Mohammad Amin Sheikho ( ar, محمد أمين شيخو) was a

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish languages *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern Kurdistan **Eastern Kurdistan **Northern Kurdistan **Western Kurdistan See also * Kurd (dis ...

scholar and interpreter of the Quran born in 1890 CE (1308 AH).

Early life and education

Sheikho was born at al-Ward district of the Sarouja Quarter in Damascus, Syria. His parents were emigrés from

Northern Kurdistan Turkish Kurdistan or Northern Kurdistan () refers to the southeastern part of Turkey, where Kurds form the predominant ethnic group. The Kurdish Institute of Paris estimates that there are 20 million Kurds living in Turkey, the majority of the ...

. He was raised in an Arab-styled house situated opposite the public Al-Ward Bath house, which still stands today. Sheikho was still young when his father, the merchant Ismael Sheikho, died. Mohammad Saleem, the elder and only brother of Mohammad Amin, was appointed as the director of the Military School during Ottoman rule. At the age of twelve, he was enrolled at the Al-Rashidiya School. He then went on to complete his studies at Amber, the Royal Ottoman Faculty in Damascus. Sheiko earned certificates of commendation and praise during the Ottoman rule, as well as under the reign of King Faisal of Syria, copies of which still exist to this day.

Career

Public administration

During the period of

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

rule, he served as the head of many police stations in Damascus and its dependent counties. During the

French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (french: Mandat pour la Syrie et le Liban; ar, الانتداب الفرنسي على سوريا ولبنان, al-intidāb al-fransi 'ala suriya wa-lubnān) (1923−1946) was a League of Nations mandate foun ...

he was appointed as a director of the prisons of the citadel of Damascus. When the

Great Syrian Revolt The Great Syrian Revolt ( ar, الثورة السورية الكبرى) or Revolt of 1925 was a general uprising across the State of Syria and Greater Lebanon during the period of 1925 to 1927. The leading rebel forces comprised fighters of the ...

took place against the French forces, he helped the

Syrian Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...

revolutionaries in their attempts to overthrow French rule.Journeys in Islamic countries, John Godolphin Bennett Due to his subversive activities the French governor of Syria issued an order for his execution.

Academic career

He was the companion of Sheikh

Mohammed Amin Kuftaro Mohammed Amin Kuftaro () (died 1938) was a Syrian-Kurdish Islamic scholar and head of the Naqshbandi Sufi tariqa. Before his death in 1938, he designated his son, Ahmed Kuftaro, to take over his office as head of the order. Ahmed later went on ...

for almost twenty years, and following his death, Sheikho became the next in succession to guide and teach the disciples of the eminent

sheikh Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...

. In 1953, philosopher Sir

John Godolphin Bennett John Godolphin Bennett (8 June 1897 – 13 December 1974) was a British academic and author. He is best known for his books on psychology and spirituality, particularly on the teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff. Bennett met Gurdjieff in Istanbul in ...

came from Britain to visit him. He remained in his company for three weeks which were filled with lengthy dialogues about

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

. Bennett asked Sheikho many questions about the exact definition of the ‘spirit’ and the difference between that and the ‘soul’, as well as seeking for clarification about Godly Justice, a topic which he found difficult to comprehend. As a result of this visit, Bennett practiced Islamic legislation and performed the prayers along with the followers of Mohammad Amin Sheikho.

Publications

Mohammad Amin Sheikho dictated many books about Islam in the Arabic language to his pupils, some of which have been translated into English and French. * ''The Envoy of Peace Looms on the Horizon: the Return of Jesus Christ''.The Second Coming of Christ, Mohammad Amin Sheikho

References

{{Authority control Quranic exegesis scholars People from Damascus 1890 births 1964 deaths