Muhammad Izzat Darwaza

Muhammad Izzat Darwaza (1305–1404 AH / 1887–1984 CE) was a Palestinian thinker, political activist, historian, and Quranic exegete, best known for his chronological commentary on the Quran, al-Tafsir al-Hadith (The Modern Exegesis) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.

Lineage and Early Life

Muhammad Izzat ibn Abd al-Hadi ibn Darwish ibn Ibrahim Darwaza was born in Nablus on the night of Saturday, 11 Shawwal 1305 AH (21 June 1887 CE) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. His family belonged to the al-Furayhat tribe, originally from the village of Kufrinjah in the Ajlun district of Transjordan, which had migrated to Nablus in the tenth century AH al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. The title Darwaza derived from the tailoring craft (diraza), and his father and grandfather were textile merchants in the old Khan al-Tujjar market in Nablus al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya+1.

Darwaza received his foundational education in Nablus, completing his primary certificate in 1318 AH (1900 CE) and graduating from the middle secondary al-Rashadiyya School in 1321 AH (1905 CE) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. He pursued extensive independent reading in literature, history, law, and social studies in both Arabic and Turkish al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya. Between 1906 and 1918, he worked in the Ottoman postal and telegraph administration in various capacities, including clerk, director, inspector, and secretary to the directorate general in Beirut al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya+1.

Political and Public Career

Darwaza engaged in national and political activism beginning after the Ottoman constitutional revolution of 1908 al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. He co-founded and served as secretary for several political societies, including the secret Arab nationalist society al-Fatat (1916) and its central committee in Damascus (1919–1920), as well as the Arab Independence Party (Hizb al-Istiqlal al-Arabi) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. He was secretary of the First Arab Palestinian Congress in Jerusalem in 1919, which opposed Zionist aspirations and French claims while calling for independence and unity with Syria al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. He also served as a member and secretary of the General Syrian Congress in Damascus, where he helped draft the first Syrian constitution al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.

In Palestine, Darwaza directed al-Najah National School (1922–1927) and subsequently joined the administration of the Islamic Awqaf, serving as commissioner in Nablus before being appointed Director General of Islamic Awqaf in Palestine in 1351 AH (1932 CE) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. Because of his active role in the 1936 Palestinian rebellion, the British Mandate authorities dismissed him from his post in 1356 AH (1937 CE) and barred him from returning to Palestine al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.

Scholarly Contribution and Exegesis

Following his exile, Darwaza devoted his later decades primarily to scholarship and writing in Turkey and Damascus Takmilat Mujam al-Muallif…. His primary scholarly contribution lay in Quranic studies and the history of the modern Arab movement Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …+1. In Turkey, he drafted his extensive commentary al-Tafsir al-Hadith, which he uniquely organized according to the chronological order of Quranic revelation rather than the traditional codex order (tartib al-mushaf) Takmilat Mujam al-Muallif…+1. He preceded his work with formal legal opinions (fatwas) permitting this method for thematic understanding and study, obtained from contemporary scholars such as Muhammad Abu al-Yusr Abidin and Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda al-Shufa bayn al-Jam al-U….

His historical and political writings included his multi-volume historical survey Hawla al-Haraka al-Arabiyya al-Haditha (On the Modern Arab Movement) and his voluminous personal memoirs, which detailed the development of the Palestinian cause and Arab politics across the twentieth century Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …+1.

Death

Darwaza died in Damascus in the al-Rawda neighborhood on Thursday, 28 Shawwal 1404 AH (26 July 1984 CE) Tatimmat al-Aalam - Muham…+1.