Mohammed al-Ghazali
| Sheikh Mohammed al-Ghazali الشيخ محمد الغزالي | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 22, 1917 al-Buhayrah, Egypt |
| Died | March 9, 1996 (aged 78) |
| Nationality | Egyptian |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Creed | Ashari |
Sheikh Mohammed al-Ghazali al-Saqqa (1917–1996) (Arabic: الشيخ محمد الغزالي السقا ), was an Islamic cleric and scholar whose writings "have influenced generations of Egyptians". The author of 94 books, Sheikh Ghazali attracted a broad following with works that sought to interpret Islam and its holy book, the Qur'an, in a modern light. He is widely credited with contributing to a revival of Islamic faith in Egypt over the last decade." Another source called him "one of the most revered sheikhs in the Muslim world."
Al-Ghazali was born in 1917 in the small town of Nikla al-'Inab (نكلا العنب), southeast of the coastal port of Alexandria, in the Beheira Governorate. He graduated from Al Azhar University in 1941. He taught at the University of Umm al-Qura in Makkah, the University of Qatar, and at al-Amir 'Abd al-Qadir University for Islamic Sciences in Algeria.
Sheikh al-Ghazali held the post of Chairman of the Academic Council of the International Institute of Islamic Thought in Cairo. Sheikh al-Ghazali authored more than sixty books, many of which have been translated into various languages, and was also the recipient of many awards, including the First Order of the Republic (Egypt) (1988), the King Faisal Award (1989) and the Excellence Award from Pakistan.
Al-Ghazali was known in the West for testifying on behalf of the assassins of secularist author Farag Foda, telling the Egyptian court that "anyone who openly resisted the full imposition of Islamic law was an apostate who should be killed either by the government or by devout individuals. He also called on the Government to appoint a committee to measure the faith of the population and give wayward Egyptian Muslims time to repent. Those who did not should be killed," he said.
In the Muslim world, however, Al-Ghazali "was not closely identified with the militant cause". He "often appeared on state-run television and held a place in the pulpit of one of Cairo's largest mosques," and in 1989 wrote a book "severely" criticizing what he believed to be the "literalism, and anti-interpretive approach to Islamic texts" of Ahl al-Hadith". The book prompted "several major conferences ... in Egypt and Saudi Arabia" criticizing the book, long articles in response in the Saudi-owned London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, and assorted writings of others condemning al-Ghazali and questioning "his motives and competence."
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