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Abd al-Azim al-Mutani

Died
1429 AH
Born in
-

Abd al-Azim al-Mutani (d. 1429 AH / 2008 CE), whose full name was Abd al-Azim Ibrahim Muhammad al-Mutani, was an Egyptian Islamic scholar and professor of Arabic rhetoric and literary criticism at Al-Azhar University .

Education and Academic Career

Al-Mutani pursued his higher education at Al-Azhar University's Faculty of Arabic Language, where he submitted his doctoral dissertation on rhetoric and literary criticism titled Khasa'is al-Ta'bir al-Qur'ani wa Simatuhu al-Balaghiyya (Characteristics of Quranic Expression and Its Rhetorical Features) . His defense took place on 25 April 1974 before an academic examination committee composed of Kamil Imam al-Khawli, Hamid Hifni Dawud, and Yusuf al-Bayyumi al-Basyuni, receiving the degree with first-class honors . During the preparation and submission of his thesis, he worked as a reviser and copy editor in the editorial review section of the Egyptian daily newspaper Al-Ahram . He subsequently advanced through academic ranks to become a full professor of rhetoric and literary criticism, contributing scholarly research on the nuances of Arabic style and rhetorical figures .

Scholarly Contributions and Controversies

Al-Mutani devoted much of his scholarship to Arabic rhetoric, the stylistic inimitability of the Quran, and theological and legal debates. In his monograph al-Majaz 'inda al-Imam Ibn Taymiyya wa-Talamidhihi bayn al-Inkar wa-al-Iqrar (Metaphor According to Imam Ibn Taymiyya and His Students: Between Rejection and Affirmation), he examined the theoretical opposition to figurative language alongside its practical application across the Hanbali scholar's writings . He also defended the authority and historical compilation of the Prophetic Sunnah against modern skepticism, such as in Akhta' wa-Awham fi Adkham Mashru' Ta'assufi li-Hadm al-Sunnah (Errors and Illusions in the Largest Arbitrary Project for Demolishing the Sunnah) .

Beyond academic writing, al-Mutani frequently engaged in contemporary intellectual critiques and public discourse. He produced an extensive literary analysis decoding the religious symbolism in Naguib Mahfouz's controversial novel Awlad Haratina (Children of Our Alley) . He was also involved in public disputes with contemporary figures; after al-Mutani published an article criticizing Egypt's Dar al-Ifta for issuing an obituary for Zaki Badawi, the Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa published a direct response in Al-Ahram accusing him of unwarranted attacks and mischaracterization, while other observers recognized al-Mutani as a senior Azhari scholar and teacher .

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List of Works

  • al-Majaz inda al-Imam Ibn Taymiyya wa-Talamidhihi bayn al-Inkar wa-al-Iqrar

    This scholarly monograph examines the stance of Ibn Taymiyya and his intellectual successors regarding figurative speech (al-majaz) in the Arabic language and the Quran. It investigates the tension between their theoretical polemical rejection of figurative expression and their practical affirmation and use of majaz across the broader body of their writings.

  • Khasa'is al-Ta'bir al-Qurani wa Simatuhu al-Balaghiyya

    This two-volume scholarly study examines the rhetorical style, aesthetic dimensions, and composition of the Quran. Focusing on the literary and rhetorical eloquence of Quranic expression, it serves as an applied exploration of the inimitability of the Quran (i'jaz al-Qur'an).

  • Samahat al-Islam fi al-Dawa ila Allah

    This single-volume treatise examines the principles of tolerance, peaceful outreach, and the ethics of warfare in Islam, focusing exclusively on the Prophetic era. It explores Quranic discourse, prophetic diplomacy, and the regulations and justifications governing armed engagement to demonstrate the magnanimity of Islamic outreach.

  • Akhta wa Awham fi Adkham Mashru Tasufi li Hadm al-Sunna

    This polemical and apologetic work defends the authority, recording, and compilation of the Prophetic Sunnah against modern denialist arguments. It provides a targeted refutation of the project Tabsir al-Ummah bi-Haqiqat al-Sunnah, addressing allegations concerning Hadith writing, the relationship between the Quran and prophetic traditions, and the integrity of early transmitters.

  • al-Shubuhat al-Thalathun al-Muthara li-Inkar al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah Ard wa Tafnid wa Naqd

    This apologetic work defends the legislative authority and historical transmission of Hadith against modern and classical skepticism. It systematically gathers, categorizes, and refutes thirty-three specific doubts regarding the recording, authenticity, and legal standing of the Prophetic Sunnah.