Jalaluddin Al-Suyuti (Arabic: جلال الدين السيوطي‎) (c. 1445–1505 AD) also known as Ibn al-Kutub (son of books) was an Egyptian writer, religious scholar, juristic expert and teacher whose works deal with a wide variety of subjects in Islamic theology. He was precocious and was already a teacher in 1462. In 1486, he was appointed to a chair in the mosque of Baybars in Cairo. He adhered to the Shafi'i Madhab and is one of the latter-day authorities of the Shafi'i School, considered to be one of the Ashabun-Nazzar (Assessors) whose degree of Ijtihad is agreed upon.

Biography[link]

Name, lineage and birth[link]

His full name was Abu al-Fadl 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti. Al-Suyuti is an ascription to a town in Upper Egypt called Asyut. One of his grandfathers built a school there and donated money to it. His father, Al-Kamaal, was born there in Asyut, so that is why Jalàl al-Din ascribes himself to that town. Both his grandfathers were men of leadership and prestige and his father was a Jurist of the Shafi'i Madhhab, as Al-Suyuti stated in Husn-ul-Muhaadarah. When his father died, Al-Kamaal Ibn Al-Hamaam, a Hanafi jurist, was one of the people that his father left Al-Suyuti entrusted to.

He was born in the month of Rajab 849H [1445 AD] in Cairo (Egypt), and was raised as an orphan after his father died while he was only 5 years old. He memorized the entire Qur'an when he was barely eight. Then he went on to memorize Al-Umdah and Minhaaj Al-Fiqh wal-Usool and Alfiyyah Ibn Malik. He began to engross himself in religious knowledge starting from 864H, at the age of 15.

Education[link]

He took knowledge of Fiqh and Arabic grammar from a large number of teachers. He studied the laws of inheritance at the hands of the great scholar, who was the most knowledgeable in this subject during his time, Shaikh Shihaab-ud-Deen Al-Shaar Masaahee, who lived to a very old age. He studied his explanation of Al-Majmoo under him.

He accompanied 'Ilm al-Din al-Balqini studying Fiqh under him until he died. Ilm-ud-Deen Al-Balqeenee, authorized him to teach and give fatwa in 876H. Likewise, he accompanied Shaikh Sharaf-ud-Deen Al-Manaawee and benefited from him in the fields of Fiqh and Tafsir.

Al-Suyuti moved on to study under Al-Manawee after the death of Ilm-ud-Deen Al-Balqeenee in 878H. Ironically, Sharaf Al-Deen Al-Manaawee was the grandfather of Abdur-Ra'oof Al-Manaawee, the scholar who wrote the work Faid-ul-Qadeer, which was an explanation of As-Suyuti's Al-Jaami'-us-Sagheer.

He studied the sciences of Hadith and the Arabic language under the Imam, Taqee-ud-Deen Al-Shumnee Al-Hanafi, who wrote some eulogies for him. He also attended the gatherings of the great scholar, Al-Kaafeejee, for the length of fourteen years and learned from him the subjects of Tafsir, Usul al-fiqh, and Ma'aanee. And he received ijazah, religious authorization, from him. He also benefited from the classes of Saif-ud-Deen Al-Hanafi on Tafsir and Balaghah, eloquence.

The number of teachers from whom he received ijazah, religious authorization, studied under and heard from reaches one hundred and fifty shaykhs, as has been compiled by both himself and his student after him, Al-Dawudi, who arranged them in alphabetical order.

In his book Husn-ul-Muhaadarah, Al-Suyuti gives the number of teachers who narrated to him from those he heard from and those who gave him the ijazah, saying: "As for my teachers who narrated to me, whom I heard from and who gave me the religious authorization, ijazah, then they are many. I have mentioned them in the lexicon I have compiled about them, and I counted them to number about 150."

As-Suyuti traveled to Sham, Hijaz, Yemen, India and Morocco, and settled down towards the end of his life in his homeland of Egypt.

Death[link]

Al-Suyuti withdrew from the people and remained in his house, busying himself with knowledge, research and writing until he caught a sickness that lasted for seven days, ending in his death. This happened in Jumada al-awwal, 911 AH.

Career[link]

Al-Suyuti held various positions in his lifetime such as that of teacher of the Arabic language in 866H, he was authorized to give fatwa in 876H and he taught and dictated hadith at the University of Ibn Tuloon.

He was a prolific writer, and a well-known author of the latter times. He has left behind at least a book in every branch of Islamic science that include both short monographs of few pages and tomes spanning volumes. Some of his books are also first of their kind – and standards for those that were written after. Many of his books are published; they are easily and widely available.

The first book he wrote was Sharh Al-Isti'aadha wal-Basmalah in 866H, when he was seventeen years old.

Ibn Ímād writes: "Most of his works become world famous right in his lifetime. His ability to write was phenomenal. His student Dawudi says: "I was with the Shaykh Suyuti once, and he wrote three volumes on that day. He used to dictate annotations on ĥadīth, and answer my objections at the same time. He was the most knowledgeable scholar in his time of the ĥadīth and associated sciences, knowledge of the narrators including the uncommon ones, the text of the hadith matn, its chain of narrators isnad, the derivation of ruling from hadith. He has himself told me, that he had memorized Two Hundred Thousand hadith."[23]

Students[link]

The most famous of Al-Suyuti's students and it is possible to say the most outstanding student of As-Suyuti was the Imam, the historian, Al-Dawudi (died 945H) – author of the book Tabaqaat Al-Mufassireen and other works. Then there was his other student, the famous historian, Ibn Iyaas, author of the book Badaa'i-uz-Zuhoor (died 930H).

Some other of his students were the Imam, the Haafidh Ibn Tuloon Al-Hanafi (died 935H), author of the three Fahaaris, indexes as well as many other works and the Imam Al-Shi'raanee, author of the book Al-Tabaqaat (died 973H).

Works[link]

His books and treatises have been counted to number almost 500 works altogether. Suyuti listed 283 of his own works in Husn al-Muhađarah. Some of the more famous works he produced were:

• Tafsir al-Jalalayn (Arabic:تفسير الجلالين)
• Al-Jaami' al-Kabîr (Arabic: الجامع الكبير)
• Al-Jaami' al-Saghîr (Arabic: الجامع الصغير)
• Dur al-Manthur (Arabic: درالمنثور) in tafsir
• Alfiyyah al-Hadith ^[1]
• Tadrib al-Rawi (Arabic: تدريب الراوي) both in hadith terminology
• History of the Caliphs (Arabic:Tarikh al-khulafa)
• The Khalifas who took the right way (Arabic Al-Khulafah Ar-Rashidun)
• Tabaqat al-huffaz an appendix to al-Dhahabi's Tadhkirat al-huffaz
• Nuzhat al-julasāʼ fī ashʻār al-nisāʼ (Arabic: نزهة الجلساء في أشعار النساء‎)
• Khasaais-e-Kubra which mentions the miracles of Muhammad
• Al-Muzhir. (linguistics).

See also[link]

• Islamic scholars

References[link]

1. ^ "USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts". Web.archive.org. 2008-01-02. Archived from the original on 2008-01-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20080102023930/http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/scienceofhadith/asa1.html. Retrieved 2010-03-18. 

External links[link]

Arabic Wikisource has original text related to this article: Al-Suyuti

• Dhanani, Alnoor (2007). "Suyūṭī: Abū al‐Faḍl ʿAbd al‐Raḥmān Jalāl al‐Dīn al‐Suyūṭī". In Thomas Hockey et al. The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. New York: Springer. pp. 1112–3. ISBN 978-0-387-31022-0. http://islamsci.mcgill.ca/RASI/BEA/Suyuti_BEA.htm.  (PDF version)
• http://www.freewebs.com/nooralemaan/
• http://www.sunniport.com/masabih/showthread.php?t=1842
• Imam Suyuti Biography and Works at SunniPort

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2011)

Hamza Yusuf
Hamza Yusuf at Doha Academy Education Conference in Qatar, 2010.
Born	Mark Hanson 1958 (age 53–54) Walla Walla, Washington, United States
Residence	Northern California, United States
Occupation	Islamic scholar
Religion	Sunni Islam[1][2]
Spouse	Liliana (Umm Yahya) Hanson
Website
Sandala.org

Hamza Yusuf Hanson is an American Islamic scholar^[3][4], and (with Zaid Shakir and Hatem Bazian) is co-founder of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, United States. He is a convert to Islam, and is one of the signatories of A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter by Islamic scholars to Christian leaders, calling for peace and understanding. He has described the 9/11 attacks as "an act of 'mass murder, pure and simple'". Condemning the attacks, he has also stated "Islam was hijacked ... on that plane as an innocent victim".^[5] The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom reported that he "is arguably the west's most influential Islamic scholar" and added that "many Muslims find his views hard to stomach."^[6]

Biography[link]

Hamza Yusuf was born to two academics^[7] in Washington State and raised in Northern California. In 1977, he became Muslim and subsequently traveled to the Muslim world and studied for ten years in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, as well as North and West Africa.^[8] Hamza Yusuf spent four years studying in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere in the Middle East. Later he traveled to West Africa and studied in Mauritania, Medina, Algeria, and Morocco under such scholars as Murabit al Haaj; Baya bin Salik, head of the Islamic court in Al-'Ain, United Arab Emirates; Muhammad Shaybani, Mufti of Abu Dhabi; Hamad al-Wali; and Muhammad al-Fatrati of Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.^{[citation needed]} After more than a decade abroad, he returned to the United States and earned degrees in nursing from Imperial Valley College and religious studies at San José State University.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf is a co-founder of Zaytuna College, located in Berkeley, California. He is an advisor to Stanford University's Program in Islamic Studies and the Center for Islamic Studies at Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union.^{[citation needed]} He also serves as a member of the board of advisors of George Russell's One Nation, a national philanthropic initiative that promotes pluralism and inclusion in America. In addition, he serves as vice-president for the Global Center for Guidance and Renewal, which was founded and is currently presided over by Abdallah Bin Bayyah, one of the top jurists and masters of Islamic sciences in the world.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf has promoted Islamic sciences and classical teaching methodologies throughout the world. He has also been an advocate for social justice, peace, and conviviality among peoples and places. For several years, he has argued that the "them versus us" problem is fundamentally flawed, and, in R. D. Laing’s term, a “knot” that will destroy people if they do not extricate themselves from it.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf has served as an advisor to many organizations, leaders, and heads of state.^{[citation needed]} He has been an innovator in modern Islamic education^{[citation needed]}, founding the highly imitated Deen Intensives, and with Ibrahim Osi-Efa, he started the first Rihla program in England, which has been running for over fifteen years. Dozens of young Muslims who were influenced by his call to reviving traditional Islamic studies in the West went to the Muslim lands in the nineties and early part of the current decade to study, many of who are now teachers in their own right.^{[citation needed]}

With Eissa Bougari, Hamza Yusuf initiated a media challenge to the Arab world that resulted in a highly successful cultural religious program that he hosted for three years and was one of the most watched programs in the Arab world during Ramadan.^{[citation needed]} Cambridge Media Studies stated that this program had a profound influence on subsequent religious programming in the Arab world. He has also been interviewed on BBC several times and was the subject of a BBC documentary segment The Faces of Islam, ushering in the new millennium, as it aired at 11:30 pm on December 31, 1999. Hamza Yusuf has been an outspoken critic of American foreign policy as well as Islamic extremist responses to those policies.^{[citation needed]}

He has drawn criticism from both the extreme right in the West and Muslim extremists in the East.^[9] He told The Guardian: "Many people in the west do not realise how oppressive some Muslim states are – both for men and for women. This is a cultural issue, not an Islamic one. I would rather live as a Muslim in the west than in most of the Muslim countries, because I think the way Muslims are allowed to live in the west is closer to the Muslim way. A lot of Muslim immigrants feel the same way, which is why they are here."^[10]

He and colleagues founded the Zaytuna Institute in 1996, which has established an international reputation^{[citation needed]} for presenting a classical picture of Islam in the West and which is dedicated to the revival of traditional study methods and the sciences of Islam. Hamza Yusuf currently resides in Northern California with his wife and five children.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf has also authored several encyclopedia articles and research papers. His published books include The Burda (2003), Purification of the Heart (2004), The Content of Character (2004), The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi (2007), Agenda to Change our Condition (2007), and Walking on Water (2010). Forthcoming are The Prayer of the Oppressed, and The Helpful Guide.^{[citation needed]}

Hamza Yusuf is the first American lecturer to teach in Morocco's prestigious and oldest university, the University of Al-Karaouine in Fes.^[11] He is married and has five children, all boys.

Critical reception[link]

Jordan's Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre placed him on its list of the top 50 most influential Muslims in the world.^{[citation needed]} The magazine Egypt Today described him as a kind of theological rock star, "the Elvis Presley of western Muslims."^[12] Recently, Hamza Yusuf was ranked as "the Western world's most influential Islamic scholar" by The 500 Most Influential Muslims, edited by John Esposito and Ibrahim Kalin, (2009).^[13]

Publications[link]

Books Authored[link]

• The Burda The Burda (2003)
• Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart (2004)
• The Content of Character (2004)
• The State We Are In: Identity, Terror, and the Law of Jihad (contributing Author) (2006)
• The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi The Creed of Imam Al-Tahawi (2007)
• Agenda to Change our Condition co-authored with Zaid Shakir (2007)
• Walk on Water: The wisdom of Jesus Walk on Water: The wisdom of Jesus (2010)
• Educating your Child in Modern Times

Books with Foreword or note[link]

• Instruction of the Student: The Method of Learning
• The Prophetic Invocations By Mostafa Al-Badawi

Book Edited with Zaid Shakir[link]

• Submission Faith and Beauty Submission Faith and Beauty, The Religion of Islam by Joseph Lumbard (2009)

Papers[link]

• Caesarean Moon Births Part 1
• Caesarean Moon Births Part 2
• Climbing Mount Purgatorio
• Religion, Violence, and the Modern World
• Generous Tolerance in Islam and its Effects on the Life of a Muslim
• Chess in the Light of the Jurist
• Who are the Disbelievers?

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hamza Yusuf

Websites[link]

• Sandala.org – Official website of Hamza Yusuf
• Zaytuna.org – Zaytuna College
• Sheikhhamza.com – Contains list of books recommended by Hamza Yusuf and a biography

See also[link]

• Zaytuna College
• Zaid Shakir

For other uses, see Ibn Hajar.

Al-Haafidh Shihabuddin Abu'l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad, better known as Ibn Hajar due to the fame of his forefathers, al-Asqalani due to his family origin (Arabic: ابن حجر العسقلاني‎) (February 18, 1372 – February 2, 1448, 852 A.H.^[1]), was a medieval Shafiite Sunni scholar of Islam who represents the entire realm of the Sunni world in the field of Hadith. He is also known as shaykh al islam.

Early life[link]

He was born in Cairo in 1372, the son of the Shafi'i scholar and poet Nur al-Din 'Ali. Both of his parents died in his infancy, and he and his sister, Sitt al-Rakb, became wards of his father's first wife's brother, Zaki al-Din al-Kharrubi, who enrolled Ibn Hajar in Qur'anic studies when he was five. Here he excelled, learning Surah Maryam in a single day, and progressing to the memorization of texts such as the Quran, then the abridged version of Ibn al-Hajib's work on the foundations of fiqh.

Education[link]

When he accompanied al-Kharrubi to Mecca at the age of 12, he was considered competent to lead the Tarawih prayers during Ramadan. When his guardian died in 1386, Ibn Hajar's education in Egypt was entrusted to hadith scholar Shams al-Din ibn al-Qattan, who entered him in the courses given by al-Bulqini (d. 1404) and Ibn al-Mulaqqin (d. 1402) in Shafi'i fiqh, and Abd al-Rahim ibn al-Husain al-'Iraqi (d. 1404) in hadith, after which he travelled to Damascus and Jerusalem, to study under Shams al-Din al-Qalqashandi (d. 1407), Badr al-Din al-Balisi (d. 1401), and Fatima bint al-Manja al-Tanukhiyya (d. 1401). After a further visit to Mecca, Medina, and Yemen, he returned to Egypt. Al-Suyuti said: “It is said that he drank Zamzam water in order to reach the level of al-Dhahabi in memorization, which he succeeded in doing, even surpassing him.”^[3]

Personal life[link]

In 1397, at the age of twenty-five, he married Anas Khatun, who was a hadith expert in her own right, holding ijazas from Hafiz al-Iraqi. She gave celebrated public lectures to crowds of ulema, including al-Sakhawi.

Positions[link]

Ibn Hajar went on to be appointed to the position of Egyptian chief-judge (Qadi) several times.

Death[link]

Ibn Hajar died after Isha prayers on February 2, 1449 at the age of seventy-nine. His funeral in Cairo was attended by an estimated fifty thousand people, including the sultan and the caliph.

Works[link]

Ibn Hajar authored more than fifty works on hadith, hadith terminology, biographical evaluation, history, Quranic exegesis , poetry and Shafi'i jurisprudence.

• Fath al-Bari – considered the most prominent and reliable commentary on al-Bukhari's Jami` al-Sahih: In 1414 (817 A.H.), Ibn Hajar commenced the enormous task of assembling his commentary on Sahih Bukhari. Ibn Rajab had begun to write a huge commentary on Sahih Bukhari in the 1390s with the title of Fath al-Bari, thus Ibn Hajar decided to name his own commentary with the same title, Fath al-Bari, which in time became the most valued commentary of Sahih Bukhari. When it was finished, in December 1428 (Rajab 842 A.H.), a celebration was held near Cairo, attended by the ulema, judges, and leading Egyptian personalities. Ibn Hajar read the final pages of his work, after which poets recited eulogies and gold was distributed. It was, according to historian Ibn Iyaas d. 930 A.H., 'the greatest celebration of the age in Egypt.'
• al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-Sahaba – the most comprehensive dictionary of the Companions.
• al-Durar al-Kamina – a biographical dictionary of leading figures of the eighth century.
• Tahdhib al-Tahdhib – an abbreviation of Tahdhib al-Kamal, the encyclopedia of hadith narrators by Yusuf ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Mizzi
• Taqrib al-Tahdhib – the abridgement of Tahthib al-Tahthib.
• Ta'jil al-Manfa'ah – biographies of the narrators of the Musnads of the four Imams, not found in al-Tahthib.
• Bulugh al-Maram min adillat al-ahkam – on hadith used in Shafi'i fiqh.
• Nata'ij al-Afkar fi Takhrij Ahadith al-Adhkar
• Lisan al-Mizan – a reworking of Mizan al-'Itidal by al-Dhahabi.
• Talkhis al-Habir fi Takhrij al-Rafi`i al-Kabir
• al-Diraya fi Takhrij Ahadith al-Hidaya
• Taghliq al-Ta`liq `ala Sahih al-Bukhari
• Risala Tadhkirat al-Athar
• al-Matalib al-`Aliya bi Zawa'id al-Masanid al-Thamaniya
• Nukhbat al-Fikar along with his explanation of it entitled Nuzhah al-Nathr in hadith terminology
• al-Nukat ala Kitab ibn al-Salah – commentary of the Muqaddimah of Ibn al-Salah
• al-Qawl al-Musaddad fi Musnad Ahmad a discussion of hadith of disputed authenticity in the Musnad of Ahmad
• Silsilat al-Dhahab
• Ta`rif Ahl al-Taqdis bi Maratib al-Mawsufin bi al-Tadlis

References[link]

External links[link]

Arabic Wikisource has original text related to this article: Ibn Hajar

• http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/ahm/bari.htm
• Ibn Hajar Asqalani and his Commentary Fath al-Bari

Suhaib Webb
File:Suhaibwebb3.jpg
Born	William Webb (1972-06-29) June 29, 1972 (age 39) Oklahoma  United States
Occupation	Imam
Title	Imam
Religion	Islam
Website
http://www.suhaibwebb.com

Suhaib Webb is a contemporary American-Muslim educator, activist, and lecturer.^[1] He is currently the imam of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC), the largest mosque in the New England area.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

He was born William Webb in 1972 in Oklahoma to a Christian family, including a grandfather who served as a preacher.^[2] At age 14, he lost interest in religion going through a self-described spiritual crisis. He also began engaging in delinquency by joining a local gang, was involved in a drive by shooting, and became a successful local Hip-Hop DJ and producer,^[3] making records with various artists.

Education[link]

After converting to Islam in 1992, Webb left his career as a DJ and studied at the University of Central Oklahoma, where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Education. He also studied privately under a Senegalese Sheikh, learning enough Islam and Arabic to become a community leader in Oklahoma City, where he was hired as Imam at The Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City.^[4] He simultaneously started teaching at Mercy School, an Islamic K-12 school in Oklahoma City.

From 2004-2010, Suhaib Webb studied at the world’s preeminent Islamic institution of learning, Al-Azhar University, in the College of Shari`ah, in Cairo. During this time, after several years of studying the Arabic Language and the Islamic legal tradition, including maliki law, he also served as the head of the English Translation Department at Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah.^{[5][dead link]}

Career[link]

Apart from his studies, he frequently lectures in the United States and Malaysia, and records public lecture series on Islam and contemporary Muslim matters. After graduating from Al-Azhar, he moved to Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay area, where he hosted the weekly "Real Talk" call-in radio show.^[6] On December 1, 2011, Webb was inaugurated as the Imam of the Islamic Society of Boston's Cultural Center (ISBCC)^[7], the largest Islamic center in New England^[8].

Suhaib Webb is an active member of the Muslim American Society and its youth department and has been so for the last ten years. It is through the Muslim American Society's scholarship program that he was sent to Egypt to attain fluency in Arabic and focus on Islamic studies.^[9] Webb frequently hosts lectures and posts articles offering Islamic perspectives on modern-day issues such as community involvement and social relevance.^[10]

Reputation[link]

Some UK government officials were quoted in a 2004 edition of The Guardian describing Webb as a "moderate leader" along with the likes of Hamza Yusuf and Amr Khaled.^[11] Webb was named one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in 2010.^[12] Webb's website, www.SuhaibWebb.com, was voted the best "Blog of the Year" by the 2009 Brass Crescent awards ^[13] and his tweets won him the vote of "Best Muslim Tweeter" of 2010.^[14]

Views & Accomplishments[link]

Webb joined a trip of imams to Auschwitz in 2010, followed by a public statement to condemning Holocaust-denial and anti-Semitism.^[15] He helped raise $20,000 for widows and children of firefighters killed in the 9/11 attack.^[16] He is a part of efforts to more effectively rebut militants and religious extremists ^[17][18] and is an advocate for grassroots Muslim activism to promote social change. He advocates for an American-style Islam, one that is true to the Quran and Islamic law but that reflects this country's customs and culture.^[19][20]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Suhaib Webb's Official Website
• Suhaib Webb on Twitter
• Suhaib Webb's Official Youtube Page
• Suhaib Webb Video and Audio lectures from Halal Tube
• Suhaib comments on his conversion to Islam
• Advice by Suhaib Webb to the Converts (Audio Lecture)

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (April 2011)

Ali Gomaa على جمعة
Religion	Islam
School	Shafi'i
Personal
Nationality	Egyptian
Born	(1951-03-03) March 3, 1951 (age 61) Bani Suwayf, Egypt
Senior posting
Title	Grand Mufti of Egypt
Period in office	2003 - present
Predecessor	Mohamed Ahmed el-Tayeb
Religious career
Post	Grand Mufti of Egypt
Website	www.aligomaa.net

Ali Goma'a^[1] (Arabic: على جمعة‎, Egyptian Arabic: [ˈʕæli ˈɡomʕæ]) is the Grand Mufti of Egypt through Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah succeeding Ahmad El-Tayeb. He is one of the internationally most respected Islamic jurists according to U.S. News & World Report^[2] and The National^[3] and "a highly promoted champion of moderate Islam," gender equality, and an "object of hatred among Islamists" according to The New Yorker.^[4] He specializes in the foundations of Islamic Law, viz. Usul al-fiqh. He follows the Shafi`i school of Islamic jurisprudence.

Background[link]

Ali Jumaa was born in the Upper Egyptian province of Bani Suwayf (also spelled Beni Suef) on March 3, 1952 CE (7 Jumadah al-Akhirah 1371 AH). He is married and has three adult children.^[5] In appearance he has been described as "tall and regal, with a round face and a trim beard." ^[4]

Education[link]

Jumaa graduated from high school in 1969, at which point he enrolled at Ain Shams University in Egypt’s capital, Cairo. Having already begun to memorize the Quran, he delved deeper into his studies of Islam, studying Hadith and Maliki jurisprudence in his free time while at university. After completing a B.A. in Commerce at Ain Shams in 1973, Jumaa enrolled in Cairo’s al-Azhar University, the oldest active Islamic institution of higher learning in the world. He received a second B.A. from al-Azhar, then an M.A., and finally a Ph.D with highest honors in Juristic Methodology (usul al-fiqh) in 1988.^{[citation needed]} Since he had not gone through the al-Azhar High School curriculum, he took it upon himself in his first year at the college to study and memorize all of the basic texts that many of the other students had already covered.

Teaching[link]

Jumaa taught in the faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies at al-Azhar University from the time he received his M.A. until he was appointed Grand Mufti, first as an assistant professor, and finally as a full professor.^[6]

Classes Outside of the University[link]

In addition to the courses he taught at the University, Jumaa also revived the tradition of open classes held in a mosque where he taught a circle of students six days a week from after sunrise until noon. Jumaa established these lessons in 1998 ^[7] with the aim of protecting the Islamic intellectual tradition from being lost or misinterpreted, “I want people to continue in the tradition of knowledge reading the classical texts the way they were written, not the way people want to understand them.” ^[8] In addition to the lessons in al-Azhar, Jumaa also began giving the Friday sermon (khutbah) in Cairo’s Sultan Hassan Mosque in 1998 after which he would give a short lesson in Islamic jurisprudence for the general public followed by a question and answer session. In addition Jumaa speaks fluent English, and was a former chairman of Azhar university's Islamic Jurisprudence Department.

Work with Jihadi prisoners[link]

Jumaa has told American journalist Lawrence Wright that he worked with Islamic Group prisoners who later embraced the "Nonviolence Initiative" and denounced violence. “I began going into the prisons in the 1990s. ... We had debates and dialogues with the prisoners, which continued for more than three years. Such debates became the nucleus for the revisionist thinking.”^[4]

Grand Mufti[link]

Ali Gomaa was appointed Grand Mufti in late September 2003.^[9] by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, replacing former Mufti Mohamed Ahmed El-Tayeb. El-Tayeb was appointed Al-Azhar University president, taking over from Ahmed Omar Hashem.^[10]

His office, the Dar al Ifta (literally, the house of fatwas), a government agency charged with issuing religious legal opinions on any question to Muslims who ask for them, issues some 5,000 fatwas a week, including both the official ones that he himself crafts on important issues and the more routine ones handled via phone and Internet by a dozen or so subordinate muftis.^[11]

Egyptian Revolution[link]

The Grand Mufti and the historic Egyptian Revolution[link]

When the 25 January Egyptian Revolution first broke out, the society witnessed great division among its community of intellects, with some taking on the role of activists, some maintaining an unexplained silence, adding to the back then prevailing confusion, and those who lobbied with the now toppled regime, each based on his personal reading of events.

Ali Gomaa, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, embraced his role as an Islamic scholar, who upholds the responsibility of protecting and advocating for only what’s best for the nation, based on the Islamic law as stipulated in the Qur'an and Sunnah.

As a scholar, he never speaks out of personal opinion,^{[citation needed]} but rather enacts his intellect^{[citation needed]} of Ijtihad, based on the Islamic Shariah, with wise consideration to the prevalent state of affairs and bearing in mind the well-being of the Ummah and what establishes the Islamic Law as ordained in the main sources of Shariah.

It was time of sheer chaos and bleak future with expectations of increasing casualties, something Ali would never heed or allow for. Sanctity of human lives is a basic principle in Islam. Muhammad was narrated to have said that: "The blood of a Muslim is more dearer to Allah (SWT) than the ka’ba".^{[citation needed]}

Based on this and fearing that the situation would spiral out of control, Ali drew the conclusion that demonstrators, having peacefully raised their lawful demands, had to put an end to the chaotic condition of the country and leave the legislative authority attend to such demands, for the sake of preventing more bloodshed. Especially that violence at the time was already starting to pick up and more innocent souls were falling victims to brutality exerted by the secret police forces.^{[citation needed]}

“Violence is always regrettable, but to watch my own country deteriorate into virtual chaos is a cause of unimaginable grief and sadness, and the recent attacks against demonstrators are worthy of the strongest condemnation.”^{[attribution needed]}

But when aggression persisted and the situation got bleaker, the Grand Mufti took a firm stand, warning to step down if any harm was inflicted upon the peaceful protesters. And essentially he prepared his resignation and said he would leave office unless the safety of the protesters was respected.^{[citation needed]}

Ali, himself a promoter of dialogue, invited some of the youth elements who organized the uprising to his office to discuss a number of matters pertaining to their demands and the continuation of protests.

A day before the late Egyptian President announced his stepping-down, 30 youths, ladies and gentlemen, who took part in the initial arrangements of the historic revolution, came to Dar al Ifta, where they engaged with the Grand Mufti in a heart-to-heart meeting that tackled a variety of issues ranging from the constitution, democracy and its essence, their demands, justice, plans for the future, among others.

During the gathering, that was a mixture of serious debates, father and son talk, and sometimes humor, Ali hailed what he labeled as Youth Intifada that represented the entire nation, and the foremost achievement of which, back then, was the transition of President Mubarak’s responsibilities to his deputy. Ali discussed ways to get out of the current situation of chaos; stressing the need to press ahead with practical and clears plans for reform. He endorsed the legitimate demands the youth spoke of, however, expressing his deep concern over the state of chaos the country was living which required the full engagement of the army. He spoke of his worries that the Israelis can seize the chance at such time of turmoil in Egypt.

Reiterating his utter rejection of brutality displayed by the police against the peaceful protesters and the society, such as use of force and blocking Internet connection and other communication medias, Ali highlighted the country’s need for changing the constitution, one of the initial demands proposed by the revolution.

The Grand Mufti moreover stated that the country was in dire need for convenient plans that would grant it a better future, such as executing many valuable researches that had been presented but were subject to bureaucracy that hampered their fulfillment. He mentioned the project proposed of Farouk al Baz, the research professor and director of the Center for Remote Sensing at Boston University.

When the fog lifted and the revolution scored its primary goal of ousting President Mubarak, a clear phase shift of 180 degrees paved the way for a new era of a brand new Egypt. The Mufti then, and still speaking out of wisdom derived from the Shariah Law, cheered the protesters who liberated the country and stood firm in defense of their rights. Herein dealing with a different status quo, yet still based on the all-inclusive Shariah law, Ali’s speech became more directed towards the future and setting the needed milestone for it that would best serve the goals of the revolution. Ali hailed the achievements of the Revolution, juggling priorities according to a new living situation, in a way that grants protection to the welfare of the citizens, for he was then relieved of the concern over the lives of the innocent.

Ali had to adapt his religious discourse to the given situation to preach people how to deal with a new, still chaotic Egypt, reminding the nation that ”ending a past regime is simply the beginning of a new phase of hard work and strong will to foster a truly healthy and vibrant society, where economic and social reform is equally needed.”

He underlined the need to fasten the pace of reform and take meaningful steps to rebuild the country through charity and civil work, to help it get out of the quagmire that struck through all fields of life for three consecutive weeks.

He took the initiative of aiding those who were harmed during the demonstrations, announcing, through Misr el Kheir foundation which he heads, covering all medical expenses needed by the injured.

Ali, professing only concern over what’s best for the people, didn’t give much attention to those who misunderstood his stance.^{[citation needed]} Focusing on a perfect delivery^{[citation needed]} of his message of hope and prosperity, Ali called on “all Egyptians to safeguard the five overriding objectives of Islamic law – the preservation of life, property, honor, family, reason, and religion – values that are definitely shared by all humanity” , asserting his prime care for the safety and security of the country, something that can only be fulfilled through a legitimate rule of law, as time shall prove.

Views on future Of Islam in Egyptian democracy[link]

In an op-ed in the New York Times, the Mufti supported the passage of the Egyptian constitutional referendum, 2011, calling it a "milestone" for Egyptian democracy.^[12]

He also stated that since Egypt is a very religious society, "it is inevitable that Islam will have a place in our democratic political order". However, he reassured that Muslims believe that "Islamic law guarantees freedom of conscience and expression (within the bounds of common decency) and equal rights for women."^[13]

He also stated that there was no contradiction between Articles 2 and 7 of the constitution, the former saying that Islam was the official religion of the state and that legislation was based on principles of Islamic jurisprudence, and the latter guaranteeing full citizenship before the law to members of Egyptian society regardless of religion, race or creed.^[14]

He also stated that Islamists would stay within mainstream, and that radicalism would "not only run contrary to the law, but will also guarantee their political marginalization".^[15]

Media Appearances[link]

Since being appointed as Grand Mufti, Gomaa has had numerous media appearances. His regular television appearances include: al-Bayt Baytak on Tuesday nights on both Egyptian terrestrial and satellite channel two when he discusses current events and answers the questions of viewers who call in. Yas’alunaka, on Fridays on the Risalah satellite channel on which he gives a simplified explanation of Islamic jurisprudence, and a commentary on the Koran that appears daily on local Egyptian channel one.

In addition to his television appearances, Gomaa has a weekly column in the Egyptian daily newspaper al-Ahram. His articles have covered a wide range of topics from explanations of the basis of Islamic law and calling for calm in the face of the Danish cartoon crisis, to refuting extremism and denouncing The Protocols of the Elders of Zion as a forgery. He is one of the signatories of A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter by Islamic scholars to Christian leaders, calling for peace and understanding.

Views on selling pork and alcohol in the West and 'Non muslim countries'[link]

In a fatwa issued by Dar-al-ifta,^[16] approved and signed by Ali Gom’a, the Egyptian Mufti stated that selling pork and alcohol is permitted in the West because of the following points:

Quote “it is allowed taking the opinion of the scholars from the Hanafi madhhab who allow to deal with wrong contracts in non-muslim countries ”

Another justification was that the Prophet let his uncle Al-‘Abbas Ibn ‘Abdil-Muttalib take usury in Mecca - when it was non-muslim city- and he did not prohibit him except in the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage.

In all during the fatwa – which was a reply to a question from a Muslim in Europe asking about whether it would be allowed for him to work in stores that sell alcohol and pork along with other products because he cannot find another job – Ali mentioned the terms “dar-al-harb” (House of war) and “ahl al-harb” (people of war) several terms, and gave a response that not only dealt with what the questioner had asked but further points such as the taking of Interest and gambling.

His views on this issue have been the object of criticism from western Islamic scholars. Salah Soltan, a member of the Fiqh Council of North America replies,

"The fiqh councils in Europe, North America and India are of the opinion that these countries represent a house of treaty and invitation to Islam for the Muslim minority. They are not a house of war nor are they a house of Islam. It is more appropriate to arrive at this wise position that matches the character of gratitude for those who did well to us. Sh.Yusuf Al-Qaradawi said in the introduction of the proceedings of the European Council for Iftaa and Research: “Is it allowed to issue fatawa that would drive Muslims to steal the money from these countries that accepted them, provided them with food when they were hungry and protected them from danger? Doing this would make them flee from paying the price of what they consume, refuse to give the salaries for those who work for them, lie to get financial aid that they do not deserve and betray those who deal with them. To allow such behavior is a shame for Islam."

Nevertheless, Soltan still respects Gomaa's knowledge and scholarship.

"Indeed Sh. ‘Ali Gom‘a is among those scholars who are known for their deep knowledge, accuracy, and tolerance. He also has a zeal for the religion of Allah that we thank him for. We also have full appreciation and love for him. I wish that this discussion would confirm these ties of love between us because knowledge relates its people as though they were kin. The people of knowledge complement one another." ^[17]

Other Fatwas of Significance[link]

Since taking office Gomaa has issued a number of fatwas and statements that have made an impact in the media. He has issued a fatwa asserting that men and women enjoy equal political rights in Islam, including the right to become president of a modern state.^[18]

He recently stated on national television that it is permissible in Islam for a woman to have hymen restoration surgery for any reason since Islam promotes protecting one’s privacy and reputation and does not require a woman to provide proof of her virginity.^[19]

In November 2006, prof Gomaa ruled that female circumcision (also referred to as female genital mutilation or FGM) should not be applied; this ruling is in accordance with Egyptian law, that also forbids female circumcision. This ruling came about after a conference instigated by research and a documentary on FGM in Somalia by the German action group Target. This fatwa is now also used in Western Europe to combat FGM.^[20] On June 24, 2007, after an 11-year-old died under the knife undergoing circumcision, he decreed that female circumcision was not just “un-Islamic” but forbidden.^[21]

He has also stated that Islam does not call for and has never known a theocratic state and that there is no contradiction between Islam and liberal democracy saying, “I consider myself a liberal and a Muslim, but this does not mean I am a secularist. The Egyptian [historical] experience has combined liberalism and Islam in the best of ways.” ^[22]

He is a signatory of the Amman Message, which gives a broad foundation for defining Muslim orthodoxy, unequivocally states that nobody has the right to excommunicate a Muslim, and restricts the issuing of fatwas to those with the scholarly qualifications to do so.^[23]

In 2007 he "unequivocally told the Washington Post that the death penalty for apostasy simply no longer applies."^[24] Ramadan Al Sherbini of Gulf News later reported Gomaa clarifying that Muslims are not free to change their faith; "What I actually said is that Islam prohibits a Muslim from changing his religion and that apostasy is a crime, which must be punished." ^[25]

The Mufti still rejects the death penalty though. In 2009, posted on his website that he does not believe that apostasy is punishable by death.

In fact, it was only two years ago that Sheikh Ali Gomaa made clear statements to the effect that apostasy is not punishable by death in Islam, a position that he holds to this day.

^[26]

He is the Editor of the Encyclopaedia of Hadith, a sub-project of the greater Sunnah Project of the Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation, which aims at documenting and publishing all works related to Prophetic narrations or Hadith.

Gomaa has publicly asserted that the anti-Semitic The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a forgery and made an official court complaint concerning a publisher who falsely put his name on an introduction to its Arabic translation.^[27]

Views on extremism[link]

Gomaa has taken a very clear stance against extremist interpretations of Islam. “He has become the most explicitly anti-extremist cleric in mainstream Sunni Islam.” ^[28] He says that the use of violence to spread Islam is prohibited and extremists have not been educated in genuine centers of Islamic learning, “Terrorists are criminals, not Muslim activists.” ^[29]

Gomaa believes the best antidote to Islamic extremism is "traditional conception of sharia law — along with knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence"^[30]

Controversy[link]

According to American journalist Jay Tolson, Ali Gomaa has been a victim of "smear tactics" by hardline blogger critics of Islam and the Muslim world, the effect of which has been "cumulative and insidious." He quotes Robert Spencer as referring to `wife-beatin,'<sup>[31][32]</sup> statue-hatin'<sup>[33]</sup> Mufti Ali Gomaa.`^[2]

Sculpture[link]

On April 18, 2006, an article entitled "Egypt's grand mufti issues fatwa: no sculpture" appeared in the csmonitor.com

Artists and intellectuals here say the edict, whose ban on producing and displaying sculptures overturns a century-old fatwa, runs counter to Islam. They also worry that extremists may use the ruling as a pretense for destroying Egypt's ancient relics, which form a pillar of the country's multibillion-dollar tourist industry.^[33]

Jay Tolson defended Ali Gomaa, saying

while Gomaa did say that it was un-Islamic for Muslims to own statues or to display them in their homes, he made it very clear that the destruction of antiquities and other statues in the public sphere was unacceptable and indeed criminal. He is also on record deploring the Taliban's destruction of the great Buddhist statuary in Afghanistan.^[2]

Original Writings[link]

His published works include in alphabetical order:

1. ‘Alaqah Usul al-Fiqh bil al-Falsafah
2. Aliyat al-Ijtihad
3. Athr Dhihab al-Mahal fi al-Hukm
4. al-Bayan
5. al-Hukm al-Shar’i
6. al-Ijma’ ‘ind al-Usuliyyin
7. al-Imam al-Shafi’i wa Madrasatuhu al-Fiqhiyyah
8. al-Imam al-Bukhari
9. al-Kalim al-Tayyib vol. 1
10. al-Kalim al-Tayyib vol. 2
11. Mabahith al-Amr ‘ind al-Usuliyyin
12. al-Madkhal ila Darasah al-Madhahib al-Fiqhiyyah
13. al-Mar’ah fi al-Hadarah al-Islamiyyah
14. al-Mustalah al-Usuli wa al-Tatbiq ‘ala Tarif al-Qiyas
15. al-Nadhariyyat al-Usuliyyah wa Madkhal li Darasah ‘Ilm al-Usul
16. al-Naskh ‘ind al-Usuliyyin
17. Qadiyah Tajdid Usul al-Fiqh
18. al-Qiyas ‘ind al-Usuliyyin
19. al-Ru’yah wa Hujiyyatiha al-Usuliyyah
20. Simat al-Asr
21. Taqyid al-Mubah
22. al-Tariq ila al-Turath al-Islami

Teachers[link]

His sheikhs and teachers include in alphebetical order:

1. ‘Abd al-Hafidh al-Tijani
2. ‘Abd al-Hakim ‘Abd al-Latif
3. ‘Abd al-Hamid Mayhub
4. Ahmad Jabir al-Yamani
5. ‘Abd al-Jalil al-Qaranshawi
6. Ahmad Hammadah al-Shafi’i
7. Ahmad Mursi
8. ‘Ali Ahmad Mar’i
9. Hasan Ahmad Mar’i
10. al-Husayni Yusuf al-Shaykh
11. Ibrahim Abu al-Khashab
12. ‘Iwad Allah al-Hijazi
13. ‘Iwad al-Zabidi
14. Ismail Sadiq al-’Adwi
15. Ismail al-Zayn al-Yamani
16. Jad al-Haqq ‘Ali Jad al-Haqq
17. Jad al-Rabb Ramadan
18. Muhammad Abu Nur Zuhayr
19. Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki
20. Muhammad Ismail al-Hamadani
21. Muhammad Mahmud Farghali
22. Muhammad Shams al-Din al-Mantiqi
23. Muhammad Zaki Ibrahin
24. Sha’ban Muhammad Ismail
25. Said ‘Abd Allah al-Lajhi
26. al-Sayiid Salih ‘Iwad
27. Salih al-Ja’fari
28. Yasin al-Fidani

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Ali Gomaa

• The Grand Mufti's English Website
• Do We Need A Common Word?
• Newsweek: ‘A Small Miracle’
• U.S. News and World Report: Egypt's Grand Mufti Counters the Tide of Islamic Extremism
• The Economist: Laying Down Religious Law
• The Wise Mufti
• Articles of faith
• Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation
• Encyclopaedia of Hadith and IHSAN Network
• The Show-Me Sheikh: "The grand mufti of Egypt, Ali Gomaa, is peddling a new kind of radical Islam— traditionalism without the extremism" by G. Willow Wilson, The Atlantic Monthly, July/August 2005
• The Grand Mufti's mission