MOHAMMED UTHMAN AL-MIRGHANI (His Sufi Personality and Scholarship as an Exegete)

Year 2008, Volume: 10 Issue: 18, 1 - 46, 15.12.2008

Adem Yerinde

Abstract

Mohammed Uthman al-Mirghani (1973-1852) a famous Sufi scholar known as al-Khatim, was born into the Mirghani family in Mecca, which was one of the noblest(Shareef) families descending from the Prophet (peace be upon him). He received hisreligious education and mystic training and carried his missionary activities in theXIXth century when the Islamic world had remained under the obvious influence ofthe political and intellectual thoughts and progresses in the West. As well as he was thefounder of the Khatmiyya order, which has played an important role for the establishmentand formation of the socio-cultural, political and religious aspects of Modern Sudan.Al-Mirgani was prominent with his scholar personality specializing in essential Islamicdisciplines alongside with his Sufi character being molded and formed by theteachings and practices of the largest and most broadcasted orders in Hicaz, Sudan andUpper Egypt during the XVIIIth century such as Naqshbandiyya, Qadiriyya,Shazaliyya, Junaidiyya and his chief teacher Ahmad b. Ädris's order al-Idrisiyya. On theother side we see that as a spiritual leader and community teacher he always worked toestablish good relationships with the Turku-Egyptian government which was thepredominant ruling force in the region. So we think that a detailed study of al-Mirgani'slife, his missionary activities, his works and his successes and outcomes that hemanaged to achieve, will help us to find out the impact and role of Sufi orders asstructural social movements symbolizing the mysticism and challenging the rigidmaterialism and positivism which had already surrounded the West and began toimpact the East in XIXth century, on formation and conduct of the socio-cultural lifeof Islamic societies in Africa and Hicaz. The article consists of three main chapters, inthe first of which we will study in general the life of al-Mirgani and his Sufi personality.In the second chapter we will examine his scholarship and his scientific works andlastly in the third we will study and analyze in detail his exegesis of the Quran. Hiscapacities of scholarship as a exegete will be examined through detailed critical studyand analysis of his only commentary Taj al-Tafaseer, which as Mirgani said in his preface,· Sofya Yüksek Äslam Enstitüsü Öğretim Üyesi, [e-mail]2was written in an understandable and enjoyable method replying to the requests of hisfriends and fellows with whom he spent long time and applying on the tradition andthe works of those inspired by the tradition.

Keywords

al-Mirghani, al-Khatmiyya, Taj al-Tafaseer, al-Khatim

MUHAMMED OSMAN EL-MĐRGANÎ

Abstract

Mohammed Uthman al-Mirghani (1973-1852) a famous Sufi scholar known as al-Khatim, was born into the Mirghani family in Mecca, which was one of the noblest(Shareef) families descending from the Prophet (peace be upon him). He received hisreligious education and mystic training and carried his missionary activities in theXIXth century when the Islamic world had remained under the obvious influence ofthe political and intellectual thoughts and progresses in the West. As well as he was thefounder of the Khatmiyya order, which has played an important role for the establishmentand formation of the socio-cultural, political and religious aspects of Modern Sudan.Al-Mirgani was prominent with his scholar personality specializing in essential Islamicdisciplines alongside with his Sufi character being molded and formed by theteachings and practices of the largest and most broadcasted orders in Hicaz, Sudan andUpper Egypt during the XVIIIth century such as Naqshbandiyya, Qadiriyya,Shazaliyya, Junaidiyya and his chief teacher Ahmad b. Ädris's order al-Idrisiyya. On theother side we see that as a spiritual leader and community teacher he always worked toestablish good relationships with the Turku-Egyptian government which was thepredominant ruling force in the region. So we think that a detailed study of al-Mirgani'slife, his missionary activities, his works and his successes and outcomes that hemanaged to achieve, will help us to find out the impact and role of Sufi orders asstructural social movements symbolizing the mysticism and challenging the rigidmaterialism and positivism which had already surrounded the West and began toimpact the East in XIXth century, on formation and conduct of the socio-cultural lifeof Islamic societies in Africa and Hicaz. The article consists of three main chapters, inthe first of which we will study in general the life of al-Mirgani and his Sufi personality.In the second chapter we will examine his scholarship and his scientific works andlastly in the third we will study and analyze in detail his exegesis of the Quran. Hiscapacities of scholarship as a exegete will be examined through detailed critical studyand analysis of his only commentary Taj al-Tafaseer, which as Mirgani said in his preface,· Sofya Yüksek Äslam Enstitüsü Öğretim Üyesi, [e-mail]2was written in an understandable and enjoyable method replying to the requests of hisfriends and fellows with whom he spent long time and applying on the tradition andthe works of those inspired by the tradition.

Keywords

Mîrganî, Hatmiyye, Tâcü’t-Tefâsîr, Hatm, Sudan