Muhammad Abdo ( Abdu ), also Muhammad Abdo [5] ( Arabic. محمد عبده ; 1849-1905) - Egyptian public and religious leader , liberal reformer, considered the founder of Islamic modernism [6] . Chief Mufti of Egypt (1899-1905). Disciple and ally of Jamal ad-Din al-Afghanistan. The author of works on the reforms of Sharia, the education system, etc.
| Muhammad Abdo | |
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| Supreme Mufti of Egypt 1899 - 1905 | |
| Predecessor | Hasuna al-Navawi |
| Successor | Bakri al-Sadafi |
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Content
Biography
Muhammad Abdo was born in 1849 near Damanhur (Lower Egypt) in a Turkmen family. In early childhood, he began to learn the basics of literacy and reading the Koran . The formation of his religious views was influenced by his uncle, who was a Sufi sheikh [7] . At the age of thirteen, he was sent to the school of the Sufi Sheikh Saeed al-Badawi at the Ahmadiyah Mosque [8] . For some time he led a closed, ascetic life. His fascination with Sufism was expressed in his early treatises, such as the Treatise on Mystical Inspiration (1874), devoted to the exposition of the doctrine of Ibn Arabi .
In 1866, Muhammad Abdo entered a leading educational institution in Cairo, Al-Azhar , in which he became a student of Jamal-ad-din al-Afghanistan , a well-known philosopher and reformer, pan-Islamist ideologist who opposed European colonialism. After graduating, Muhammad Abdo taught logic and theology at Al-Azhar for some time. Articles by Muhammad Abdo were published in many periodicals in Egypt, most often in the newspaper Al-Ahram [8] .
For supporting the rebellion, Arabi Pasha in 1882 was expelled from Egypt for six years, as a result of which he first lives in Lebanon , then in France , Great Britain , in which he continues his activities. Together with al-Afghanistan, he founded in Paris a secret society called “The Strongest Connection” ( al-Urva al-vuska ), which published a newspaper of the same name, which was popular among the Muslim intelligentsia [9] .
He made a great contribution to the development of modern Arab journalism, literature and the literary language by heading the school of journalism at the newspaper Al-Wakai al-Misriya (Egyptian Events). His articles on religious, philosophical, sociopolitical, and moral topics, published between 1876–1905, were examples of the modern Arabic language and the new journalistic style [10] .
In 1885 he arrived in Beirut, where he wrote several books. In 1888, Muhammad Abdo returned to Egypt, where he held a number of posts in the state apparatus and the education system. In 1899, became the mufti of the country. At this time he founded a religious society, became president of the revival society of the Arab sciences. He headed the Governing Body of al-Azhar and is working towards reforming the university [9] . He introduced the teaching of secular disciplines such as mathematics, history and geography into the University’s program [7] .
Muhammad Abdo died on July 11, 1905 [7] .
Religious Views
He rejected blind adherence to later religious authorities and considered the “closure of Ijtihad ” unacceptable [9] . He issued fatwas, contrary to the fatwas of the faithful Sunni madhhabs, for which he aroused the fire of criticism of the Orthodox. In particular, Turkish Hanafi traditionalist Sheikh ul-Islam Mustafa Sabri Effendi opposed him. He considered it necessary to carry out reforms in Islam through a return to its foundations (see Islamic fundamentalism ). He rejected the presence of clergy and spiritual authorities in religion [8] . On some theological issues, he followed the teachings of the medieval theologian Ibn Taymiya [9] .
Even after Al-Azhar ended, Muhammad Abdo quite sharply opposed Sufism, although he recognized some of the merits of the doctrine - moral self-improvement, gaining inner faith, critical attitude to official dogma, etc. It condemns the cult of saints and miracles, considering this a fraud. As director of the Press Department of Egypt, he forbids the Meccan Revelations of Ibn al-Arabi, considering it harmful to the general public [7] .
He issued a fatwa allowing Muslims to receive interest on bank deposits, which was previously forbidden as usury [7] [9] .
Muhammad Abdo is the author of one of the most authoritative modern tafsirs of the Koran, “Messages on Monotheism” ( Risala at-tawhid ). Muhammad Abdo himself claimed that each era needs its own independent interpretation [9] .
The activities of Muhammad Abdo were criticized by Sunni theologians, such as Mustafa Sabri and others. [11]
Political Ideas
Muhammad Abdo believed that any ruler first of all represents purely earthly power, which is not sanctified by Divine motives. The head of state is obliged to fulfill the role of the political leader of society, protect religion and promote its ideals. Muhammad Abdo was also a supporter of democracy and the idea of the election of state leaders. He believed that the constitutional order can be achieved through a peace agreement with the government [8] .
He pointed to the advantages of the parliamentary system. He was a supporter of the idea of a gradual movement towards parliamentarism, which provided for the temporary rule of the dictator. He believed that a rebellion against the existing government is an indicator of the unpreparedness of the people for genuine freedom [8] . He advocated the independence of Egypt from the Ottoman Empire and from the West and adhered to the ideas of nationalism ("Egypt for the Egyptians") [7] . At the same time, he advocated the reconstruction of the Islamic Caliphate, led by the Ottoman Sultan [9] , collaborated with the British, for which he was called "the largest Anglophile among the Egyptians."
Notes
- ↑ Akyeampong E. K. , Gates H. L. Dictionary on African Biography, افریقی سوانحی لغت - New York City : OUP , 2012. - ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5
- ↑ 1 2 Indiana Philosophy Ontology Project
- ↑ SNAC - 2010.
- ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica
- ↑ Ageenko F.L. Abdo Muhammad // Dictionary of proper names of the Russian language. Stress Pronunciation. Inflection . - M .: World and Education; Onyx, 2010 .-- S. 55 .-- 880 p. - ISBN 5-94666-588-X , 978-5-94666-588-9.
- ↑ Ahmed H. Al-Rahim (January 2006). “Islam and Liberty,” Journal of Democracy 17 (1), p. 166-169.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 Around the World .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 Ali Zadeh, 2007 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Islam: ES, 1991 , p. eight.
- ↑ A Brief Literary Encyclopedia, vol. 1, 1962
- ↑ Ali Zadeh, 2007 , Mustafa Sabri Effendi.
Literature
- Miloslavsky G.V. Abdu // Islam: Encyclopedic Dictionary / Otv. ed. S. M. Prozorov . - M .: Science , GDVL , 1991 . - S. 8. - ISBN 5-02-016941-2 .
- Ali-zade, A.A. Abdo Muhammad // Islamic Encyclopedic Dictionary . - M .: Ansar , 2007.
- Zelenev E.I. Public administration, judicial system and army in Egypt and Syria (XVI - beginning of XX century). - SPb. : Publishing House of St. Petersburg University, 2003.
- Kirillina S.A. Islam in the public life of Egypt. - M. , 1989.
- Stepanyants M. T. On the religious views of Muhammad Abdo // Religion and social thought of the countries of the East. - M. , 1974.
Links
- Abdo, Muhammad // Encyclopedia " Around the World ."