Muhammad Mustafa al-Maraghi ( ar, محمد مصطفى المراغي; 5 March 1881 – 22 August 1945) was an Egyptian reformer and rector of Al-Azhar from El Maragha, Sohag Governorate. Al-Maraghi was active in encouraging reforms within legal and social contexts as well as within education where he notably campaigned for the introduction of modern sciences to the curriculum. He was a proponent of

ijtihad ''Ijtihad'' ( ; ar, اجتهاد ', ; lit. physical or mental ''effort'') is an Islamic legal term referring to independent reasoning by an expert in Islamic law, or the thorough exertion of a jurist's mental faculty in finding a solution to a le ...

—a process of making a legal decision by independent interpretation of the legal sources, the Qur'an and the

Sunnah In Islam, , also spelled ( ar, سنة), are the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time evidently saw and followed and passed ...

—and the integration of the separate schools of law. He was active on an international level with regard to religious conferences and was also open about his wish to see clergy take a more prominent role in government. In the

1918 Birthday Honours The 1918 Birthday Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The King, 3 June a ...

, he was made an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire as Grand Qadi of the Sudan. In March 1924

al-Jizawi Muhammad al-Jizawi (1874–1927) was an Egyptian religious scholar. He was Grand Imam of al-Azhar from 1917 until 1927, an eventful time in Islam and the modern history of Al-Azhar University. Under his tenure he witnessed Egypt's 1919 revol ...

formed the Greater Committee for Religious Knowledge in direct response to the collapse of the Caliphate and the issue of preaching in such an environment. Al-Maraghi was included as a member. Al-Maraghi met the English translator Marmaduke Pickthall, who wished his translation of the Qur'an authorized by the

Al-Azhar University , image = جامعة_الأزهر_بالقاهرة.jpg , image_size = 250 , caption = Al-Azhar University portal , motto = , established = *970/972 first foundat ...

. Loyal Enemy, Anne Fremantle

References

Mujaddid 1881 births 1945 deaths Grand Imams of al-Azhar Honorary Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Sohag Governorate {{Islamic-scholar-stub