Mohamed Fadhel Ben Achour ( ar, محمد الفاضل بن عاشور; October 16, 1909 – April 20, 1970) was a

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

n theologian, writer, trade unionist, intellectual and patriot born in

La Marsa La Marsa ( aeb, المرسى ') is a coastal town in far north eastern Tunisia near the capital Tunis. The population is estimated as 92,987, as of 2014. The old summer capital of pre-colonial Tunisia, it is today a popular vacation spot for many ...

Biography

Born October 16, 1909, in a family of Scholars, Magistrates and High Officials of the upper middle class of Tunisia, he began to learn the

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...

and

Arabic grammar Arabic grammar or Arabic language sciences ( ar, النحو العربي ' or ar, عُلُوم اللغَة العَرَبِيَّة ') is the grammar of the Arabic language. Arabic is a Semitic language and its grammar has many similarities with ...

from the age of three years. He also learns French language at the age of nine. He made his entry in 1922 in Zitouna where he is directly enrolled in second year. In 1928, he obtained the first diploma of Zitounian high school leaving, then called tatwi. In 1931, he enrolled at the Faculty of Letters of Algiers as a free auditor. He then rapidly gravitated to the various ranks of the Zitounian teachers: he succeeded in 1932 in the assistance of second-level teachers and, in 1935, in first-degree teachers at the

University of Ez-Zitouna Ez-Zitouna University ( ar, جامعة الزيتونة, french: Université Ez-Zitouna) is a public ancient university in Tunis, Tunisia. The university originates in the Al-Zaytuna Mosque, founded at the end of the 7th century or in the early 8 ...

. A few years later, he became director of the Khaldounia, General manager of the Institute of Islamic Research, annexed to Khaldounia, then the first

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

of the Faculty of Religious Sciences of Tunis and finally member of the Academy of the Arabic Language in Cairo and of the Arab Academy of Damascus. Grand

Mufti A Mufti (; ar, مفتي) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion (''fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatwas'' played an important role ...

of the Tunisian Republic, he was one of the religious who defended the provisions of the

Code of Personal Status in Tunisia The Code of Personal Status (CPS) ( ar, مجلة الأحوال الشخصية) is a series of progressive Tunisian laws aiming at the institution of equality between women and men in a number of areas. It was promulgated by beylical decree o ...

Honours

* 1966 : Commander of the Order of the Republic of Tunisia * 1968 : Commander of the

Order of Ouissam Alaouite Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

Publications

* ''The literary and intellectual movement in Tunisia'' (), ed. The Arab League, Cairo, 1956 * ''The authors of Islamic thought in the Arab Maghreb'' (), ed. Librairie Ennajah, Tunis, 1965 * ''The Quranic exegesis and its authors'' (), ed. Maison orientale des livres, Tunis, 1966 * ''The foundations of literary Renaissance in Tunisia'' (), ed. Librairie Ennajah, Tunis, 1968 * ''Biographies of illustrious men'' (), ed. Maison tunisienne de l'édition, Tunis, 1970 * ''Afaal's Book'' (), ed. Ben Abdallah, Tunis, 1972 * ''Maghrebian conferences'' (), ed. Maison tunisienne de l'édition, Tunis, 1974 * ''The spirit of Islamic civilization'' (), ed. Higher Institute of Islamic Sciences, Beirut, 1982 * ''Thinking flashes'' (), deux tomes, ed. Maison arabe du livre, Tunis, 1982 * ''Conferences'' (), éd. Centre de publications universitaires, Tunis, 1998

References

Tunisian Muslim theologians Tunisian Maliki scholars Tunisian writers 1909 births 1970 deaths People from La Marsa Grand Muftis of Tunisia Tunisian male writers 20th-century Tunisian writers Members of Academy of the Arabic Language in Cairo {{Tunisia-bio-stub