The Biography of Sheikh Muhammad Syakir
He was a noble intellectual and a productive writer, a pioneer of reformation of the Al Azhar university, and a honorable figure, Sheikh Muhammad Syakir Ibn Ahmad Ibn Abdul Qadir Ibn Abdul Warits, from the family of Abi ‘Ulayya’, a generous family that was widely known as the noblest and the most generous family in the city of Jurja.
He was born in Jurja, in the middle of Syawwal, 1282 H. He memorized the entire Qur’an and studied the basic sciences in the city, then he traveled to study to the university of Al Azhar and there he learned under the grand scholars at that time. He then entrusted to issue fatwa in 1307 H. He was appointed as the chief of the court of mudiniyyah Al Qulyubiyya, and he lived there for seven years, until he was chosen to be a judge for the country of Sudan in 1317 H, he was the first man to hold the position, and also the first to settle judicial verdicts in Sudan based on the most reliable and strongest basis. Then in 1322 H, he was appointed as the teacher for the scholars of Iskandariyya, until it came into fruition, and raised for the muslims people who became the guides of the ummah, in order to bring back the victory of Islam around the world. After that, he was appointed as a representative of the lecturers of Al Azhar, until he was able to spread good seeds and he used the opportunity at the time of the establishment of Jam’iyyah Tasyni’iyyah in 1913 to become the member of the organization as his choice, and thus he left his previous positions and was unwilling to return to it. He had no desires left for anything that attracted him, in fact, he prioritized living freely in his opinions, deeds, heart, and knowledge, and he had correct views in his writings and encouraging words. As usual, there were always people who stubbornly opposed him from among those who were too stiff regarding the ijtimaiyya matters.
And among his character was that he always strengthen his religion, his beliefs, and his thoughts. He was a brave man and not a coward, he never avoid anyone, and he fear nothing but Allah the Exalted.
He was a scholar with profound knowledge, both in the verses of the Qur’an and the hadith, and in intellectual and logic. No one could ever defeat him in discussion or in debate, since he had an uncanny ability to defend his arguments and silence his opponent, a credit to his sharp mind and logical, systematic thinking, built upon the valid principles of logic.
In the end of his life, he spent his time lying on his bed in his house because of his illness, and when he became paralyzed, he endured it with patience and full of wishes of Allah’s forgiveness. He was pleased with his Lord, and with himself; he was sure that he had truly struggled to uphold his obligations to his religion and the ummah, and he waited for the time his Lord’s call to His righteous slaves. “(On the other hand it will be said): “O serene soul! Return to your Lord well-pleased (with your blissful destination), well-pleasing (to your Lord). So enter among My (righteous) servants and enter My Paradise.” (Chapter Al Fajr/The Dawn:27-30)
May Allah the Exalted bestowed His mercy upon him aplenty. He -may Allah have mercy on him- died in 1358 H, which coincided year 1939 H. And may Allah also bestowed His mercy upon his son, Al ‘Allamah Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Syakir Abil Asybal, a grand muhaddits (expert in the science of Hadith), who died in 1958 H, he who had written a paper about the life story of his father, titled “Muhammad Syakir”, a figure among the prominent figures in history.
Finished with some changes from the original biography of his son, Al ‘Allamah Ahmad Muhammad Syakir may Allah have mercy on him.