Ali Mahfuz
- Died
- 1361 AH
- Born in
- -
Ali Mahfuz (d. 1361 AH / 1942 CE) was an Egyptian scholar, preacher, and professor of preaching and guidance at al-Azhar, who was elected to its Council of Senior Scholars and authored al-Ibda fi Madar al-Ibtida (The Novelty Concerning the Harms of Innovation) .
Early Life and Education
Ali Mahfuz was born and raised in the village of Mahallat Rawh in the markaz of Tanta, within the Gharbiyya province of Egypt . He belonged to the Mahfuz family, whose lineage is traced to al-Hasan ibn Ali . During his upbringing in his village, he memorized the Quran and committed several foundational scholarly texts to memory .
In 1306 AH, he joined al-Jami' al-Ahmadi in Tanta, where he studied Quranic recitation (tajwid) under several jurists before attending lessons with its senior scholars . Among his teachers at the Ahmadi Mosque were Abd al-Rahman al-Damati, Muhammad al-Shibini al-Kabir, Ali al-Manufi, and Qutb Bakr . He studied there for approximately ten years, distinguishing himself among his peers .
At the encouragement of his teacher al-Damati, he traveled to Cairo in 1317 AH to pursue further study at al-Azhar . Though initially affiliated with the Shafi'i school, his inclination shifted toward the Hanafi school of jurisprudence . At al-Azhar, he studied under prominent teachers including Muhammad al-Halabi, Bakr al-Sadafi, Ahmad Abu Khatwah, Muhammad Bakhit, and Muhammad Abduh . In 1324 AH (1907 CE), he was awarded the 'Alamiyya degree .
Career and Preaching
Following the completion of his studies, Mahfuz engaged in teaching . He became a professor of preaching and guidance (al-wa'z wa-al-irshad) at the Faculty of Usul al-Din at al-Azhar University and served as the coordinator for the section of preaching and oratory . He was subsequently elected as a member of al-Azhar's Council of Senior Scholars .
Mahfuz devoted much of his scholarly career to ethical instruction and public guidance. He wrote Hidayat al-Murshidin ila Turuq al-Wa'z wa-al-Khitabah (Guidance of Mentors to the Methods of Preaching and Oratory) as a textbook for students of preaching at the Faculty of Usul al-Din, as well as al-Durrah al-Bahiyyah fi al-Akhlaq al-Diniyyah (The Splendid Pearl on Religious Ethics) . He also delivered a regular daily instructional lesson at the Azhar Mosque after the afternoon prayer ('Asr) throughout the month of Ramadan, a custom he maintained consistently until his terminal illness .
Scholarly Reception and Death
His treatise al-Ibda fi Madar al-Ibtida—a study on religious innovations, prevailing social customs, and superstitions designed as a guide for reformers and preachers—became an assigned curriculum text at the Faculty of Usul al-Din . The work received commendations from senior Azhari peers, such as Disuqi al-Arabi and Muhammad al-Inani, who commended its systematic organization, eloquence, and reliance on scriptural evidence . Later critics took issue with certain theoretical points in the book, noting that he adopted definitions permitting good innovations (al-bid'ah al-hasanah), divided innovations across the five legal norms (obligatory, recommended, permissible, prohibited, and disliked), and restricted the general scope of the prophetic statement that every innovation is misguidance .
Mahfuz died in 1361 AH (1942 CE) .
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Ibda fi Madar al-Ibtida (The Novelty Concerning the Harms of Innovation) is a treatise examining religious innovations, social customs, and superstitions. Designed to distinguish established prophetic practice (Sunnah) from unwarranted innovation (bid'ah), the work serves as a manual for Islamic preachers and callers to reform prevailing corrupt practices and revive Islamic teachings.