Muhammad Khalil Harras
- Died
- 1395 AH
- Born in
- -
Muhammad Khalil Harras (1335–1395 AH / 1916–1975 CE) was an Egyptian Salafi theologian and professor at Al-Azhar University, known for his commentary on Ibn Taymiyya's al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya.
Early Life and Education
Harras was born in 1335 AH (1916 CE) in the village of al-Shin in the Qutur district of the Gharbia Governorate in Egypt. He studied at al-Azhar University, graduating from the Faculty of Fundamentals of Religion (Kulliyyat Usul al-Din) during the 1940s. He subsequently obtained the doctorate (al-Shahada al-Alamiyya al-Aliya) in theology (tawhid) and logic, with a dissertation titled Ibn Taymiyya al-Salafi wa-Radduh ala Madhahib al-Mutakallimin ("Ibn Taymiyya the Salafi and His Refutation of the Theological Schools").
Career and Public Roles
Harras worked as a professor at the Faculty of Fundamentals of Religion at al-Azhar University. He was seconded to Saudi Arabia, where he taught at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh. He was later seconded again to Mecca, serving as the head of the creed division in the postgraduate department at the Faculty of Sharia (later Umm al-Qura University).
Upon returning to Egypt, Harras became the vice-president of Ansar al-Sunna (Jama'at Ansar al-Sunna al-Muhammadiyya) and later served as its general president in Cairo. In 1973, he co-founded Jama'at al-Da'wa al-Islamiyya in the Gharbia Governorate alongside Dr. Abd al-Fattah Salama and served as its first president.
Creed and Scholarship
Harras adhered to the Salafi creed and was recognized for his focus on Sunni theology, theological sects (firaq), and both ancient and modern philosophies. In addition to his commentary on al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya, he wrote an extensive commentary on Ibn al-Qayyim's theological poem al-Kafiya al-Shafiya (widely known as al-Nuniyya).
Death
Harras died in 1395 AH (1975 CE) at approximately sixty years of age.
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List of Works
This work is a concise commentary on Ibn Taymiyya's creedal treatise al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya. It explains the principles of the Sunni creed (aqidat ahl al-sunna wa-l-jama'a) with direct phrasing and an emphasis on pedagogical clarity, aiming to elucidate the text's core concepts in an accessible manner suitable for beginner students.
This polemical theological treatise is written to defend the reform movement of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab against criticisms leveled by Dr. Muhammad al-Bahi in his work al-Fikr al-Islami fi Tatawwurih. It provides a systematic rebuttal addressing foundational theological and legal issues, including tawhid, grave veneration, divine attributes, and jurisprudential schools.