Born in Grenada, he obtained his first degree from the University of Gunaya in 1981. The following year he was awarded a scholarship to study Arabic at King Saud University Saudi Arabia. He later joined the University of Khartoum. He was awarded his doctorate in 1989.He lectured in history at the University of Maiduguri in Nigeria between 1990-1993. He also taught Islamic Studies briefly at Manarat International Islamic School in Jeddah before moving to the UK. He has since been a senior researcher at the Palestinian Return Centre, London. He also lectures in Islamic Studies at Birbeck College, University of London.
Dr Abdullah is a respected specialist in human rights. He has written books and presented papers on Palestinian refugees, his most recent on this subject being Right of Return. Dr Abdullah has been a member of the Muslim Council since its inception in the 1990s where he currently holds the post of Assistant General Secretary (2006).
He is widely travelled - notably in Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Dr Abdullah is a frequent speaker on Islamic issues in the UK at both union meetings and community events.