1328-1398
He is `Abdul Hamid Mahmud Al-Ash`ari Ash-Shafi`ii Al-Azhari. He is a direct descendant of `Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Upbringing and early life
Born Jumada Al-Uwla 2, 1328 AH in the village of Abu Ahmad on the outskirts of the city of Bilbis in Ash-Sharqiyyah Governorate, the Imam spent his early years in his village which is also named after his grandfather.
He came from a family of goodness and righteousness and memorised the Qur’an at an early age that surprised his village and showed his early prodigious memory. In the year 1341 he entered into Al-Azhar and stayed there from then on until his first graduation in the year 1343.
Completion of the Qur’an and the Sorbonne
Imam `Abdul Halim made sure to stay with his father during this time and learned from him fundamental aspects of the religion to prepare him for more detailed studies later on. In the year 1347 he received his first certification at the age of 19 years of age.
His father chose him to teach the people and he funded him to study Western civilisation in order to understand the changes happening in the world. This led to Imam `Abdul Halim being sent by his father to the Sorbonne in Paris to learn world religions and philosophy as well as anthropology.
1352 represented the completion of his study and examination of Western society and he was called back to Al-Azhar in Egypt to discuss and debrief on what he had found. In addition to this, he also studied for a doctorate in Tasawwuf with his source of study being Al-Harith ibn Asad Al-Muhasibi and mysticism.
Instead of head back to Egypt, the Shaikh stayed on in Paris, even throughout the German march across Europe. Many of his Egyptian colleagues made their way back home but Shaikh `Abdul Halim made a resolute intention to complete his work in France.
In the year 1355 he finished his study and printed the results of his findings in his doctorate with first class distinction in French with the approval of the University of Sorbonne.
Return to Egypt
Now that he had completed, he headed back to Egypt and started a new round of studies. The Imam started first as a teacher of suluk, psychology at the University of Arabic Language in Cairo and was then advanced to the post of professor of philosophy in the department of Foundations of the Religion in the year 1366.
He then became adjunct in the year 1379 and went into detail and became part of the Congress of Islamic Research and was general trustee. Imam `Abdul Halim Mahmud was disturbed by many things he saw in Egyptian society and embarked on a study of it in order to answer these ills.
As he studied it and devised strategies, he not only looked at it with respect to the Revealed Law but also wanted to use science to reform some matters as well in the field of medicine and science of the mind, i.e. psychology.
Not long after, the Imam formed a library and put things together for a large collection of books to be deposited for study by people of knowledge as well as the laity. The more responsibilities he was given the more he thrived and this led to him being made the trustee of Al-Azhar and then the chief minister of the Endowments and Al-Azhar affairs.
Installation as Shaikh ul-Azhar
Finally, he would be selected as Shaikh ul-Azhar. The process to Shaikh ul-Azhar began in the year 1387 when the government declared him trustee over Al-Azhar policy. Three years later the republic would put him forward as Shaikh ul-Azhar and his installation came immediately after.
Just as he had been busy in the run up to his installation as Shaikh ul-Azhar, his reaching the greatest post in Egypt would be no different. In addition to the articles that he penned, edited and researched for that would go into the Al-Azhar Magazine, he gave countless rulings on diverse affairs that clearly demonstrated his knowledge.
On the World Stage
Now with responsibility of so many people, Imam `Abdul Halim Mahmud also drew the attention of other sectors of the Muslim world. His travels entailed the following:
-travel to Iraq by request of the government to set up an Iraqi Endowment fund and religious education and needs connected to it and to also put things together so they ran independently
-travel back to Egypt in order to preside over the celebration of the life of Hujjat ul-Islam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazzali in the year 1378
-travel to Tunis as a visiting professor to the Zaytuna University three times, each visit lasting three months.
-travel to Libya as a visiting professor to the Islamic University three times, each visit lasting three months
-travel to the Phillipines as a visiting professor to the University of Mandanao.
-travel to Indonesia as visiting professor to the University of Jakarta
-travel to Pakistan as visiting professor at the request of the Endowments Agency of Islamic Affairs
-travel to the Sudan as visiting professor to the University of Khartoum
-travel to Malaysia as a visiting professor to the Islamic Centre to take part in religious gatherings and he set up Islamic Affairs councils while there
-travel to Kuwait at the request of the government in order to take part in religious meetings in the month of Ramadan annually
-travel to the United Arab Emirates at the request of the government in order to open a heritage fund in 1391 and he also took part in religious gatherings while there.
-travel to Malaysia at the request of its government in the year 1391 to preside over a gathering of Malaysians regarding Islam with a total attendance of 4,000 people
-travel to Yugoslavia in the year 1392
-travel to India in the year 1393
-cooperation in a conference on the Sirah of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in Pakistan in the year 1393
-travel to London, England to preside over the World Islamic Conference in the year 1393
-travel to Makkah to preside over a conference on the Message and Role of the Masjid in the year 1393
-travel to Indonesia at the request of the government in 1393
-accepting the request of the trustee of the Islamic Economic Forum in London in the year 1394 and met there many godly men and scholars of renown and also teachers of comparative religion at the UK universities along with scholars of economics.
Written legacy
In his lifetime, the Imam had edited, written, collaborated or ordered to be printed some 100 or more books on every topic in both Arabic and French. This of course excludes his rulings and pronouncements on global matters and developments facing humanity.
Later life and death
After a life of 70 years, much of which was spent teaching, preaching and travelling in order to assist others in the religion, the Imam died. Although he has died his rulings live on after him and he presided over some of the most significant and trendsetting affairs to affect the Ummah, thus rightly exemplifying the title Imam.
Sources:
Ashraf Fawzi’s Shuyukh ul-Azhar, vol.5, pp. 17-38
Muhammad `Abdul Mun`im’s Al-Azhar fi Alf Sanah, vol.5, pp. 19-34
Meeraath 