Safar al-Hawali
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Safar al-Hawali is a contemporary Saudi Islamic scholar, theologian, and academic who served as head of the Department of Creed at Umm al-Qura University in Mecca. He is known for his critical writings on modern ideological movements, secularism, and theological doctrines.
Academic Career and Education
Safar ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Hawali completed his doctoral studies in theology at Umm al-Qura University's Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies in 1405–1406 AH under the supervision of Muhammad Qutb. His doctoral dissertation, Zahirat al-Irja fi al-Fikr al-Islami ("The Phenomenon of Irja in Islamic Thought"), examined theological definitions of faith and the exclusion of actions from its core. He later presided over the Department of Creed at Umm al-Qura University and taught students including Dhiyab al-Ghamidi.
Public Role and Controversies
Al-Hawali emerged as an influential figure associated with the Islamic Sahwa (Awakening) current in Saudi Arabia, frequently engaging with contemporary political and intellectual challenges facing the Muslim world. In his lectures and treatises, including al-Ilmaniyya: Nashatuha wa-Tatawwuruha ("Secularism: Its Origin and Development"), he examined Western ideological influence, warned against secular trends in education and governance, and addressed theological differences within Islamic thought. In 1423 AH, he published an open epistle offering advice to Sunni scholars and communities in Yemen concerning theological solidarity and mutual conduct among Muslims.
His outspoken discourse also led to friction with Saudi authorities. In Rabi' al-Awwal 1414 AH, following directives from King Fahd through the Ministry of Interior, the Council of Senior Scholars under Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz was tasked with reviewing perceived infractions in public lectures and lessons delivered by al-Hawali alongside fellow preacher Salman al-Ouda.
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List of Works
al-Ilmaniyya: Nashatuha wa Tatawwuruha (Secularism: Its Origin and Development) is an academic study that examines the historical genesis of secularism in Western Europe, its philosophical dimensions, and its manifestations and ideological impact within the modern Islamic world.
Durus lil-Shaykh Safar al-Hawali (Lessons of Shaykh Safar al-Hawali) is a published collection of transcribed audio lectures, lessons, and discourses. The work covers Islamic theology, legal governance, critiques of modern secular and political currents, and practical guidance for contemporary Islamic thought and society.
Sharh al-Aqida al-Tahawiya (Commentary on the Tahawite Creed) is an extensive theological commentary on the classical creedal treatise al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya by Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi (d. 321 AH / 933 CE).
Manhaj al-Ashāʿira fī al-ʿAqīdah: Taʿqīb ʿalā Maqālāt al-Ṣābūnī (The Methodology of the Ash'arites in Creed: A Commentary on the Articles of al-Sabuni) is a theological treatise written as a critical rejoinder to a series of press articles on the Ash'arite school published by Muhammad Ali al-Sabuni.
Manhaj al-Ashaira fi al-Aqida (The Methodology of the Ash'arites in Creed) is a contemporary theological treatise that analyzes and critiques the theological framework of the Ash'arite school from a Salafi perspective.
Zahirat al-Irja fi al-Fikr al-Islami (The Phenomenon of Irja in Islamic Thought) is a contemporary theological study dedicated to examining the definition of faith (iman), the exclusion of physical deeds from its essence (irja), and its historical and contemporary ramifications. It approaches irja not merely as a defunct historical sect, but as an evolving intellectual phenomenon shaping contemporary Muslim thought.