Muhammad Metwally Al Shaarawy

El Shaarawy

Muhammad Metwally El-Shaarawy (Arabic: الشيخ محمد متولى الشعراوى‎) was an Egyptian Muslim jurist. (1911–1998)

Early life

El-Shaarawy was born in Dakadous village, Mit Ghamr, Ad Daqahliyah, Egypt on April 15, 1911. He is a descendant of Ali ibn Abi Talib. He has three sons and two daughters.^[1]

Education

El-Shaarawy memorized Qur'an at the age of eleven years. A turning point in his life, when his father sent him, paying for his living expenses, to further his education in Al-Azhar, Cairo. Muhammad El-Shaarawy wanted to stay with his brothers to cultivate land. Trying to avoid going to Cairo he placed what seemed an impossible condition. The condition was for his father to buy him amounts of books in the heritage, language and Quran science. But his father caught on to that trick, and bought him all requested material, saying "I know my son that all of these books are not prescribed to you, but I preferred to buy in order to provide you the draws of the science."El-Shaarawy joined the Faculty of Arabic Language in 1937. He graduated from Faculty of Arabic language, Al-Azhar University in 1941.^[1]^[2]

Work

After graduation he was appointed a teacher of religious institute in Tanta, Zagazig and then taught in Alexandria, and continued teaching for three years. Then he flew to Saudi Arabia within the Azhar mission as a Professor in Faculty of Law, at University of Umm Al Qura in 1950. Sheikh Shaarawi taught Islamic Doctrine in this period although his speciality was originally in language, this would constitute a great difficulty but the Sheikh proved successful in teaching this material and was met to a large extent with applause and appreciation of all. In 1960, Institute of Tanta Azhary appointed him as the director of the Islamic Call. In 1961, the Ministry of Awqaf appointed him as inspector of Sciences. In 1963 he returned to Egypt and served as the Director of the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar.^[3] In 1966, he traveled to Algeria as the head of Al-Azhar Mission and remained for seven years. He returned to Egypt to serve as the Director of Endowment in Al Gharbia and then an agent for Al-Azhar.^[3] In 1970, he was appointed a visiting professor at King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Sharia in Mecca, then President of the Department of Graduate Studies at King Abdul Aziz in 1972. In November 1976 he was appointed minister of endowments and Azhar Affairs, and remained in office until he left the ministry in October 1978. As a minister of endowments was the first to issue a ministerial decision to establish the first Islamic bank in Egypt, the Faisal Islamic Bank. Then he flew to Saudi Arabia where he taught at the University of King Abdul Aziz for only one year in 1981 .^[3] In 1987, Sheikh was nominated to become a member Arabic compound (immortal compound) after receiving a majority of votes.^[3]

Biography

El-Shaarawy had a very widespread popularity which earned him the title of "The preacher of the century."^[1] El-Shaarawy was exceptionally talented in explaining the meanings of the holy Quran.^[1] His real talent was best shown when he explained in simple words the meaning behind the most difficult verses of the Qur'an.^[1] He was also famous^[1] for being the only non-Saudi to give the khutbah, or Islamic speech at Mount Arafat,^[1] a mountain of central importance during the Hajj, or the Islamic pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Publications

His publications are in Arabic the following is a translation of the book titles:^[2]

Secrets of the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Islam and contemporary thought.

Islam and women, creed and curriculum.

Shura and legislation in Islam.

Prayer and the pillars of Islam.

The way to God.

Counsel.

Here Oh to Beck.

100 Q & A in Islamic jurisprudence.

Women as God wanted .

Miracle of the Qur'an .

Of the iceberg Koran.

Looks in the Qur'an.

On the table of Islamic thought.

Fate and destiny.

This is Islam.

Team in the interpretation of the Koran