Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

on Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Deep into the valleys of Morocco during the Islamic year of 1311 and corresponding to 1893 on the Gregorian calendar, a legend was born in the village of Al-Fidah. The unknown legend was named as Mohammad Taqi-ud-Din, Kunyah is Abu Sakib. Dr. Hilali was endued with religious knowledge passed down to him as a chain of awareness and learning from his four fathers. His grandfather basically lighted the village of Kairouan in Tunisia but long before Hilali’s birth, they moved to Al-Fidah. Moreover, this legend belonged from the uniquely bestowed and birth-royal family of the last Holy Prophet: Mohammad. Born in the family of Hussain Bin Ali the grandson of Prophet (S.A.W), Hilali learnt by rote the Qur’an at the age of 12 and became a Hafiz. Then he headed to study Arabic grammar, Tajwid and gained other Arabic knowledge of Ahadith of the Prophet (P.B.U.H).

Mohammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali packed with the urge to seek more and be taught endlessly, he also well-read English and German and eventually gained a command over them. He journeyed extensively all over the globe in search of knowledge and found out about the cultures and understanding of India, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and many other countries but he did not leave these countries unrewarded. He serviced there as a teacher, educating wide and far without distinction or difference. His personal educational trip was not easy to end. He got a hold of his secondary school education in Al-Qarawiyyth University, concluded his learning in Egypt, and consequently was rewarded his doctorate certification from Berlin University standing over Germany.

Hilali was a Sufi of the Tijaniyyah Order at the time when he made his first dive in to the wide and prospering Islamic studies. After seeking his pious learning, Hilali reached the idea that Sufism in a broad spectrum and the Tijani organization in particular stand far away from conformist Sunnism due to the increasing gullibility and polytheistic values. Thus, he decided to converse out in opposition to the faction in Morocco. Due to these addresses, he was mistreated and assaulted cruelly several times.

Hilali never aimed at pausing but rather in his twenties he progressed to Algeria so that he could learn Muslim Jurisprudence from the scratch. Hilali moved on to Egypt and got admission in Al-Azhar University. The curriculum disappointed him so much that he was forced to leave this course. Hilali was lucky to get him a scholar Rashid Rida which made him think of spending time under his guidance and learning. Then during the same year, he went to Morocco again to end up his business of Bachelor of Arts degree.

Hilali also traveled to India after performing his pilgrimage to Makkah in array to speculate and pursue Ahadith studies. Already having gained enough knowledge, it was easy for him to facilitate as Arabic studies chief at Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama in Lucknow. After carrying out his learning in India, Hilali was requested by the first and foremost King of Saudi Arabia; Ibn Saud to train him in the Muslim sacred land of Iraq and spent three glorious days there. Hilali was also blessed with a chance to lead the prayer in the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi for two tremendous years and then, gained the auspicious experience and honor by teaching in Islam’s most sacred place; Makkah at Masjid al-Haram for a year.

When he finished his short lived period of coaching in Makkah, Hilali signed up in Baghdad University. He worked as an associate professor there. Hilali revisited India and admitted himself in the University of Lucknow as an apprentice as well as started teaching there. He served at the University of Bonn at the same double position with the help of his very dear friend, Shakib Arslan. He was later, moved to Humboldt University of Berlin, where he received his doctoral certificate in literature in 1940.

In 1947, he came back to Iraq retaking up his coaching job at the University in Baghdad. Hilali’s teaching cycle yet hadn’t ended even after the revolution of 14th July. He was allotted to a respectable and worthy schooling job at Mohammed V University in Rabat during 1959 and subsequently at a branch in Fes in Morocco. Then again, Saudi Arabian Grand Mufti Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz lettered him a request to take over a vital schooling job at Islamic University of Medina in 1968. Hilali accepted his post gleefully and began to live in the sacred state of Saudi Arabia for another short period.

Earned his degree of doctorate and claimed as Dr. Al-Hilali, he had gathered extensive experience in his most treasured field of preaching. This great Muslim has written manifold books and done many major and unlimited minor religious and noble deeds. Always aiming for the greater good, he gave all his heart and spirit in to what he ever wished for. He owned true Islamic Monotheist Faith and flame of his belief’s strength and would always invite people to this belief. He possessed a good and daring way of tackling the troubles and issues with wisdom and knowledge. Which is why, he nobly stands on a high place in the field of knowledge and personality.

Dr. Hilali stays within the hearts of the Muslim world itself filled with praise and heads over heels respect. National hero of Algeria, Abdel Hamid shared his views about Hilali as the most conversant Muslim ecclesiastic of his era.

His well renowned accomplishments are very worthy like his translations of the Qur’an and Sahih Al-Bukhari and the book Al-Lulu-wal Marjan into English language. He shared them with Dr. Muhammad during the period of his stay at Islamic University; Al-Medina Al-Munawwarah. Their paraphrasing of the Qur’an has been considered as the best, having features from all canonical work pieces in Sunni Islam; Tafsir al-Tabari, Tafsir ibn Kathir, Sahih al-Bukhari and Tafsir al-Qurtubi. He also made English translation of the book Al-Lulu wa al-Marjan during his reside at the Islamic University of Medina.

In 1974, Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali finally permanently gave up on his teaching career. He headed to Casablanca where he owned his house. Hilali met his sovereign and left his companions in tears on the 25th of Shawal in the Islamic year 1408AH, corresponding to June 22, 1987 Gregorian. He rests in peace in the neighborhood of Sbata.



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