PhD Degree Awarded to Mr. Omar Ba’alawi in Islamic Studies (Hadith and Its Sciences)

Mr. Omar Hamed Mohammed Ba’alawi was awarded a PhD degree in Islamic Studies (Hadith and Its Sciences) for his dissertation titled: Muntaha Al-Elmam bi Ahadith Al-Ahkam (From the Beginning of the Book: The Chapter ‘What Has Been Reported Concerning Islam’ to the Chapter on the Virtue of Congregational Prayer) by the Scholar Mohammed bin Saleh bin Hadi Al-Samawi, Known as Ibn Harywah (d. 1241 AH): A Critical Study and Investigation, which was submitted to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Sana’a University. The dissertation defense was held on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

The PhD Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:

# Committee Members Designation Position
1 Prof. Mohammed Ahmed Al-Matari ‎ External Examiner Chair
2 Prof. Adel Saleh Al-Faqih ‎ Main Supervisor Member
3 Prof. Mutie Mohammed Ahmed Shabalah ‎ Internal Examiner Member

The dissertation aimed to:
 Revive Islamic heritage in general and Yemeni heritage in particular.
 Highlight the scholarly status of the scholar Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Samawi (Ibn Harywah).
 Produce a verified edition of Muntaha Al-Elmam and documenting its references.
 Reveal the author’s critical methodology in dealing with hadiths of legal rulings.
The study yielded several key findings summarized as follows:
 The manuscript text was edited and presented in an accurate scholarly form.
 All hadiths and narrations were traced back to their original sources.
 The study demonstrated that Al-Samawi followed a rigorous methodological approach.
In light of these findings, the researcher recommended the following:‎
 Printing and publishing the book.
 Completing the critical edition of the remaining parts of Muntaha Al-Elmam.
 Conducting in-depth analytical studies on the book’s content.
The dissertation defense was attended by a number of academics, researchers, and specialists, students, colleagues, and the researcher’s family.