Mohammad Amin Sheikho

M. Amin Sheikho (1890-1964 A.D / 1308-1384 A.H) was a scholar and interpreter of the Quran.

Sheikho was born in al-Ward district in Sarouja Quarter, one of the historical districts of Damascus, in Syria which was called mini-Istanbul during the period of the Ottoman rule. He was raised in an Arab style house situated opposite the famous public al-Ward Bathhouse. This house stands there to the present day.

M. Amin Sheikho was still young when his father, the merchant Ismael Sheikho, departed this world. Mohammad Saleem, the only and elder brother of Mohammad Amin, was assigned as a director of the Military School during the Ottoman rule.^[1]

Education

At the age of twelve he was enrolled at al-Rashidiya School, he then went on to complete his studies in Amber, the Royal Ottoman Faculty in Damascus. He received many certificates of praise and commendation during the Ottoman rule and then under the reign of King Faisal in Syria. There are many copies of these certificates still preserved in trustworthy hands.^[2]

Achievements

• During the period of the Turkish rule, he was head of many police-stations in Damascus and its dependent counties. He was a shining example to all for his unfailing attention to duty, the vitality with which he approached every task, and the high level of achievement in many varied deeds which were of great benefit to mankind.^[3]
• During the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon he was appointed a director of the prisons of the citadel of Damascus.^[4]
• When the Great Syrian Revolt took place against the French forces, he helped the revolutionaries in every conceivable way until they placed the seal of the revolution in his trustworthy hands. Due to his subversive activities he fell foul of the French governor of Syria resulting in an order being issued for his execution; but the Almighty God saved him.^[5] During this period he was compliant in many attempts to overthrow French rule.^[6]
• He was the companion of Sheikh Mohammed Amin Kuftaro for almost twenty years and following his death M. Amin Sheikho followed his footsteps and became the next in succession to guide and teach the disciples of the eminent sheikh.^[7]
• His assemblies were distinguished by the profound level of wisdom with which he imparted his teaching and guidance.^[8]
• He took great care to draw the attention of his followers to beware of the tales of the Israelites which defame the biography of the noble persons, the Envoys of God (pth), and of anything ascribed to them which conflicts their perfection and impeccability.^[9]
• In 1953, the famous coeval philosopher, Sir John Godolphin Bennett came from Britain to visit him. He remained in his company for three weeks that were filled with lengthy dialogues about the religion of Islam and its actuality.^[10]
• Sir John asked M. Amin Sheikho many questions about the exact definition of the ‘spirit’ and the difference between that and the ‘soul’, as well as asking for clarification about Godly Justice, a topic which he found difficult to comprehend. As a result of this visit, Sir John practised Islamic legislation and performed the prayers along with the followers of M. Amin Sheikho.^[11]
• This visit was referred to briefly in the autobiography of Sir John Bennett in his book Witness; but after his death, a book containing special personal recollections written by Sir John was published in 1975 under the title Journeys in Islamic Countries, wherein he spoke in detail about this meeting. In this book he gave a detailed account of the personality and character of M. Amin Sheikho, and of his lectures and disciples. He also mentioned the great benefits he had derived from his life-changing meeting with him.^[12]
• During his lectures M. Amin Sheikho pointed frequently to the belief in the return of Jesus Christ (pth), from the Islamic perspective. He also indicated the near advent of this significant world event as, according to his explanations, most of the conditions for this momentous Hour had been fulfilled.
• This was disclosed in his book: The Envoy of Peace Looms on the Horizon: the Return of Jesus Christ.^[13]
• In referring to his meeting with M. Amin Sheikho, Sir John made mention of this issue in his two books: Witness and Journeys in Islamic Countries.^[14]
• Professor Abdul-Kadir John, alias al-Dayrani, published the book Stories of M. Amin Sheikho wherein he writes in detail about many deeds performed by his teacher, Mohammad Amin Sheikho.^[15]

Pupils

Professor Abdul-Kadir John, alias al-Dayrani is the best known and most distinguished among the pupils of M. Amin Sheikho. He received a certificate of General Education (a Syrian certificate which included the study of nine different sciences). Prof. al-Dayrani collected and verified more than fifty books which were dictated by M. Amin Sheikho and written on his behalf. Therefore, his name is always mentioned in association with the name of Mohammad Amin Sheikho.^[16]

Publications

M. Amin Sheikho dictated to his pupils many books about Islam in the Arabic language, some of which have been translated into English and French. The following are just some of these:^[17]

1. Interpretation of the Great Qur'an (Lights of Descending & Realities of Meaning)
2. Interpretation of Am'ma Section of the Qur'an
3. Impeccability of Prophets
4. Am'ma Encyclopedia (The Compassionate's Gifts in Interpreting the Qur'an)
5. Al-Amin Interpretation of the Great Qur'an (The Previous Nations)
6. Visiting the Prophet (cpth) and the Effect of His Love in Elevating the Believing Spirit
7. High Grades of Al-Taqwa (Seeing by Al'lah's Light)—The Jewels of Rules in Explaining the Pillars of Islam
8. The Sources of Spring Water in the World
9. The Reality of Our Master Mohammad (cpth) Appearing in the Twentieth Century
10. Proclaiming God's Love (The Scientific and Qur'anic Motivations for Halal Slaughter)
11. Islam… What is the Veil for? What is Divorce for? What is Polygamy for?
12. The West has Liberated Man from Slavery—Did Islam not do the same?
13. The Great Scientific Discovery—the Astonishing Reality of the Six Days and the Seven Heavens
14. The Amazing Miracle of the Fundamental Verses of the Book in the Twenty-first Century
15. Cupping: the Marvelous Medicine that Cures Heart Disease, Paralysis, Haemophilia, Migraine, Sterility and Cancer—A Prophetic Medical Science in its New Perspective
16. The Reality of Tamerlane the Great Appears in the Twenty-first Century
17. The Envoy of Peace Looms on the Horizon: The Second Coming of Christ
18. Secrets of the Seven Praising Verses
19. Goodbye to the Doctor of al-Muqawqis (Cyrus, Patriarch of Alexandria)

Radio and TV Programmes

• Illuminative Speculations: al-Quds Radio Station broadcasting from Syria
• Lights for Humankind: the Lebanese Radio Station al-Tawheed
• Cupping, an Arabic Discovery Spreads All over the World and Cupping, a Prophetic Medical Science in Its New Scientific Perspective: Two documentary films which have been broadcast on many world satellite stations such as Iqraa TV, Sharjah, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and others
• Proclaiming God’s Love (The Scientific and Qur'anic Motivations for Halal Slaughter): A documentary film that has been broadcast on Iqraa TV, and satellite stations in Al-Sharjah, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and others
• The Descent of the Prophets: A computer programme

Thoughts and views

• He disclosed the true meaning of the letters (acronyms) that are reported at the beginning of the Fortresses of the Holy Qur'an, which was not understood by previous Muslim scholars and said that, “Al'lah knows best His Purpose behind them.”^[18]
• He disproved the stories which are ascribed wrongly to the noble Envoy Mohammad (cpth), such as the story of his being affected by the action of magic, the story of cutting his noble chest (cpth), and all that would put him (cpth) in the wrong.^[19]
• He elucidated that the noble Prophets are impeccable in all of their words, actions and deeds.^[20]
• He was the first in the world to reveal the source of fresh spring and river water, which is the ice of the North and South Poles.^[21]
• He gave an exact definition of the ‘human spirit’ and clarified the difference between that and the ‘soul’.^[22]
• He differentiated between the ‘mind’ and ‘thought’.^[23]
• He talked about al-Azal world, the very beginning of creation in the world of immaterial spirits, and demonstrated the Godly Justice in that world and the reason for the coming of mankind to this world.^[24]
• He elucidated the wisdom in turning towards al-ka'ba when communicating with God (praying); he explained the reason for fasting and the meaning of the Night of al-Qadr (Evaluation) and how to attain it.^[25]
• He interpreted from the noble Qur'an how to derive the proportion of Zakat (almsgiving), and determined it as 2.5%.^[26]
• He revealed the wisdom folded in each ritual of the rites of pilgrimage.^[27]
• He clarified the benefits of the medical Prophetic commandments about using an enema of amylum suspension, medicinal castor oil, and the application of leeches for medical purposes.^[28]
• He called attention to certain eminent personalities who had been wronged by history. Specifically he spoke of Tamerlane the famous conqueror who is known to be a blood-thirsty warrior conqueror in the Middle East, while Asian peoples revere him and regard him as a holy man who had spread the religion of Islam in their countries. In this respect, a book was issued by M. Amin Sheikho under the title: The Reality of Tamerlane the Great.^[29]

Cupping

The name of Mohammad Amin Sheikho is always referred to whenever ‘cupping’ is mentioned, for it is he who disclosed its correct rules. Following the death of M. Amin Sheikho his pupil, Prof. Abdul-Kadir al-Dayrani undertook scientific research about this operation with the participation of a large medical team composed of many professors and doctors specialised in various medical ailments.^[30] When the results of the analysis of the blood extracted by the cupping operation were declared and many patients were healed completely after being cupped, the procedure soon spread widely and had a wide following in many societies. The results were published in many magazines and journals, and as a result, many medical people began to apply the procedure according to the exact and correct conditions that had been laid down.^[31]
The official broadcasting station of London (BBC), in one of its main news bulletins on 12/08/2001, declared the following: “The Syrians were used to betake themselves to the British capital seeking for channels of treating their diseases of which they were desperate, or they came to make medical checkups or to perform some complicated medical operations. Such a way of acting on the part of the Syrians seemed very normal, but the unexpected act was the change in their destination from Great Britain towards the Syrian capital. A scientific medical team representing the British Royal Family began communications and dialogues with a group of Syrian physicians in Damascus in search for the cupping operation for the treatment of the hereditary disease, hemophilia. The disease confirmed its recovery in a number of sick people in Syria by means of cupping operations^[32]”.

Reason for Mentioning the Name of Al'lah over a Carcass

He emphasised the necessity of mentioning Al'lah's Name aloud over animals as they are being slaughtered, for when they hear Al'lah's Name their meat becomes pure and free of any microbes.

Prof. al-Dayrani also subjected the ideas of his teacher, M. Amin Sheikho, in this field, to a scientific study. A great number of doctors and university professors carried out scientific research, the like of which had never been attempted before. They took many samples of the meat of cattle, some of which were slaughtered while mentioning Al'lah's Name aloud over them, while others were slaughtered without the benefit of this blessing. A comparative analysis of the outcome was then carried out. The results of this study were also published in a book issued on behalf of M. Amin Sheikho, entitled, Proclaiming God’s Love (The Scientific and Qur'anic Motivations for Halal Slaughter.^[33]

Mrs. Salma Estwani, the BBC correspondent in Syria at that time, announced the scientific results of this study and interviewed the doctors and researchers who carried it out.

Also, after revealing these results, many signboards were posted in Damascus streets on which it was written, ‘How terrible! Is it true that we Syrians eat microbes through our food?’ And on the front of the citadel of Damascus, a large sign was displayed on which was printed: 'The Great Syrian Humane Scholar Mohammad Amin Sheikho.'^[34]

References and sources