Mohamed Metwally El Shaarawy Biography

Mohamed Metwally El Shaarawy

An Egyptian scholar and interpreter, famous for his mosque lessons, in which he reviewed his thoughts on the meanings of the Noble Qur’an in a manner described as “simple and influential.” He held several official positions, including the position of Minister of Awqaf, and taught in Saudi Arabia and Algeria.

Birth and upbringing

Muhammad Metwally El Shaarawy was born on April 15, 1911, in the village of Daqadous (Dakahlia Governorate) in Egypt to a simple family. He memorized the Holy Qur’an when he was eleven years old.

He showed an interest from a young age in memorizing poetry and prose with the encouragement of his father, so his classmates chose him as president of the Association of Writers in Zagazig, and his family led him to lead the student political activities against British colonialism to head the Student Union at Al-Azhar in 1934, which made him vulnerable to arrest, and he is the father of three sons and two daughters.

Study and training

He obtained his primary certificate from the Al-Azhar Primary Institute of Zagazig in 1922,
then entered the Secondary Institute, then joined the College of Arabic Language in 1937, in which he completed his studies in 1940, and obtained a "world certificate" (equivalent to a doctorate) with a teaching license in 1943.

Intellectual orientation

Arefoun al-Shaarawy says that he joined the Muslim Brotherhood, which attracted him early on its call, its intellectual principles, and the personality of its founder, and wrote with his hand the first statement establishing this group, which he separated from in 1939 to join the Egyptian Wafd Party.

Functions and Responsibilities

Al-Shaarawy began his career as a teacher in the Azhar institutes in Tanta, Alexandria, and Zagazig, before traveling to Saudi Arabia in 1950 to teach at the Faculty of Sharia - Umm Al-Qura University later - in Makkah.

He returned to Egypt and worked as an agent at the Tanta Secondary Institute in 1960. He took the position of Director of Islamic Da`wah at the Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf in 1961, then became inspector of Arabic sciences in 1962. Al-Azhar Sheikh Hassan Mamoun chose him as director of his office in 1964.

He headed the Al-Azhar Arabization mission to Algeria in 1966 to help its government get rid of the effects of French colonialism, and there he supervised the development of new curricula in the Arabic language.

He was appointed in 1970 as a visiting professor at the College of Sharia at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, and then as head of graduate studies there.

He was chosen as Minister of Awqaf during the era of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1976. On October 15, 1978, he submitted his resignation from the ministry. In 1980 he was appointed as a member of the Islamic Research Academy of Al-Azhar and the Egyptian Shura Council. Then, in 1987 was chosen as a member of the Arabic Language Academy in Cairo.

Scientific experiment

Al-Shaarawy emerged as an Islamic preacher in 1973 when he was presented by Egyptian television in his program "Nour ala Nour", and he has been a permanent guest in it as an interpreter of the Holy Qur'an for ten years.

After he resigned from the Ministry of Endowments, he continued to provide mosque lessons in the interpretation of the Noble Qur’an, which was broadcast on television under the title “Thoughts of Faith.”

He traveled to New York and lectured at the headquarters of the United Nations General Assembly and delivered the Friday sermon at the mosque attached to the United Nations building. He also made advocacy tours in America, Canada, and several European countries.

He played a major role in persuading many Egyptian female artists to retire from art and wear the hijab, and he also contributed to the establishment of Islamic banks in Egypt.

He believes that "the Qur'an did not come to teach us the secrets of the universe, but it came with clear mandates, and the secrets of existence are dense. The Qur'an is a method for human life on earth so that civilizations advance and the understanding of the human mind expands."

Literature

Al Shaarawy left many books focusing mostly on the message of the Noble Qur’an, issues of faith and Islamic thought, and the rulings of Islamic jurisprudence. Among these books are: “The Selection in the Interpretation of the Noble Qur’an,” “Fatwas,” “Looks at the Noble Qur’an,” “The Path to God,” “At the Table of Islamic Thought,” “Islam and Contemporary Thought,” and “Shura.” And Legislation in Islam", and "One Hundred Questions and Answers in Islamic Jurisprudence".

Awards

He received several awards, including the Order of Merit 1976 on the occasion of his retirement, the Medal of Science and Arts of the first class in the celebration of the Millennium Day of Al-Azhar 1983, the Order of the Republic, and the State Appreciation Award 1988.