Born Timothy J. Winter in 1960, Abdal Hakim studied at the prestigious Westminster School in London, UK and later at the University of Cambridge, where he graduated with first class honours in Arabic in 1983. He then lived in Cairo for three years, studying Islam under traditional teachers at Al-Azhar, one of the oldest universities in the world. He went on to reside for three years in Jeddah, where he administered a commercial translation office and maintained close contact with Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad and other ulama from Hadramaut, Yemen. In 1989, Sheikh Abdal Hakim returned to England and spent two years at the University of London learning Turkish and Farsi. Since 1992 he has been a doctoral student at Oxford University, specializing in the religious life of the early Ottoman Empire. In 1996, he was appointed University Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge.
Sheikh Abdal Hakim is the translator of a number of works, including two volumes from Imam al-Ghazali Ihya Ulum al-Din. He gives durus and halaqas from time to time and taught the works of Imam al-Ghazali at the Winter 1995 Deen Intensive Program in New Haven, CT. He appears frequently on BBC Radio and writes occasionally for a number of publications including The Independent and Q-News International, Britain's premier Muslim Magazine.
He lives with his wife and children in Cambridge, UK.
Traditionally many courses on the Prophetic Seerah have provided a
descriptive account of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). This
course is unique as it provides students the essential 'analysis'
of the Prophetic Seerah by breaking down the life of the Prophet
(pbuh) into stages and looking in detail at the important lessons
that can be derived. Particular emphasis is given to the methods
of delivering the Islamic call (da'wah) to others. The Prophet
Muhammad (saw) is a model of human perfection. It is only through
the study of his life, actions and words that Muslims have hope
of following in his footsteps.
