Sheikh Mustafa al-Sibai Biography

 

Sheikh Mustafa al-Sibai, may God have mercy on him, was one of the eminent scholars, famous preachers, and a few reformers. Nevertheless, he had influential political and social efforts. He is one of the models to be emulated and a role model for the people of Islam in our time and at all times.

Birth and upbringing :

Dr. Mustafa Hosni al-Sibai was born in 1915 in the city of Homs, Syria, and grew up in a distinguished scholarly family. His father and grandfathers were rhetoric at the Great Mosque in Homs. In his early years, he was influenced by his father, the mujahid scholar Sheikh Hosni al-Sibai. His father had honorable national positions, as he contributed to Armed resistance against the French, and the leadership of the rebellious Mujahideen against colonialism, tyrants, and tyrants.

Dr. Mustafa used to accompany his father to the science councils that he held with the jurists of Homs, and he began to memorize the Holy Qur’an and received the principles of Sharia sciences until he reached the age that entitles him to enter primary school, where he joined the Al-Masoudi school, and after completing his primary studies there, he joined the Sharia secondary school and completed his studies there in the year 1930 AD, with great success due to his early intelligence, fervent brilliance, and bouncy activity, which was the focus of admiration for his teachers and all his acquaintances.

He decided to continue his legal studies, so he traveled to Egypt and joined the Department of Jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University in 1233 AD, then joined the Faculty of Fundamentals of Religion and obtained its license with distinction, and then joined the “Ph.D.” department to obtain its degree in Islamic legislation and its history, and presented his scientific thesis “The Sunnah and Its Place in Islamic Legislation.” Which obtained the degree of excellence in 1949 AD, and he astonished the senior scholars in Al-Azhar with his scientific accuracy, and understanding of the subject in all its aspects, and his valuable book became one of the most important references in Islamic legislation for every researcher, scientist and student of knowledge.

Dr. Mustafa loved the teaching profession with his desire to spread knowledge and educate young people on the morals of manhood and virtue. He became involved in the education field. He taught Arabic and religious education in Hom's secondary schools, then moved to Damascus and worked with his brothers to establish a school that would achieve their goals. In education, he founded the Arab Islamic Institute in Damascus and was the first director of this institute. Then he was chosen to be a professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Damascus, where he was appointed in 1950 AD.

Dr. Al-Sibai thought about establishing an independent private college for Islamic law that would be one of the university’s colleges and work on graduating scholars in Islamic law at the highest scientific and intellectual levels... His endeavors succeeded despite the obstacles and difficulties that were placed in his way, and it was established in 1955 AD, and he was its first dean alongside his establishment Teaching in the Faculty of Law and carrying out his other responsibilities as an advocate and idea owner.

Al-Sibai was mighty energy that did not know how to stop... and did not know how to be satisfied with working in one field. He was a lively nation that was constantly moving and looking forward to the greatest goals and loftiest goals. He aimed to revive the great Islamic jurisprudential heritage. Creating an encyclopedia of Islamic jurisprudence aimed at reviving it, formulating it in a new way, classifying it, and classifying it according to the latest methods used in the world. He brought the project into existence, and he was the first head of this encyclopedia. In addition, he was the head of the Department of Islamic Jurisprudence and its Doctrines at the University of Damascus. He was also concerned with the education and guidance curricula in the college. He was keen on directing students, so he created a weekly lesson called “Research Hall” that he administered himself, and he was keen on this lesson even during his sick days. When his brothers asked him for some rest for his body, he would say: “I should die while fulfilling my duty towards God than to die on my bed, for the term is in God’s hand. ".

His activity:

Al-Sibai, may God have mercy on him, had tremendous energy of fiery activity that did not know boredom or apathy... It is not strange for him to enter various fields, struggle on multiple fronts, and then succeed and excel in all these fields.

1- His national struggle: Since his childhood, his upbringing was accompanied by harsh conditions that the country went through, such as colonialism, corruption, backwardness, ignorance, and social and political grievances. To resist foreign missionary schools, and called for combating colonialism, its schools, and its grievances from above the pulpits with exciting speeches, and he was leading loud demonstrations, which disturbed the colonial and ruling authorities. Who, after his arrest, was arrested again in 1932 and imprisoned for several months, and when he was released, he traveled to Egypt in 1933 and joined Al-Azhar to continue his studies, and there he participated with his brothers in the national work, so he led Al-Azhar students and led the demonstrations against the British occupation, which called on the British colonists to arrest him He was imprisoned in 1934 AD, then imprisoned again in 1940 AD, and expelled from Egypt, and he almost reached Syria in 1941 AD, until the French arrested him for fear of provoking the masses, so they imprisoned him in the prisons of Homs and Lebanon for two and a half years.

As for the issue of Palestine, for al-Sibai, the issue of faith and its sanctity is threatened. When the partition decision was announced, he toured the country, agitating the believing masses and inflaming in them the spirit of martyrdom for the sake of God. In 1948, he rushed to the front of the car, leading the believing youth battalions, and fought with them in the harsh battles around the city of Jerusalem, and on the battlefield, they continued to fight with rare valor and courage until the fighting stopped with the signing of the armistice and the expulsion of the Mujahideen from the battlefield.

2- His struggle in the field of politics:

 Al-Sibai was at the head of those who did not consider politics as skill in lying...or tact in deception.. Rather, politics is that a Muslim cares about Muslims to be one of them and that the best of politics is what is based on piety, guidance, and insight. Al-Sibai was not the son of Homs alone, but he was the son of Islam wherever he was. That is why Damascus chose him as its representative in the Constituent Assembly in 1949 AD, and he quickly rose to prominence as an outstanding popular parliamentarian. He was the true echo of the people’s aspirations and pain and the resounding voice that cracks the truth and does not manage, fights falsehood and does not compromise, rises above gains and spoils, and does not bargain... Attention and hearts turned to him. He was elected Vice-President of the Council and became a prominent member of the Constitution Committee and one of the nine members who drafted the constitution. The offers were made to him with urgency and temptation to enter the successive ministries, and he effectively refused popular action and lived with the problems and issues of the masses.

3- His struggle in advocacy and the resurrection of the Islamic idea: Al-Sibai contributed to the founding and leading of several Islamic societies in Homs and elsewhere. The call to Islam, and he announced the establishment of the “Muslim Brotherhood” in 1945 AD, and led the group to the leadership of al-Hakim, and he created in Syria a conscious Islamic trend that attracted the best young people.

4- His struggle in the field of journalism:

 Al-Sibai realized the importance of the press as an effective weapon in the hands of the Islamic idea, which it uses to direct and lead public opinion and educate the masses about its goals and issues, so he established the “Al-Manar” newspaper from 1947 to 1949, in which he addressed the nation’s most important problems with a bright statement, exciting style, rare boldness, and accurate analysis. In 1955, he and his brothers founded the "Al-Shehab" newspaper, which continued until 1958. In the same year 1955 AD, he issued the "Muslims" magazine after it was hidden in Egypt. In 1958 AD, he saw changing the name of the magazine, calling it “The Civilization of Islam.”

Thus, the life of Al-Sibai - may God have mercy on him - was a historical page replete with feats, exploits, heroism, sacrifices, and great deeds. He was the feat of a preacher who gave his call and his idea every atom of his effort, thought, heart, soul, nerves, and life.. and until the last years of his life, in which the disease attacked him and lasted for eight years. During that time, he bore pains that men of determination could not bear. Despite these pains, this period of his illness was one of the most fertile periods of his life for intellectual, literary, and social production.

And our teacher Sibai, may God have mercy on him, struck during the stages of his illness the most wonderful verses of beautiful patience with the contentment and submission to God The Creator's decree.

His intellectual works:

Dr. Al-Sibai is a conscious and enlightened encyclopedia of jurisprudence that produced hundreds of researches..and dozens of books on various jurisprudential and intellectual topics..and provided the Islamic library with huge wealth and distinguished production. 

The most important of these books are:

1- Marriage provisions.

2- Provisions of eligibility and will.

3- Inheritance provisions.

4- Commandments and statutes.

5- Our social ethics. It was printed several times, the first in 1375 AH.

6- Islamic socialism. It was written in 1959 and printed three times.

7- The Sunnah and its Place in Islamic Legislation, printed twice, the first in 1960 AD.

8- I judge fasting and its philosophy.

9- The system of peace and war in Islam.

10- Religion and the state in Islam.

11- The legality of inheritance and its provisions in Islam.

12 - Flexibility and development in Islamic legislation.

13- The necklaces are from the benefits of the benefits, printed in 1962 AD.

14- This is how life taught me. It was written in 1962 and was printed twice.

15- Women between Jurisprudence and Law, printed twice, the first in 1962 AD and the second in 1966 AD.

16- From the masterpieces of our civilization, printed twice, the first in 1959 AD. The second was in 1968.

17- Personal status.

18- Biography of the Prophet.

Hair:

People knew the Sibai as a mujahid leader, guide, educator, scholar, jurist, preacher, wise thinker, and honest politician.. during every period of his life... As for poetry, it was not known about him except in the last years of his life.. the years in which he was suffering from The severity of the disease... His poetry during this period came as a monologue.. and supplication and supplication... He utters wisdom and carries the spirit of a preacher who complains about the suffering of time and events.

The truth is that al-Sibai said poetry since his youth.. he said it in the call to Islam. He said it in the political events experienced by his country. But his preoccupation with jihad and education, science and jurisprudence, and the persistent struggle in various fields made him one of the few poets.

His death:

On the third Saturday of October 1964 AD, the burning torch was extinguished, and al-Sibai moved to the side of his Lord at the age of no more than forty-nine... Hundreds of thousands of Syrians left, and even Damascus came out of nowhere, bidding farewell to its leader to his final resting place.