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:

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.

A video from the Viva-Voce