Maqalat al-Shaykh Mahmud Gharib (al-Juz al-Awwal)
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- Maqalat al-Shaykh Mahmud Gharib (al-Juz al-Awwal)
Maqalat al-Shaykh Mahmud Gharib (al-Juz al-Awwal) (Articles of Shaykh Mahmud Gharib, Part One) is a collection of Islamic essays and scholarly articles by the al-Azhar scholar and religious educator Mahmud Muhammad Gharib . The volume addresses diverse topics in Quranic exegesis, Islamic legal theory, theological ethics, contemporary economic transactions, and methods of religious dialogue .
Context and Authorship
The author, Mahmud Muhammad Gharib, served as a religious guide for youth at Cairo University and later affiliated his writings with the Sultan Qaboos Center for Islamic Culture in the Sultanate of Oman . The articles in this volume reflect his pedagogical approach, drawing upon classical Islamic principles to address practical and intellectual dilemmas faced by modern Muslim audiences .
Content and Themes
The first volume contains multiple discrete essays, each focused on a specific doctrinal, legal, or reflective inquiry:
- Quranic Reflections and Theology: In the opening essay, "Khawatir al-Mala'ika Laysat Muzahara" ("The Thoughts of the Angels Were Not a Protest"), the author examines Quran 2:30 regarding the creation of humankind, clarifying that the angels' inquiry reflected inner thoughts rather than dissent or objection against God, while discussing divine attributes of beauty (jamal) and majesty (jalal) .
- Prohibitions and Legal Gradualism: In "al-Shaqiqatan Banat Iblis" ("The Two Sisters, Daughters of Iblis"), Gharib traces the gradual prohibition of usury (riba) and intoxicants (khamr) through their successive Meccan and Medinan phases, arguing that the ultimate legislative ruling in the Quran prohibited all forms of stipulated interest, whether simple or compound .
- Financial Ethics and Modern Transactions: The essay "al-Qard al-Hasan bayna al-Ajr min Allah wa-al-Manfa'a wa-Salamat al-Din" ("The Benevolent Loan between Divine Reward, Utility, and Religious Integrity") explores modern investment contexts alongside classical definitions of usury, emphasizing that any contract devoid of stipulated increases remains free of illicit gain .
- Legal Theory and Juristic Disagreement: In "Ma'ani al-Amr fi al-Qur'an wa-Atharuhu ala Ijtihad al-A'imma" ("The Meanings of the Imperative in the Quran and Its Impact on Juristic Reasoning"), the author analyzes fifteen distinct linguistic meanings of the imperative form (amr) in the Quran, demonstrating how shifts between obligation (wujub) and guidance (irshad) shaped differing rulings among the legal schools, such as the requirement of witnesses in divorce .
- Dialogue and Propagation Methodology: In "Allamani al-Hudhud" ("The Hoopoe Taught Me"), Gharib outlines his methodology for intellectual debate (da'wah), emphasizing the necessity of tailoring arguments to the specific professional background of one's interlocutor, recounting dialogues held with international scientific specialists regarding Quranic descriptions of animal and insect communities .
- Islamic Tolerance and Contemporary Culture: In "al-Janib al-Amali wa-al-Fikri fi Samahat al-Islam" ("The Practical and Intellectual Dimension of Islamic Tolerance"), the author advocates presenting Islamic jurisprudence and values through engaging artistic and media formats rather than leaving cultural spaces unoccupied .
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