Professor M. Amin Abdullah was born in Margomulyo, Tayu, Pati, Central Java, on 28 July 1953. He completed his education at Kulliyat Al-Mu’allimin Al-Islamiyyah (KMI), Gontor Islamic Boarding School in Ponorogo in 1972 and his Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) at the Darussalam Institute of Education (IPD) in 1977 at the same boarding school. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at the Faculty of Ushuluddin, Department of Comparative Religion, IAIN Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta, in 1982. With a scholarship from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Government of the Republic of Turkey, from 1985 he undertook a Doctoral (Ph.D.) programme in Islamic Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey (1990). He undertook a postdoctoral programme at McGill University, Canada (1997–1998).
His dissertation, *The Idea of the University of Ethical Norms in Ghazali and Kant*, was published in Turkey (Ankara: Turkiye Diyanet Vakfi, 1992). Other academic works that have been published include: *Kalam Philosophy in the Postmodern Era* (Yogyakarta: Student Pustaka, 1995); *Religious Studies: Normativity or Historicity* (Yogyakarta: Student Library, 1996). The Dynamics of Islamic Culture: Mapping Contemporary Islamic Discourse, (Bandung: Mizan, 2000); Between al-Ghazali and Kant: Islamic Ethical Philosophy, (Bandung: Mizan, 2002); and Religious Education in the Multicultural and Multireligious Era, (Jakarta: PSAP Muhammadiyah, 2005). Meanwhile, his published translations include Religion and Reason: The Instinct of Fear and the State of the Human Soul (Jakarta: Rajawali, 1985); An Introduction to Islamic Philosophy: The Middle Ages (Jakarta: Rajawali, 1989).
He served as Chairman of the Indonesian Students’ Association (PPI) in Turkey from 1986 to 1987. Whilst on summer holidays, he worked part-time at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia, Secretariat of the Hajj Affairs Agency, in Jeddah (1985 and 1990), Mecca (1988), and Medina (1989), Saudi Arabia. Currently, he is a permanent lecturer at the Faculty of Ushuluddin, a member of the teaching staff on the Doctoral Programme at the Postgraduate School of IAIN (now UIN) Sunan Kalijaga, IAIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya, and the Islamic University of Indonesia, the Master’s Programme at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, the Philosophy Programme, the Faculty of Philosophy and Literary Studies (Middle Eastern Studies), the Faculty of Literature, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta. From 1993 to 1996, he served as Assistant Director of the Postgraduate Programme at IAIN Sunan Kalijaga; from 1992 to 1995, he served as Deputy Head of the Institute for Islamic Studies and Practice (LPPI) at Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta. From 1998 to 2001, he served as Vice-Chancellor I (Academic Affairs) at his alma mater, IAIN Sunan Kalijaga. In January 1999, he was honoured with the title of Professor in the field of Philosophy. From 2002 to 2005, he served as Rector of IAIN/UIN Sunan Kalijaga. From 2005 to 2010, he served as Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta for a second term.
Di lingkungan organisasi kemasyarakatan, beliau pernah menjabat sebagai Ketua Divisi Umat, ICMI, Wilayah Khusus Yogyakarta, pada periode 1991–1995. Setelah Kongres Muhammadiyah ke-83 di Banda Aceh tahun 1995, beliau diberi mandat sebagai Ketua Dewan Tarjih dan Pengembangan Pemikiran Islam, Pimpinan Pusat Muhammadiyah (1995-2000). Kemudian beliau terpilih sebagai salah satu Pimpinan Pusat Muhammadiyah, Wakil Ketua (2000-2005).
His writings can be found in various academic journals, including Ulumul Qur’an (Jakarta), Al-Jami’ah: Journal of Islamic Studies (Yogyakarta), and several other Islamic academic journals. In addition, he actively participates in seminars both at home and abroad. International seminars he has attended include: “Population in the Islamic World”, Population Department of Al-Azhar University, Cairo, July 1992; on “Islamic Da’wah”, Government of the Republic of Turkey, October 1993; Workshop of the ASEAN Council of Religious Affairs (MABIM), Government of Malaysia, in Langkawi, January 1994; “Islam and the 21st Century”, Leiden University, Netherlands, June 1996; “Qur’anic Exegesis on the Threshold of the 21st Century”, Leiden University, June 1998; “Islam and Civil Society: Messages from Southeast Asia”, Tokyo, Japan, 1999; “The History of Islam and the Construction of Identity”, Tripoli, Libya, 2000; “International Anti-Corruption Conference”, Seoul, South Korea, 2003; Preparations for the Seminar “New Horizons in Islamic Thought”, London, August 2003; “Gender Issues in Islam”, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2003; “Dakwah and the Spread of Islamic Religious Authority in Contemporary Indonesia”, Leiden, Netherlands, 2003.