Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltut (Arabic: محمود شلتوت; 23 April 1893 – 13 December 1963) was an Egyptian figure best known for his attempts in Islamic reform. A disciple of Mohammad Abduh's school of thought, Shaltut rose to prominence as Grand Imam of Al-Azhar during the Nasser years from 1958 until his death in 1963.
Early life
Born in Beheira Governorate, a province in Lower Egypt, Sheikh Shaltut left his small village, Binyat Bani Mansur, in 1906 at age thirteen and enrolled in Ma’had dini of Alexandria- a newly established Azhar-affiliated religious institute. Upon completion of his studies in 1918, Shaltut received his Alimiyya Degree (Azhar equivalent to the BA) and began teaching at the same institute in 1919. At age thirty four, he was called upon to lecture at the Higher Division of al-Azhar and subsequently transferred to Cairo in 1927.[citation needed]
Time at Al-Azhar
In 1929 Sheikh Mohammad Moustafa al-Maraghi was chosen as rector of al-Azhar University. Al-Maraghi began creating his own reform program and was firmly supported by Shaltut who, several years prior to his transfer to al-Azhar, had created reform ideas of his own concerning al-Azhar. Shaltut's reforms were ones specifically geared toward separating the religious institution from the state.[citation needed]
However, not everyone was keen on change and al-Maraghi's bold ideas quickly brought him down. After a brief one-year posting, Sheikh al-Maraghi resigned as grand imam of al-Azhar and in his place came Sheikh Mohammad al-Ahmadi al-Zawahiri. Unlike al-Maraghi, whom Shaltut viewed as being a proactive leader and reformer, Sheikh al-Zawahiri was perceived by Shaltut as being reactionary. Shaltut himself was a modernist disciple of Muhammad Abduh and Muhammad Rashid Rida and their influences on him are clearly discernible in his writings, actions, and ideas.
Thus, it was inevitable Shaltut would harbor resistance to al-Zawahiri's passive policies, and therefore, he was consequently dismissed from al-Azhar in September 1931 along with others in what can be conceived as a general purge of those associated with al-Maraghi's reform faction. Shaltut spent his time spent away from al-Azhar working as a lawyer in the Shari’a courts. It was not until al-Maraghi's second appointment in 1935 that Shaltut would return to al-Azhar.
During al-Maraghi's second post at the helm of al-Azhar, which lasted ten years until 1945, Shaltut became Wakil (Vice Dean) of the Kulliyat al Shari’a, and in 1937 he attended the Deuxieme Congrès International de Droit Comparé conference at the Hague, where he was one of only three scholars selected to represent al-Azhar. His speech regarding civil and criminal liability in Islamic law impressed those within al-Azhar circles and thus served to increase his status within the institute.
Later in 1939, Shaltut was appointed as inspector of religious studies and went on to be elected to membership in the Arabic Language Academy in Cairo in 1946. Shaltut's rise to prominence continued and in November 1957 he was selected as Vice-Rector. Less than one year later Shaltut was finally given the highest honor and made Sheikh al-Azhar by President Gamal Abdel Nasser in October 1958. Previously, al-Azhar scholars were granted the power to elect the grand imam, but in 1961, after nationalizing the religious institution, Abdel Nasser issued a new al-Azhar Law, limiting the power of the al-Azhar imams and giving the government power to appoint the grand imam. By deepening the ties between the regime and the institution, this allowed the post-1952 revolutionary government of Abdel Nasser to work to integrate education into a unified system and find an ally in Shaltut, who would strive for modernization of curricula and a broader public-service function - at home and abroad - for al-Azhar.
As Sheikh al-Azhar: Beliefs, Ideas, and Reforms
Shortly after assuming his position as Sheikh al-Azhar, Shaltut announced his vision for reform. Shaltut attempted to prove that shari’a law was not an obstacle to modern society, but rather a guide through the changes modern society brings with it. He was fervently determined to see al-Azhar achieve greater independence from the state's control and worked toward getting the National Assembly to pass declarations such as the Reform Law, which they did in 1961. The Reform Law was aimed at integrating al-Azhar into the wider field of higher education, improving job opportunities for students, and producing modern scholars knowledgeable in matters of the contemporary world and able to serve the Muslim community.
Admiration for Sheikh Shaltut grew rapidly and his unprecedented decision to undertake regular broadcasts, in which he delivered religious sermons and answered questions from those who had doubts or criticism, only enhanced his reputation. These broadcasts were later published by the Ministry of National Guidance as Ahadith al-sabah fi’l-Midhya and Yas’aluna (Ask Us).
He also acquired a reputation as a great orator. His capability to communicate well with the masses garnered him many listeners as he spoke of varying issues regarding contemporary Muslim society such as family law, private property, birth control, and polygamy (which he strongly defended), to name a few. In essence, Sheikh Shaltut believed that the relevance of shari’a law in the modern day was not to be undermined. Also, he viewed his Quranic commentary, or his tafsir, more as practical advice for any literate Muslim rather than a strict scholarly analysis.
Legacy
Shaltut is remembered for encouraging harmonious interactions between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. He maintained close relations with prominent Shi’i figures such as Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi and zealously campaigned for open discussion and cooperation between the two faiths. Shaltut desperately wanted to overcome misconstructions and avoid quarrels between them. Shaltut even went as far as to issue a fatwa which essentially declared that worship according to the Twelver Shi’i doctrine was valid.
Shaltut strove to portray Islam to the world as a religion of unity, flexibility, and moderation. He furiously condemned sectarianism, saint worship, and miracles while promoting tolerance and reason among the Islamic population. Moreover, Shaltut had no concerns accepting socialism and had great pride in his Egyptian nationality while at the same time supporting Arabism.
Nevertheless, as any prominent figure would, Shaltut (and the overall ulama at the time) had his dissenters. A post-1960s Arab world was essentially one in which there was a crisis of religious leadership. Shaltut's attempts to reengage the ulama into people's broad culture fell on deaf ears as he was seen as peripheral to the state — a man set in place to satisfy the regime rather than serve the religion. His interpretation of core Islamic principles sharply contrasted with the consensus of his peers and the historical legacy of the Al-Azhar institute. His beliefs and the efforts that exemplified them were anomalous to mainstream Islam and definitively beyond the pale of the religion.
