Abdul-Samad Abdullah serves as Associate Professor in Arabic Studies and Head of Arabic Studies within the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Arts. He earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Islamic studies and Arabic language and literature from Umm al-Qura University. His academic career at the University of Melbourne spans linguistics, literature, and Islamic thought, with a primary focus on linguistic structures including grammar. Abdullah's research interests encompass Arabic poetry of West Africa and West African Arabic literature, Arabic poetry in Qur’anic narratives, modern and classical Arabic literature, Arabic rhetoric and stylistics, modern Islamic thought, Qur’anic exegesis, Islam in West Africa, and Islamic thought and identity. He contributes to the National Centre for Contemporary Islamic Studies, advancing contemporary understandings of Islamic studies through his scholarly work.

Abdullah has an extensive publication record highlighting his expertise. Key works include 'Fādil Al-Samarra'ī's Contribution to Literary and Rhetorical Exegesis of the Qur’an' published in Religions in 2022; 'Intertextuality and West African Arabic Poetry: Reading Nigerian Arabic Poetry of the 19th and 20th Centuries'; 'Arabic Poetry in West Africa'; 'The Dawn of Islam in West Africa'; 'Islamic Education and the Quest for Islamic Identity: The Case of Ghana'; and 'The Artistic Roots of Arabic Poetry in Senegal and Nigeria'. He co-edited 'Abū Ḥayyān al-Ġarnāṭī: Andalusian Philological Learning in the Islamic East' and authored articles for the Melbourne Asia Review, such as 'Towards a global approach to teaching Arabic in Australian universities' with Tarek Makhlouf and 'The sophisticated Islamic civilisations of Western Sub-Saharan Africa between the 13th and 19th centuries' in 2020. As Head of Arabic Studies, he oversees programs and teaches advanced Arabic language, literature, and related courses, fostering expertise in Arabic and Islamic scholarly traditions at the institution.

Professional Email: abdulsa@unimelb.edu.au