Shaykh Muhammad 'Ali al-Sabuni

Profile as per The Muslim 500 by Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought

Biography translated and compiled by Shaykh Shoayb Ahmad view inline

Audio profile by Shaykh Shoyab Ahmed on Channel Islam

Shaykh Muhammad ‘Alī al-Sābūnī was born in the city of Aleppo in Syria in 1930 to a family of learning. His  father was one of  the senior scholars of Aleppo. He received  much  of  his  initial  and  formal  education  in  Arabic,  inheritance  and  sciences  of  religion from his father, Shaykh Jamīl.

He  memorized  the  Qur’ān  in  the  primary  schools  and  completed  his higher secondary  school  while  still  young.  Shaykh  al- abūnī  studied  under  some  of  the leading scholars of the city.

Some of his most prominent teachers were: 
• Shaykh Muhammad Najīb Sirājuddīn
• Shaykh Ahmad al-Shamā‘
• Shaykh Muhammad Sa‘īd al-Idlibī
• Shaykh Muhammad Rāghib al-Tabbākh
• Shaykh Muhammad Najīb Khayātah


In addition he attended other lessons with other ‘Ulemā in various mosques.  He  continued  his  formal  education  in  the  government  schools.  After  obtaining  his  primary school certificate he enrolled at  the Madrassa al-Tijariyya where he studied for  one  year.  He  was  disinclined  because  they  were  teaching  the  students  about  interest  based  transactions.  Even  though  he  obtained  the  best  results  he  left  and instead  he  joined  the  famous  Khasrawiyya  school  of  Sharī‘ah  in  Aleppo.  Here  he combined Islamic Studies and studies in the secular subjects. He graduated in 1949.  He  graduated  with  excellent  results  and  the Ministry  of  Awqāf  (Endowments)  sent  him  to  further his studies at  the  famous al-Azhar University in Egypt. He graduated from  the  Faculty  of  Sharī‘ah  in  1952  and  he  completed  his  specialization  course  in 1954.

After  completing  his  studies,  he  returned  to  Aleppo  where  he  taught  Islamic  education  in  various  secondary  schools  in  the  city.  He  taught for  about  eight  years from 1955 to 1962.

He  was  appointed  as  lecturer  at  the  Faculty  of  Sharī‘ah  at  the  Umm  al-Qurā’ University and at the Faculty of Education of the King ‘Abdul Azīz University both in Mecca,  where  he  taught  for  about  28  years.  Many  prominent  scholars  graduated under his guidance. Due to his academic work and his writing the University assigned some additional tasks to him. These included editing some classical for the Centre for Academic Research and Reviving the Islamic Heritage.

He edited Ma‘ani al-Qur’ān by  Imām Abū Jā‘far al-Nahhās  (d. 338). This book was published in 6 volumes. Thereafter he worked as an advisor with  the Muslim World  League  in  the  Council  for  Scientific  Research  in  the  Qur’ān  and  the  Sunnah.  He remained there for a few years after which he devoted himself entirely to writing and to research.

Shaykh al-Sābūnī authored numerous  books which were  received all over  the world  and  many  were  even  translated  into  other  languages.  He  even  conducted  some  lessons  in  the  Karām  of  Mecca.  He  also  conducted  a  weekly  lesson  in  one  of  the mosques of Jeddah in Tafsīr. This lesson continued for about eight years during which  he completed about two-thirds of the Qur’ān. These lessons were recorded on audio  3 cassettes.  He  also  recorded  about  600  programmes  for  television  broadcast.He completed this in 1998 (1419).

Some of the books he wrote are: 
• Safwat al-Tafāsīr
• Rawā’i al-Bayān fī Tafsīr Āyāt al-Ahkām
• Qabas min Nūr al-Qur’ān al-Karīm
• Al-Tafsīr al-WāMi al-Muyassar
• Kashf al-Iftira’āt fī Risālat al-Tanbihāt Kawla  afwat al-Tafāsīr
• Al-Tabsīr bi-mā fī Rasā’il Bakr Abū Zayd min al-Tazwīr

In 2007, the Organizing Committee for the Dubai International Qur’ān Award chose Shaykh  Muhammad‘Alī  al-Sābūnī  as  the  personality  of  the  Muslim  World  for  his contribution  to  Islam. He was  selected  from a large list  of  other  nominees and was  approved by Prince Muhammad ibn Rāshid Āl-Maktūm, Deputy of the Head of State  of Dubai. Over a period of eleven years many  renowned  scholars were honoured in this way. One of them includes, for example, Shaykh Yūsuf al-Qaradāwī. (Other winners of this prize include Mawlana Abu 'l-Hasan 'Ali al-Nadawi, Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sudays, and others. - afriki_haqq)