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Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda

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Syrian scholar and former Muslim Brotherhood head (1917–1997)

Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah (Arabic: عبد الفتاح بن محمد بن بشير بن حسن أبوغدة الخالدي, romanized: ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ ibn Muḥammad ibn Bashīr ibn Ḥasan Abū Ghuddah Al Khaldi) (9 May 1917 – 16 February 1997) was a Syrian Muslim Brotherhood leader and Sunni Hanafi Muslim scholar. He was born in 1917 in Aleppo.^[1] He was the third Supreme Guide of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, taking over from Issam al-Attar in 1973.

Early life and education[edit]

Abu Ghuddah was born and raised in Aleppo, studying at the Academy of Islamic Studies in Aleppo and later received advanced training in psychology and education at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.^[2] His father, Muhammad Ansari, was known to be a pious man, and was a businessman in the textile industry. Muhammad's father, Bashir Ansari, was one of the biggest textile traders in Aleppo, and the family line could be traced back to Khalid ibn al-Walid, one of the companions of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.^[3] He manifested differences in views with Al-Dhahabi and Ibn Taymiyyah.

Notable students[edit]

• Mohammad Abu Al Fath Al Beyanouni
• Mohammad Awamah
• Muhammad Taqi Usmani^[4]
• Salman Husaini Nadwi

Muslim Brotherhood[edit]

Abu Ghuddah lived in Cairo between 1944 and 1950, during which time he met Hassan al-Banna, the Founder and First General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood. Abu Ghuddah joined the Muslim Brotherhood under the auspices of al-Banna, and became a member of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood upon his return to Syria in 1950. He rose to prominence in Islamic circles in Aleppo, and became an instructor at his former school, Academy of Islamic Studies. In 1960 he became an instructor of theology at Damascus University along with the principles of Fiqh, Hanafi Fiqh, and Comparative Fiqh. Abu Ghuddah stood for election in the 1961 parliamentary election, and was later appointed as the Mufti of Aleppo by President Nazim al-Kudsi.^[2]

Abu Ghuddah was critical of the often authoritarian policies of Issam al-Attar, the Supreme Guide of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, who he claimed was unrestrained in his power and never consulted others on political affairs. al-Attar stepped down from the party leadership in 1962 and Abu Ghuddah replaced him as Supreme Guide of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood.^[5]

Abu Ghuddah was critical of the 1966 Syrian coup d'état which brought Salah Jadid to the Presidency. Abu Ghuddah used his position to rally scholars, whom he encouraged to boycott the state and voice opposition to Jadid's violent policies. Ghuddah also appeared at Friday sermons in Aleppo, and encouraged Syrians to oppose Jadid's rule. Ghuddah opposed Jadid's rule extensively, and claimed Jadid did not represent the Syrian people. As a result of Ghuddah's activities in the opposition he was arrested and imprisoned in the remote Tadmor Prison, where he was kept for 11 months, before being released along with all other political prisoners in 1967 as part of an amnesty following the Six-Day War with Israel.^[5]

Exile and death[edit]

Abu Ghuddah left Syria and went into exile in Saudi Arabia, where he taught and researched in a variety of Islamic research at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences at Riyadh University, and guest lectured at the Omdurman Institute in Sudan.^[5] During the early years of his exile he continued to actively opposed the Syrian government during his exile, and served as the Inspector General of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood from 1976 to 1983, leading the Islamic uprising in Syria. Following the failure of the uprising Abu Ghuddah abandoned his political career and turned to academia. He taught at Jeddah University and published numerous works on theology.^[6] He had his personal library, which he greatly missed during his exile as he was a serious scholar who loved reading, writing, researching, and collecting books.

Abu Ghuddah later returned to Syria in December 1995 under an arrangement with the Syrian government whereby he could return to Aleppo as long as he refrained from politics and focus on academia and religion. During his stay in his native land, he suffered a heart attack and developed soreness of the eyes In mid 1996 he returned to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for medical treatment. He began to bleed from the eyes and the condition got worse despite treatment until he lost consciousness and died in Riyadh on 16 February 1997 (9 Shawwal 1417 AH) at dawn. Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani was greatly saddened when he received the news of the demise of his beloved teacher and "Shaikh". Hafez al-Assad, the Syrian President, promptly sent condolences to the family. An official delegation, including the Minister of the Awqaf, the Governor of Aleppo, and the Chief of the Aleppo Police Department visited the family, and delivered condolences from Hafez al-Assad. Assad also offered the use of his personal plane for transporting Abu Ghuddah's body back to Syria, although he was ultimately buried in Medina near the grave of Muhammad.^[6]

Works[edit]

Among his works are:

Abu-l-'Abbas Ahmad al-Qarafi Al-Maliki.

1. Fath Baab al-'Inaayah bi Sharh Kitab an-Naqayah by Ali al-Qari
2. Masnoo'i fei-l-Ma'rifati-l-Hadeethi-l-Maudwoo' wa huwa-l-Maudwoo'aatu-s-Sawghree by Ali al-Qari
3. Al-Ajjwibah Al-Faadilah li-l-As'iluti-l-'Ashrawtu-l-Kaamilah by Shaykh Abu-l-Hasanaat 'Abdu-l-Hayy Al-Lacknawi
4. Ar-Raf' wa'l Takmil fi-l-Jarh wa-t-Ta'deel by Shaykh Abu-l-Hasanaat 'Abdu-l-Hayy Al-Lacknawi
5. Zafar Al-Amaanee bi-Sharh Mukhtasawr As-Sayyid Ash-Shareef Al-Jurjaanee (fee Mustawlah Al-Hadeeth) by Shaykh Abu-l-Hasanaat 'Abdu-l-Hayy Al-Lacknawi
6. Iqamat al-Hujjah 'ala anna'l Ikthar min al-Ta'abud laysa bi Bid'ah by Shaykh Abu-l-Hasanaat 'Abdu-l-Hayy Al-Lacknawi
7. Sibaahatu-l-Fikr fi-l-Jahri bi-dh-Dhikr by Shaykh Abu-l-Hasanaat 'Abdu-l-Hayy Al-Lacknawi
8. Risaaltu-l-Mustarshideen by Abee 'Abdullaahi-l-Haarith Ibbn Asadi-l-Muhaasibee Al-Basree (work on Tasawwuf)
9. At-Tasreeh bimaa Tawaatara fee Nuzooli-l-Maseeh ('A) by Imam Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri, Mufti Muhammad Shafi Deobandi, and Mufti Muhammad Rafi Usmani.
10. Makaanatu-l-Imaam Abee Haneefah fi-l-Hadeeth by Shaikh 'Abdu-R-Rawsheed An-Nu'maanee
11. Al-Imaam Ibbn Maajah wa Kitaabuhu-s-Sunan by Shaikh 'Abdu-R-Rawsheed An-Nu'maanee
12. Tas-heehu-l-Kutubi wa Sawna'u-l-Fahaarisi-l-Mu'jamah wa Kaifiyah wa Dawbbtwu-l-Kitaabi wa Saebaqu-l-Mulimaini-l-Furawnji fee Dhalik BY 'Allamah Ahmad Shakir
13. Qawfwu-l-Athari fee Sawfwi 'Uloomi-l-Athar by Razi Uddeen Muhammad Ibn Ibraheem Al-Halabi
14. Bulaghawtu-r-Rawybb fee Mustawlah Athaari-l-Habeeb by Muhammad Murtazaa Al-Husaini Az-Zabeedi
15. Qaaw'idatu fi-l-Jarh wa-t-Ta'deel by Taj al-Din al-Subki in (Raawbi'u Rawsaa'il fee 'Uloomi-l-Hadeeth)
16. Qaaw'idatu fi-l-Mu'arrikheen by Taj al-Din al-Subki in (Raawbi'u Rawsaa'il fee 'Uloomi-l-Hadeeth)
17. Al-Mutakallimoona fi-r-Rijaal by Muhammad Ibn 'Abdu-R-Rahman As-Sikhaawi in (Raawbi'u Rawsaa'il fee 'Uloomi-l-Hadeeth)
18. Qasidah 'Unwaani-l-Hikam by Abu Al-Fath Al-Busti
19. Kashfu-l-Iltibaas 'Ammaa Aurawdatu-l-Imaam Bukhaawree Ba'dwu li-nn-Naas by 'Abdu-l-Ghani Al-Ghunaimi Al-Maidaani ad-Dimashqi
20. At-Tarqeem wa 'Alaamaatuhu fi-l-Lughaawti-l-'Arabiyyah by Adeebu-l-Kabeer Ahmad Zaki Baasa
21. At-Tibbyaanu li-Ba'dwi-l-Mabaahitha Muta'alliqawti bi-l-Qur'aani 'alaa Tawreequ-l-Itqaawn by Tahir Al-Jazaa'iri Ad-Dimashqi
22. Tawjeehu-nn-Nazawri ila-l-Uswooli-l-Athar by Tahir Al-Jazaa'iri Ad-Dimashqi

Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani has written his orbituary after his demise

See also[edit]

• Muslim Brotherhood of Syria

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Sh. Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah: His Life and Works by Sh. Abdul Wahab Saleem