Muhammad Metwally Al-Shaarawy (1329 - 1419 AH) was a religious scholar and former Egyptian Minister of Awqaf. He is considered one of the most famous interpreters of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an in the modern era. Where he worked on the interpretation of the Noble Qur’an in simplified and colloquial ways, which made him able to reach a larger segment of Muslims throughout the Arab world, some called him the imam of preachers.
Muhammad Metwally El Shaarawy was born on April 15, 1911 AD in the village of Daqadous, Mit Ghamr Center, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. He memorized the Holy Qur’an at the age of eleven. In 1922, he joined the Zagazig Primary Azhari Institute, and showed brilliance since childhood in his memorization of poetry and the proverbs of saying and governance. , and head of the Association of Writers in Zagazig, and he was with him at that time Dr. Mohamed Abdel Moneim Khafagy, the poet Taher Abu Fasha, Professor Khaled Mohamed Khaled, Dr. Ahmed Heikal and Dr. Hassan Gad, and they were showing him what they wrote. It was a turning point in the life of Sheikh Al-Shaarawy, when his father wanted to join him in Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Cairo, and Sheikh Al-Shaarawi would like to stay with his brothers to cultivate the land, but the insistence of the father pushed him to take him to Cairo, pay the expenses and prepare the place for housing.
All he had to do was stipulate that his father buy him quantities of books on heritage, language, sciences of the Qur’an, interpretations and books of the Noble Prophetic hadith, as a kind of impotence until his father is satisfied with his return to the village. But his father was clever about this trick, and bought him everything he asked for, saying to him: I know, my son, that all these books are not prescribed for you, but I preferred to buy them to provide you with them so that you can draw from knowledge. And this is what Sheikh Al-Shaarawi said in his meeting with journalist Tariq Habib
Al-Shaarawy joined the Faculty of the Arabic Language in 1937 AD, and was preoccupied with the national movement and the Al-Azhar movement. The movement to resist the English occupiers in 1919 AD broke out from Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and from Al-Azhar, publications that expressed the discontent of the Egyptians against the British occupiers came out. The Zagazig Institute was not far from the Al-Azhar Citadel in Cairo, so he and his colleagues went to the squares and corridors of Al-Azhar, and delivered speeches, which exposed him to arrest more than once.
Shaarawy family
Muhammad Metwally Al-Shaarawy married while he was in high school based on the desire of his father, who chose his wife for him, and the Sheikh agreed to his choice, to have three sons and two daughters, the boys: Sami, Abdel Rahim and Ahmed, and the two daughters Fatima and Salha. The Sheikh believed that the first factors for a successful marriage are choice, acceptance by both parties, and love between them.
working life
He graduated in 1940, and obtained an international diploma with a teaching license in 1943. After graduating, he was appointed to the Religious Institute in Tanta, then moved to the Religious Institute in Zagazig and then the Religious Institute in Alexandria. After a long period of experience, Sheikh Al-Shaarawi moved to work in Saudi Arabia in 1950 to work as a professor of Sharia at Umm Al-Qura University.
Sheikh Al-Shaarawy was forced to teach the subject of beliefs, although he originally specialized in language, and this in itself constitutes a great difficulty, but Sheikh Al-Shaarawy was able to prove his superiority in teaching this subject to a large degree that was appreciated and appreciated by everyone. In 1963, a dispute occurred between President Gamal Abdel Nasser and King Saud. As a result, President Gamal Abdel Nasser prevented Sheikh al-Shaarawy from returning to Saudi Arabia again, and was appointed in Cairo as director of the office of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Hassan Mamoun. Then Sheikh Al-Shaarawy traveled to Algeria as head of the Al-Azhar mission there and stayed in Algeria for about seven years he spent teaching and while he was in Algeria, the setback occurred in June 1967. A program from A to Z by saying that “Egypt did not win while it was in the arms of communism, so the Egyptians were not tempted by their religion.” Teaching at King Abdulaziz University.
In November 1976, Mr. Mamdouh Salem, then Prime Minister, chose the members of his cabinet, and assigned Sheikh Al Shaarawy the Ministry of Endowments and Al-Azhar Affairs. Shaarawy remained in the ministry until October 1978.
He was considered the first to issue a ministerial decision to establish the first Islamic bank in Egypt, which is Faisal Bank, as this is one of the prerogatives of the Minister of Economy or Finance (Dr. Hamed Al-Sayeh in this period), whom he delegated, and the People’s Assembly approved it.
In 1987, he was chosen as a member of the Academy of the Arabic Language (Al-Khalideen Academy).
The positions he held
He was appointed as a teacher at the Tanta Azhari Institute and worked there, then was transferred to the Alexandria Institute, then the Zagazig Institute.
Seconded to work in Saudi Arabia in 1950. He worked as a teacher at the Faculty of Sharia, King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.
He was appointed as an agent of the Tanta Azhari Institute in 1960.
Appointed director of the Islamic Call the Ministry of Awqaf 1961.
he had been employed as a Arabic Sciences monitor in Holy Azhar in 1962.
He was appointed director of the office of the Grand Imam, Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Hassan Mamoun, 1964 AD.
Appointed head of the Al-Azhar mission in Algeria in 1966.
Appointed as a visiting professor at King Abdul Aziz University, College of Sharia, Makkah Al-Mukarramah, 1970 CE.
Appointed Head of Graduate Studies Department at King Abdulaziz University in 1972.
He was appointed Minister of Endowments and Al-Azhar Affairs in the Arab Republic of Egypt in 1976.
Appointed a member of the Islamic Research Complex, 1980.
He was named a member of the Shura Council, Egypt 1980.
The Sheikh of Al-Azhar and several positions were offered to him in a number of Islamic countries, but he refused and decided to devote himself to the Islamic call.
His poetic talent
Sheikh Al Shaarawy loved the Arabic language, and he was known for his eloquence with simplicity in style, and beauty in expression. With strong expressive words, the sheikh also used poetry in the interpretation of the Noble Qur’an, and to clarify the meanings of the verses, and when the sheikh remembers poetry, he would say, “Know me as a poet.”
Awards he received
Imam Al-Shaarawy was awarded the Order of Merit, First Class, on the occasion of reaching retirement age on April 15, 1976, before his appointment as Minister of Endowments and Al-Azhar Affairs.
He was awarded the Order of the Republic of the first class in 1983 and 1988, and a medal on the Day of Preachers
He received an honorary doctorate in literature from Mansoura and Menoufia Universities
The Muslim World League in Makkah chose him as a member of the founding body of the Conference on Scientific Miracles in the Noble Qur’an and the Prophet’s Sunnah, which is organized by the League, and entrusted him with nominating arbitrators he deems in various legal and scientific disciplines to evaluate the research submitted to the conference.
Dakahlia Governorate made him the character of the 1989 Cultural Festival, which it holds every year to honor one of its prominent sons. The governorate announced a competition to win appreciation and encouragement prizes, for his life, work, and role in Islamic preaching locally and internationally, and huge financial prizes were allocated to her.
The Dubai International Holy Quran Award chose him as the Islamic Personality of the Year in its first session in 1418 AH corresponding to 1998 AD
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