Dr. Abd al 'Ati was born in Egypt on April 1, 1928. He got his B.A. from Al Azhar University Cairo in 1954, and M.A. in Islamic Studies from McGill University in 1957. He studied in the University of Alberta, Canada from 1961 to 1963. He received his Ph.D. in sociology from Princeton University in 1971.

As a qualified Azhari scholar competent in English, for his time Dr. Abd al 'Ati was a pioneer of Islamic propagation (da'wah) in North America. He was a renowned lecturer and scholar who served as a resourceful consulatant and advisor for many organizations in North America and abroad.

Islam in Focus one of the best known and most widely distributedgeneral introductions to Islam by a Muslim author. In it, Abd al 'Ati directs his message both to Muslims and non-Muslims using a modernist tone with an ethical emphasis. Abd al 'Ati acquired a style of religious discourse that Westerners receive positively. The book appears to have been written near the end of his life, thus it amounts to a final summation of his views based on his whole life's experience, a fact that further enhances the book's iterest and value. [Remarks written by Dr. Khaled Yahya Blakenship, Temple University]

Author: Hammudah Abd al 'Ati