Muhammad Jamil Zayno
- Died
- 1431 AH
- Born in
- Aleppo
Muhammad Jamil Zayno (1344–1431 AH / 1925–2010 CE) was a Syrian educator, author, and teacher at Dar al-Hadith al-Khayriyya in Mecca, known for his pedagogical treatises on creed and ethics, including Tawjihat Islamiyya li-Islah al-Fard wa-al-Mujtama (Islamic Directives for the Reform of the Individual and Society) .
Early Life and Education
Muhammad ibn Jamil Zayno was born in the Syrian city of Aleppo in 1344 AH (1925 CE according to his passport) . Around the age of ten, he entered a private elementary school to learn reading and writing, after which he enrolled in the Dar al-Huffaz school, where he spent five years memorizing the Quran with tajwid .
He subsequently entered al-Kulliyya al-Shar'iyya al-Tajhiziyya in Aleppo (later renamed al-Thanawiyya al-Shar'iyya), an institution overseen by the Islamic Awqaf that combined traditional and modern curricula . There he studied Quranic exegesis (tafsir), Hanafi jurisprudence, Arabic grammar and morphology, Islamic history, and Hadith sciences, alongside secular subjects including mathematics, algebra, physics, chemistry, and French .
Teaching Career and Da'wah
After completing his schooling, Zayno joined the Teachers' College (Dar al-Mu'allimin) in Aleppo and taught for approximately twenty-nine years . He later left teaching in Aleppo and moved to Saudi Arabia, where he taught in the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca .
Following this period, he traveled to Jordan, where he engaged in Islamic calling (da'wah) and served as an imam, Friday preacher (khatib), and Quran instructor . In 1400 AH, Zayno returned to Mecca to take up a teaching post at Dar al-Hadith al-Khayriyya, where he taught subjects including tafsir .
Scholarly Standing and Reception
Zayno's educational writings focused on explaining the Salafi creed, monotheism (tawhid), and religious practice in concise, accessible prose designed for general readers and introductory students . His treatises received reviews and endorsements from contemporary Saudi religious figures; the Grand Mufti Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz consulted official publication monitoring authorities regarding several of his books, which approved works such as Minhaj al-Firqa al-Najiya wa-al-Ta'ifa al-Mansura (The Methodology of the Saved Sect and the Victorious Group) as accurate summaries of the Salafi methodology . Shaykh Abdullah Khayyat, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars and former imam of the Sacred Mosque, commended his guidance series for directing readers toward practical religious and social reform .
His pedagogical writings were translated into several languages, including Urdu, Persian, and Pashto by al-Jami'ah al-Athariyyah in Peshawar, Pakistan, where they were adopted in elementary school curricula and distributed across refugee camps and religious centers .
Death
Zayno died in the Islamic month of Dhu al-Qi'dah 1431 AH (2010 CE) . His funeral prayer was performed in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca following the Isha prayer .
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List of Works
Majmuat Rasail al-Tawjihat al-Islamiyya li-Islah al-Fard wa al-Mujtama (Compilation of Islamic Guidance Treatises for the Reform of the Individual and Society) is a multi-volume collection of pedagogical treatises. Originally designed as independent booklets and pamphlets, the work presents essential Islamic tenets, legal ethics, and social guidance in a simplified manner to aid in the reform of both individuals and society.
Tawjihat Islamiyya li-Islah al-Fard wa-al-Mujtama (Islamic Directives for the Reform of the Individual and Society) is a concise pedagogical work on Islamic creed, worship, ethics, and social reform. Serving as an accessible guide for general readers, the book addresses fundamental religious tenets and practical daily concerns in simplified language, drawing on the Quran and the Sunnah to offer direct instruction and rectify common misconceptions.