy, born in Dhi Qar, Iraq, 1954. He obtained several academic degrees, including: a PhD degree cum laude in Islamic philosophy – 2005, a master's degree of Islamic Ilm Al-Kalam – 1990, a bachelor's degree in Islamic studies – 1988, and an agricultural art diploma in 1975. He has a philosophical vision on religious reformation and religious thinking approaches. "The Vatican's Pontifical Institute of Rome" devoted its yearbook to the Contemporary Islamic Issues Magazine in 2012, in recognition of its mission in building new Ilm Al-Kalam -study of fundamental Islamic beliefs and doctrines- and in the philosophy of religion in Arabic, and acknowledged it as the most important periodic publications specialized in religions in Arabic language. Al Rifai founded the Contemporary Islamic Issues Magazine and he is its chief editor. It is an intellectual quarterly magazine that focuses on building the philosophy of religion and the Modern Ilm Al-Kalam, founded around 25 years ago, and continues to be published today.

Abdul Jabbar Al Rifai was born and brought up in Al-Rifai district of Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq – 1954. He graduated from the Agrarian Institute in Baghdad in 1975. Al Rifai then enrolled in Religion Studies at The Najaf Seminary in 1978. He studied what is called “Moqadamat” and some of “Sat’s” related to it, these are mainly Quran, Hadith, and Islamic sciences in early education along with Arabic syntax, semantics, literary texts, and logic. Then, he proceeded to study “Sat’s” -study of Fiqh and philosophy-, and “Kharej Research” -researches beyond curriculum books- in Qom Seminary, which is the highest level of Islamic studies in Hawzas -Shia seminaries-.