Hebibulla Tohti (ھەبىبۇللا توختى, 海尔布尔.土赫提) was born in 1979 in Yengisar (يېڭىسار), Kashgar (قەشقەر). He was detained in March 2017 and sentenced to 20 years in prison in May of the same year.
In 1998, Tohti was admitted to the Xinjiang Islamic Institute, where he completed his studies in July 2002. That same year, he was admitted to the Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Al-Azhar University in Egypt. He received his bachelor’s degree from the institute in 2004.
In 2004, Hebibulla Tohti was admitted to the master’s program at the Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Al-Azhar University. In August 2009, he received his master’s degree with a thesis entitled «ئىمام بەزدەۋىينىڭ ئۇسۇلفىقھى كىتابىنىڭ شەرھىسى توغرىسىدىكى تەتقىقات ۋە تەھقىقات» (A Study and Critical Examination of the Commentary on Imam al-Bazdawi’s Book on the Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence).
In 2010, Tohti was admitted to the doctoral program at the same institute. Specializing in Islamic jurisprudence, he submitted a doctoral dissertation proposal entitled «ئەقىدە – ئىلاھىيەت مەسىلىلىرىدىن مەنبەلەنگەن ئىختىلاپىي مەسىلىلەر توغرىسىدا تەتقىقات ۋە تەدبىقات» (A Study and Application of Controversial Issues Arising from Questions of Islamic Creed and Theology).
On September 12, 2015, he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation at the Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Al-Azhar University and was awarded his doctorate with first-class honors.
Alongside his academic work, Tohti was active as a writer, poet, researcher, and translator. He published articles and poems in Uyghur-language newspapers and journals, including «شىنجاڭ مەدەنىيىتى» (Xinjiang Culture). More than 40 of his literary and scholarly works appeared in various publications, including «تەكلىماكان، خوراز، ئۈرۈمچى», «مەدەنىيەتنىڭ گىن خەرىتىسى».
During his years of study and research, Tohti also devoted considerable effort to translation and research. He translated nearly ten major Islamic works from Arabic into Uyghur, including «سەھىھ مۇسلىمنىڭ تەرجىمە ۋە شەرھىسى» (Translation and Commentary on Sahih Muslim) and Ahmed Amin’s «ئىسلام مەدەنىيىتى» (Islamic Civilization).
Tohti was married and had two children. In March 2017, he was detained, and in May of that year he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. To date, there is no clear information about the fate or current circumstances of his wife and children.
Same of his works found on the internet:
مەدەنىيەتنىڭ گىن خەرىتىسى (The Gene Map of Culture)
تەكلىماكان، خوراز، ئۇرۇمچى (Teklimakan, Rooster, Urumchi)
سەۋدالىق لەززىتى (The Pleasure of Infatuation)
گۈلەن يازمىلىرىغا ئەسكەرتمە (Remarks on Gülen’s Writings)
