A document circulating on social media and attributed to the library affairs department of the Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia has reportedly named nearly 100 authors whose books may be subject to restrictions at the institution.
Titled “List of Banned Authors” (قائمة بأسماء المؤلفين الممنوعين), the document includes prominent Islamic scholars and thinkers such as Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Abul A’la Maududi, Sayyid Qutb, Malik ibn Nabi, Yusuf al Qaradawi and Muhammad al Ghazali.
Saudi researcher and human rights activist Abdullah Al Oudah also shared an image of the purported list on social media, drawing attention to the reported restrictions.
However, the document’s authenticity and the scope of the measures have not been independently established. It remains unclear whether the university has formally approved the list or whether the reported restrictions apply to all publications by the named authors or only to specific books.
Prominent Scholars Among Those Named
The list reportedly includes writers and scholars from different intellectual and religious traditions across the Muslim world. Other names include Mustafa al Sibai, Abdul Wahhab Khallaf, Abdulaziz al Tarifi, Safar al Hawali, Salman al Oudah, Awad al Qarni, Tariq Ramadan, Muhammad Baqir al Sadr, Rashid al Ghannushi and Hasan al Banna.
Several of the authors have had a significant influence on Islamic thought, religious scholarship and debates on social reform and contemporary Muslim societies. Their works are also read and discussed in India, Pakistan and other parts of South Asia.
Nadwi and Maududi, in particular, are widely known for their writings on Islamic history, theology and political thought. Their inclusion in the purported list has raised questions about the criteria used to identify authors for possible restrictions.
Questions Over the University’s Founding History
The reported inclusion of Nadwi and Maududi has also drawn attention because of their historical connections with the Islamic University of Madinah.
Both were associated with the university’s early history and were recognised for their contributions to Islamic scholarship. Nadwi and Maududi were also recipients of the King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam.
Commentators have questioned the apparent contradiction between the institution’s historical associations with these scholars and the reported restrictions on their books.
The purported list also includes other influential figures whose writings have shaped religious and intellectual debates across the Muslim world.
