Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in Toronto, Canada, where he converted to Islam in 1972. His whole life has been exemplified by his goal of seeking and conveying Islamic knowledge in order to “Change the Muslim Nation through Islamic Education.” In preparation for this goal, he first acquired a B.A. from the College of Islamic Disciplines at the Islamic University of Medina (1979), then an M.A. in Aqeedah (Islamic theology) from King Saud University in Riyadh (1985), and finally a PhD in Islamic Theology from the University of Wales (1994). Interestingly enough, his PhD thesis was on “The Exorcist Tradition in Islam.”
