Ali al-Tantawi
- Died
- 1420 AH
- Born in
- Damascus
Ali al-Tantawi (c. 1327–1420 AH / 1909–1999 CE) was a Syrian Sharia judge, Islamic scholar, essayist, and broadcaster based in Damascus, known for his extensive autobiographical work Dhikrayat (Memories).
Early life and education
Al-Tantawi's family originated from Tanta in Egypt; his grandfather and uncle emigrated to Damascus in 1255 AH . His father, Mustafa al-Tantawi, was a recognized jurist and educator in Damascus who died in 1925, when Ali was sixteen years and three months old . On his mother's side, he belonged to a prominent scholarly family; his maternal uncle was the writer and publisher Muhibb al-Din al-Khatib . Following his father's death, al-Tantawi assumed financial responsibility for his mother and five younger siblings and briefly considered leaving school for commerce before deciding to continue his education; his mother died when he was twenty-four .
He combined traditional study under Islamic scholars with formal schooling, obtaining his baccalaureate diploma in 1928 . He subsequently traveled to Egypt for university education—being the first student from the Levant to seek higher education there—but left during his first year and returned to Damascus, where he earned a law degree (licence) from Damascus University .
Career and public activity
Al-Tantawi entered journalism in 1926, publishing his first article in the newspaper al-Muqtabas after being encouraged by Anwar al-Attar and meeting its editor, Ahmad Kurd Ali . He initially worked as a schoolteacher before transitioning to the Sharia judiciary, serving for many years as a Sharia judge (qadi) in Damascus . He also traveled to Baghdad in the 1930s, where he taught and lived for a period .
In addition to his judicial and literary work, al-Tantawi was an active public speaker and broadcaster, delivering lectures and radio programs from Damascus starting in the 1940s and later utilizing television and press outlets for religious guidance and social reform . In the field of religious exposition, he authored Tarif Aam bi-Din al-Islam (A General Introduction to the Religion of Islam), designed to explain fundamental Islamic creed and principles in an accessible style .
Standing and death
Al-Tantawi was widely recognized for bridging classical Islamic scholarship with modern literary prose, earning the descriptive epithet "the man of letters among jurists and the jurist among men of letters" (adib al-fuqaha' wa-faqih al-udaba') . He died in 1420 AH (1999 CE).
Answer updated
List of Works
Qisas min al-Tarikh (Stories from History) is a historical-literary work presenting expanded literary retellings of episodes and vignettes drawn from Islamic history. The narratives preserve the factual core of brief historical reports and chronicles while expanding on external details and descriptions, alternating between short story forms, reportage-style accounts, and psychological character analyses to highlight the intellectual history, scholarly sacrifices, and moral fortitude found in Islamic history.
Min Hadith al-Nafs (From the Talk of the Soul) is an essay collection bringing together personal reflections, subjective literary prose, and autobiographical contemplative essays written across different periods of life. Centered on the author's inner self and subjective experiences, the volume gathers pieces originally composed over several decades of journalistic and literary activity.
Taȓrģf ȔĀmm bi-Dģn al-Islām (A General Introduction to the Religion of Islam) presents the essential doctrines, articles of faith, and worldview of Islam in an accessible, modern style. Rooted directly in the Qur'an and Sunnah rather than specialized scholastic theology or dialectical terminology, the volume provides a direct educational exposition centered primarily on Islamic creed (al-ȓaqģdah).
Nur wa Hidaya (Light and Guidance) is an essay and lecture collection compiled posthumously from scattered, previously uncollected periodical articles and radio broadcast drafts. The volume brings together moral exhortations, spiritual reflections, public guidance, seasonal talks on acts of worship, and addresses on prophetic traditions.
al-Bawakir (The Early Works) is a posthumously published collection of early essays and articles written during the period of the French Mandate in Syria. Arranged in chronological order according to their original publication dates, the selected pieces capture youthful literary and historical writings recovered from archival periodicals.
Fusūl fī al-Da‘wah wa-al-Iṣlāḥ (Chapters on Islamic Propagation and Reform) is a collection of essays, speeches, and radio broadcasts focusing on religious guidance and social reform. The material draws on newspaper and magazine articles, pulpit sermons, radio talks, and unpublished manuscripts produced between 1936 and 1990.
Maqalat fi Kalimat (Articles in Words) is a collection of concise literary and social essays originally published as short newspaper columns and later compiled into book form. The brief pieces focus on social reform, everyday ethics, language, civic honesty, and contemporary ideological catchwords.
Fikr wa Mabahith (Thoughts and Investigations) is a collection of literary, linguistic, and cultural essays first published in 1960 CE. It brings together critical essays, cultural observations, and scholarly discussions, with major focuses including the defense of the Classical Arabic language, Arabic literary figures, and social critique.
Suwar wa Khawatir (Scenes and Reflections) is an Arabic collection of literary, social, and contemplative essays first published in 1958 CE. Written in an accessible prose style, the articles address a wide range of moral, intellectual, and observational themes, including existential reflections and historical and social criticism.
Fusul fi al-Thaqafa wa al-Adab (Chapters on Culture and Literature) is a posthumously published collection of literary, linguistic, and cultural essays. First issued in 1428 AH (2007 CE), it gathers articles, lectures, and manuscripts spanning the 1930s through the 1980s, covering Arabic literary criticism, classical poetry, language, and cultural reflections.
*Qissatuna ma'a al-Yahud* (*Our Story with the Jews*) is a political and ideological treatise analyzing the history and religious dimensions of the conflict over Palestine and the broader Muslim struggle against Israel.
*Fi Sabil al-Islah* (*In the Path of Reform*) is a collection of reformist essays and articles addressing social, moral, and religious reform in the modern Islamic world.
*Ma al-Nas* (*With the People*) is a book focused on social reform, moral counsel, and literary engagement with the everyday experiences of ordinary people, aiming to rectify societal conduct, defend religious ethics, and address human affairs through accessible prose.
*Dhikrayat* (*Memories*) is an autobiographical work in eight volumes documenting the author's personal life, education, travels, career in the judiciary and education, and the intellectual and political history of the Arab and Islamic world over much of the twentieth century.
*al-Jamiʿ al-Umawi fi Dimashq: Wasf wa-Tarikh* (*The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus: Description and History*) is a historical and descriptive monograph focusing on the history, architecture, and religious significance of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.