Dr. Akram Diya' al-Umari was born in Mosul, in northen Iraq, in 1361 AH (1942). He attained his BA and MA from Baghdad University in Islamic History, 1382 (1962), 1386 (1966). He then went on to attain his Ph.D. from 'Ayn Shams University in Cairo, Egypt in 1394 AH (1974). He taught at Baghdad University from 1386 to 1396 (1966-1976). He was Chairman of the Department of Graduate Studies at the Islamic University of Madinah, and Chairman of the Academic Council from 1397 to 1402 AH (1977 to 1982). Presently, he is Professor of the History of the Sunnah at the graduate departments of the Islamic University of Madinah. Dr. al'Umari has authored and edited nearly twenty works in Islamic history and, in particular, on the subject of the Prophet's Sirah. (1995).