Dirasat wa Tawjihat Islamiyya
- Author died
- 1424 AH
- Editions
- Al-Mu'assasah al-Wataniyyah lil-Kitab
Dirasat wa Tawjihat Islamiyya (Islamic Studies and Orientations) is a work by the Algerian scholar, preacher, and poet Ahmad Sahnun (1907–2003 CE / d. 1424 AH), compiling his religious, reformist, and ethical guidance articles .
Background and Composition
The book consists of articles that Sahnun originally composed for al-Basa'ir, the newspaper of the Association of Algerian Muslim Scholars . Muhammad al-Bashir al-Ibrahimi, the president of the association and director of the publication, entrusted Sahnun with editing the religious section of the journal . Sahnun wrote regularly under the preaching and guidance column titled Minbar al-wa'z wa-l-irshad ("The Pulpit of Preaching and Guidance") . Al-Ibrahimi encouraged him through letters from Egypt, praising his contributions as the "adornment of al-Basa'ir" (hilyat al-Basa'ir), which prompted Sahnun to dedicate the compiled volume to al-Ibrahimi's memory .
Themes and Method
The work addresses religious education, social ethics, and spiritual reform, linking contemporary social realities to Islamic history and historical exemplars . Sahnun employed a calm, reasoned prose style aimed at engaging the spiritual depths of the reader through wisdom and wholesome admonition . The writings sought to remedy psychological and societal vices, cultivate Islamic virtues, foster commitment to Arabic and Islamic identity, and counter colonial attempts at cultural assimilation, presenting Islamic values as the foundation for societal renewal . Sahnun framed the collection as a modest contribution to the broader edifice of Islamic advocacy (da'wa) .
Reception and Publication History
During their original serial publication in al-Basa'ir, Sahnun's articles received praise from the Algerian reformer and activist al-Fudil al-Wartilani, who sent a letter from Egypt entitled Tir fi hadhihi al-ajwa' ya Sahnun ("Fly in These Spheres, O Sahnun") . Al-Wartilani commended Sahnun's analysis of psychological ailments and his method of treating them with the ethics and traditions of the righteous early generations (salaf) . Sahnun answered with an article titled Qaswat al-qulub ("Hardness of Hearts"), and both al-Wartilani's tribute and Sahnun's response were subsequently placed as an introductory opening to the compiled book .
The book was published in 1981 . A second edition was issued in Algiers in 1992 by al-Mu'assasa al-Wataniyya lil-Kitab .
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