Researcher Tawfiq Masiri Awarded PhD Degree

Minnesota, USA – An academic committee has recommended awarding researcher Tawfiq Mohammed Ibrahim Masiri a PhD degree following a public defense session held on Saturday, January 4, 2025. The session was organized under the supervision of the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at the Islamic University of Minnesota – Department of Creed and Contemporary Sects, College of Islamic Studies.

During the session, the researcher presented his thesis titled “The Quran’s Approach to Safeguarding the Ummah from Ideological Deviations: Shiism, Atheism, and Quranism as Case Studies – A Presentation and Analysis.” The thesis examines the Quranic methodology in addressing contemporary ideological deviations, focusing on three main models: Shiism, atheism, and Quranism.

The defense committee was chaired by Professor Imaduddin Abdo Al-Ajili, Head of the Department of Creed and Contemporary Sects at the Islamic University of Minnesota, who also served as the thesis supervisor and rapporteur. The committee included Dr. Bashir Asir, a faculty member at the Islamic University of Minnesota, as an internal examiner, and Dr. Majid Al-Harbi, Assistant Professor of Islamic Law at the American Open University, as an external examiner.

The committee praised the thesis for its academic rigor and originality, highlighting its significant contribution to contemporary Islamic studies, particularly in addressing ideological deviations through the Quranic approach. The defense took place at 8:00 PM Mecca time and was attended by a number of academics and students.