The residents of Makkah and the surrounding areas had a great shock when they heard that Muhammad ibn Alawi Al-Malki Al-Husseini, a great scholar and a Makkah icon, had died. His death comes at a time when we are all in great need of him and his knowledge.
I had heard of Al-Malki before I met him. My late father talked to me about Al-Malki and his ingenuity in mastering the science of Usool Al-Fiqh (basics of jurisprudence), had told Al-Malki’s father, Sayed Alawi, also a scholar, that his son was like the branch of a tree that had excelled the trunk.
Al-Malki went to Egypt where he studied Islamic jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University. When he returned to Saudi Arabia, he had gained a thorough understanding of the meaning of Islam and its various schools of thought, its dimensions and its respect for the views of others. He also studied Islamic knowledge under the scholars in the Holy Haram that in those days was full of scholars of different schools with different ideas and opinions. This reinforced what he had learned in Egypt where people had opened their minds to different views. God Almighty has implanted in our nature a freedom of opinion and a freedom to differ and that is why He created us.
This late scholar had wide knowledge and was magnanimous, large-hearted and frank in presenting his views. He stood for truth without caring for criticism. He objected strongly when people, believing in fantasy, thought that they could defeat him through argument and curb his influence.
I have seen him on many occasions, exuding confidence, never raising his voice. He left the hypocrites shivering with the clarity of his arguments and he silenced the sycophants. Nobody could buy him as knowledge is not available for money; unfortunately, some of his colleagues allowed themselves to be bought.
He wrote a number of books and delivered hundreds of speeches in Muslim countries from Morocco to Indonesia. Hundreds of students visited him at his house in Makkah and benefited from his knowledge despite bans and other obstacles.
Many books have been written attacking him and statements with no basis in truth were made by his opponents in order to blacken his reputation; he ignored them and did not bother to respond to baseless criticisms. When one of Al-Malki’s associates recited a couplet that described his opponents unfavorably, his comment was, “I will not allow you to describe them like that. They have their opinions and I have mine. What we oppose is the idea that everybody should have the same opinion. Islam is wide and opens its heart to a variety of opinions under the banner of Lailaha Illallah (There is no god but Allah).
Three days before his sudden death, he was my guest at a sahoor party to which I had invited some friends to honor him. We enjoyed exchanging views and opinions and we were so enthralled by his talk that we urged him to say more. He promised me that he would arrange a meeting with one of the Shafie scholars in the Kingdom after he returned from Madinah but he died without having the chance to fulfill his promise.
We, the people of Makkah, have been stunned by two tragedies. The death of Al-Malki occurred before we had recovered from the shock of the death of Muhammad Hassan Faqi, the poet of Arabism. Faqi was a great thinker but unlike many poets, he was not a sycophant. When he became well known outside the Kingdom, people accused him of apostasy. Now Al-Malki too has left us and we will suffer from his absence. Our consolation must be that his message was the eternal message of Islam, which will continue to shine despite all the smear campaigns.
Al-Malki’s body was laid to rest in Al-Mualla Graveyard in Makkah beside his father, Sayed Alawi. I was unable to bid him a final farewell, as I was sick in bed. It pleased me, however, to hear that thousands had come for his funeral in the Haram Mosque where they prayed for him and showed him their love and respect. May God’s mercy fall upon this beloved scholar who was also a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
