Abla al-Kahlawi

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Abla al-Kahlawi (15 December 1948 – 25 January 2021) was an Egyptian scholar and teacher of Islamic jurisprudence, as well as a religious leader, preacher, and television presenter. She taught at Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, where she was the Dean of the Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies at the Women's College. She was listed on the inaugural edition of The 500 Most Influential Muslims for her work on religion and women, in 2009, and has published widely on women and Islamic jurisprudence. She preached in Egypt, in person and on television, as well as in Saudi Arabia, and notably preached every day for two years at the Masjid al-Ḥaram, Islam's most important mosque in Saudi Arabia, between 1987 and 1989.

Contents

Life

Abla al-Kahlawi was born on 15 December 1948, in Egypt. Her father, Mohammed al-Kahlawi was a famous nausheed artist. [1] She died at the age of 72, of COVID-19. [2]

Career

Al-Kahlawi studied Islamic law at Al-Azhar University, in Cairo, Egypt earning a masters' degree in 1974 and a doctorate in 1978 in the field. In 1979, she was appointed the Dean of the Sharia Department at the Faculty of Education in the Women's College in Mecca. She was later appointed Dean of Islamic and Arabic Studies at the Women's College of Al-Azhar University. [3] She also taught at the College for Education for Girls in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. [4]

From 1987 to 1989, al-Kahlawi preached daily at the Masjid al-Haram, Islam's most important mosque, located in Saudi Arabia. Her lessons were attended by female pilgrims from around the world. [1] She continued to preach for women in Egypt thereafter, at a number of famous mosques including Al-Azhar Mosque, al- Hamd, and Al-Hossari, as well as at a mosque established by her father, at prayers that were widely attended. [2] [3] She also presented a number of regional religious programs that were widely viewed, and was known popularly to her audience as 'Mama Abla'. [3] Al-Kahlawi's lectures consisted of discourses on Islamic law and principles, the explanation of religious texts, and answering questions on jurisprudence. [4] According to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Women, her scholarship and preaching "....critique the misogynistic interpretation of Islamic texts and attempt to curtail tendencies toward extremism," while also advocating for women's rights in divorce, and encouraging the values of "...tolerance, moderation, compassion, and peace." [3]

In 2009, she was listed as one of The 500 Most Influential Muslims, which was the first edition of an annual list created by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan, and issued annually in cooperation with Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University in the United States. [5] The list cited her as a "...senior authority on issues of specific concern to women, and the head of one of the most well respected centers for Muslim women’s scholarship in the world." [5] She is described by the Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Women as "... among the most famous female ulamā (Islamic scholars) in the Arab World." [3]

In 2006, she was one of a group of 41 prominent Islamic leaders and scholars who wrote to condemn the violence that followed the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, while simultaneously abjuring the cartoons themselves. [6] She was one of the signatories to A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter sent by leaders of the Islamic religion to leaders of Christianity, calling for peace between the two religions. [7] Her work in preaching was recognized by Entissar Amer, the first lady of Egypt, who described her career as a "....honorable and remarkable march on the road of charity and preaching." [8]

In Egypt, al-Kahlawi established a significant charitable organization in Mokattam, Cairo, to provide aid to orphans, as well as persons suffering from cancer and Alzheimer's disease. [8]

Publications

Al-Kahlawy has written several notable books on Islamic jurisprudence. [3] These include:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mecca</span> Holiest city in Islam, Saudi Arabias provincial capital

Mecca is the holiest city in Islam and the capital of Mecca Province in Saudi Arabia. It is 70 km (43 mi) inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley 277 m (909 ft) above sea level. Its last recorded population was 1,578,722 in 2015. Its estimated metro population in 2020 is 2.042 million, making it the third-most populated city in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh and Jeddah. Pilgrims more than triple this number every year during the Ḥajj pilgrimage, observed in the twelfth Hijri month of Dhūl-Ḥijjah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Azhar University</span> University in Cairo, Egypt

The Al-Azhar University is a public university in Cairo, Egypt. Associated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Islamic Cairo, it is Egypt's oldest degree-granting university and is renowned as the most prestigious university for Islamic learning. In addition to higher education, Al-Azhar oversees a national network of schools with approximately two million students. As of 1996, over 4,000 teaching institutes in Egypt were affiliated with the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Egypt</span> Largest religion in Egypt

Islam is the dominant religion in Egypt, with approximately 90.3% of Egyptians identifying as Muslims. The majority of Egyptian Muslims are adherents of Sunni Islam, while a small minority adhere to Shia Islam. Since 1980, Islam has served as Egypt's state religion. Due to the lack of a religious census, owing to the alleged undercounting of non-Muslim minorities in Egyptian censuses, the actual percentage of Muslims is unknown; the percentage of Egyptian Christians, who are the second-largest religious group in the country, is estimated to be between 5% and 15% of the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saud Al-Shuraim</span> Former Imam of Masjid al-Haram

Saud ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Shuraim, is one of the prayer leaders and Friday preachers at the Grand Mosque Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. A Quranic reciter, he also holds a Ph.D degree in Sharia at the Umm al-Qura University in Mecca. Shuraim was recently appointed as dean and "Specialist Professor in Fiqh" at the University.

Islamic religious leaders have traditionally been people who, as part of the clerisy, mosque, or government, performed a prominent role within their community or nation. However, in the modern contexts of Muslim minorities in non-Muslim countries as well as secularised Muslim states like Turkey, and Bangladesh, the religious leadership may take a variety of non-formal shapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy</span> 20th and 21st-century Egyptian imam

Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, also referred to as Tantawi, was an influential Islamic scholar in Egypt. From 1986 to 1996, he was the Grand Mufti of Egypt. In 1996, president Hosni Mubarak appointed him as the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, a position he retained until his death in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Mosque seizure</span> 1979 radical Islamic insurgency in Mecca, Saudi Arabia

The Grand Mosque seizure lasted from 20 November 1979 to 4 December 1979, when extremist militants in Saudi Arabia calling for the overthrow of the House of Saud besieged and took over Masjid al-Haram, the holiest Islamic site, in the city of Mecca. The besieging militia, known as the Ikhwan, declared that the Mahdi had arrived in the form of one of their leaders: Muhammad Abdullah al-Qahtani; the militants called on all Muslims to obey him. In the aftermath of the seizure, the Saudi Arabian Army, supported by France through advisors from the GIGN, fought the Ikhwan for almost two weeks in order to reclaim Masjid al-Haram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia</span>

The destruction of heritage sites associated with early Islam is an ongoing phenomenon that has occurred mainly in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, particularly around the two holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina. The demolition has focused on mosques, burial sites, homes and historical locations associated with the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his companions, and many of the founding personalities of early Islamic history by the Saudi government. In Saudi Arabia, many of the demolitions have officially been part of the continued expansion of the Masjid al-Haram at Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina and their auxiliary service facilities in order to accommodate the ever-increasing number of Muslims performing the pilgrimage (hajj).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaaba</span> Building at the center of Islams most important mosque, the Masjid al-Haram

The Kaaba, also spelled Ka'bah or Kabah, sometimes referred to as al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah, is a building at the center of Islam's most important mosque, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is the most sacred site in Islam. It is considered by Muslims to be the Bayt Allah and is the qibla for Muslims around the world when performing salah. The current structure was built after the original building was damaged by fire during the siege of Mecca by Umayyads in 683.

Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion teaching that there is only one God (Allah) and that Muhammad is His last Messenger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masjid Al-Taneem</span>

Masjid Al-Taneem is a mosque in the area of Al-Hil, about 5 miles away from the Kaaba, in the neighbourhood of At-Tan'im in Makkah, western Saudi Arabia. It is a boundary of the Ḥaram, therefore pilgrims of Ḥajj and ʿUmrah can put on Iḥram. This mosque is also known as Masjid ʿĀʾishah, since Aisha bint Abu Bakr, wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, had put on her Ihram from this place once.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lists of mosques</span>

Lists of mosques cover mosques, places of worship for Muslims. The lists include the most famous, largest and oldest mosques, and mosques mentioned in the Quran, as well as lists of mosques in each region and country of the world. The major regions, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania are sorted alphabetically. The sub-regions, such as Northeast and Northwest Africa in Africa, and Arabia and South Asia in Asia, are sorted by the dates in which their first mosques were reportedly established, more or less, barring those that are mentioned by name in the Quran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qamaruzzaman Azmi</span> Islamic scholar and leader of World Islamic Mission

Qamaruzzaman Azmi, also known as Allama Azmi, is an Indian Islamic scholar, philosopher and speaker. He is president of the World Islamic Mission. From 2011 to 2021, he was listed in The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought due to his efforts to build organisations and institutions, mosques, colleges, and universities for over five decades. He is the patron in chief of Sunni Dawat-e-Islami, an Islamic movement having branches around the world.

<i>The 500 Most Influential Muslims</i> Annual publication of influential Muslims

The 500 Most Influential Muslims is an annual publication first published in 2009, which ranks the most influential Muslims in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam and cats</span> Religious stance on attitudes to felines

The domestic cat is a revered animal in Islam. Admired for their cleanliness, cats are considered "the quintessential pet" by Muslims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masjid al-Haram</span> Islams holiest mosque located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Masjid al-Haram, also known as the Great Mosque of Mecca, is a mosque that surrounds the Kaaba in Mecca, in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia. It is a site of pilgrimage in the Hajj, which every Muslim must do at least once in their lives if able, and is also the main phase for the ʿUmrah, the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken any time of the year. The rites of both pilgrimages include circumambulating the Kaaba within the mosque. The Great Mosque includes other important significant sites, including the Black Stone, the Zamzam Well, Maqam Ibrahim, and the hills of Safa and Marwa.

The 2016 conference on Sunni Islam in Grozny was convened to define the term "Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah", i.e. who are "the people of Sunnah and majority Muslim community", and oppose Takfiri groups. The conference was held in the Chechen Republic capital of Grozny from 25 to 27 August 2016, sponsored by the president of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, and attended by approximately 200 Muslim scholars from 30 countries, especially from Russia, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Kuwait, Sudan, Jordan, etc. at the invitation of Yemeni Sufi preacher, Ali al-Jifri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Bantani Grand Mosque</span> Mosque in Indonesia

Al-Bantani Grand Mosque is a congregational mosque in the city of Serang, Banten, Indonesia. With the capacity of 10,000 pilgrims, it is the second largest mosque in Banten province after the Al-Azhom Grand Mosque.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Sadiq (photographer)</span> Egyptian army engineer and surveyor

Muhammad Sadiq Bey was an Ottoman Egyptian army engineer and surveyor who served as treasurer of the Hajj pilgrim caravan. As a photographer and author, he documented the holy sites of Islam at Mecca and Medina, taking the first ever photographs in what is now Saudi Arabia.

References

  1. 1 2 "COVID-19: Iconic Egyptian preacher Abla Al Kahlawi dies of coronavirus". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  2. 1 2 "Egyptian Islamic preacher Abla El-Kahlawy dies from coronavirus at 72 - Politics - Egypt". Ahram Online. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Allam, Nermin (2013), "Kahlawy, Abla al-", The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Women, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref:oiso/9780199764464.001.0001, ISBN   978-0-19-976446-4 , retrieved 2021-12-11
  4. 1 2 Admin. "The death of Dr. Abla Al-Kahlawi, at the age of 72". Cairo Times 24 - Post for Life. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  5. 1 2 The Royal Islamic Studies Center (2009). "The 500 Most Influential Muslims" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-09-13. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  6. ↑ Hatina, Meir (2009). Guardians of Faith in Modern Times: ʻulamaʼ in the Middle East. BRILL. p. 304. ISBN   978-90-04-16953-1.
  7. ↑ "Signatories". A Common Word Between Us and You. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  8. 1 2 "Sisi's spouse mourns Islamic preacher Abla Al Kahlawi". EgyptToday. 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.