At dawn on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, the Islamic world was struck with grief over the passing of the renowned scholar Muhammad Ahmad Al-Rashid, one of the most prominent Islamic thinkers and preachers of modern times, in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Abdul-Munim Saleh Al-Ali Al-Azzi, famously known as Muhammad Ahmad Al-Rashid, was born in Baghdad in 1938 and was raised in the Al-Adhamiyah neighborhood in a family that belonged to the Arab tribe of Bani Izz.
From an early age, Al-Rashid showed intellectual brilliance and a passion for knowledge. By the age of eight, he was already browsing reading magazines and received substantial support from his family to pursue his education, which nurtured his love for reading and learning.
Al-Rashid received his primary education at the Teacher Training School, one of the most prestigious schools in Iraq, where he stood out for his active participation and academic excellence. He also excelled in various sports, such as swimming and football, and enjoyed riding his bicycle. He pursued higher education at the College of Law at the University of Baghdad, where he delved into Islamic Sharia and Al-Fiqh al-Muqaran (Comparative Jurisprudence), graduating in 1962.
In the field of Islamic preaching, Al-Rashid was mentored by a number of prominent scholars, including Sheikh Abdul Karim al-Shaikhly, Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali, and Sheikh Amjad al-Zahawi. He was particularly influenced by the ideas of Mohammed Mahmoud al-Sawwaf and the poetry of Waleed al-A'dhami. These figures served as key references in shaping his own approach to Islamic preaching.
Al-Rashid began his preaching journey at a young age, joining the Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq when he was just thirteen. As political events heightened in Iraq and the Arab world, he became more deeply involved in the Islamic preaching. He began focusing on developing a therapeutic educational methodology to address the challenges faced by the Islamic movement.
Due to security circumstances, Al-Rashid was forced to leave Iraq in the early 1970s. He moved to Kuwait, then the UAE, and later Malaysia. Throughout his travels, he continued spreading his knowledge of Islamic preaching by giving lectures and writing books that were distinguished by a high literary style. Among his most notable works are Al-Muntalaq, Al-'Awa'iq, and Ṣina'at al-Ḥayah, which became important references for Islamic preachers across the world.
Al-Rashid worked to unify the ranks of Islamic preachers and improve Islamic preaching. He traveled extensively between different countries to spread the teachings of Islamic Fiqh and raise the banner of Islam.
On behalf of its editor-in-chief and staff, Al-Mujtama Magazine extends its deepest condolences and sympathies to the Muslim Ummah over the loss of this great scholar, asking Allah the Almighty to grant him mercy and forgiveness and to grant him a place in His vast Jannah.
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