Sheikh Muhammad Rasheed Redha belonged to a village close to Tripoli, the northern Lebanese coastal city overlooking the Mediterranean. He was born on 27 Jumada I, 1282 A. H., corresponding to Oct. 18, 1865. His early learning was in the elementary old style village school, where he learnt the Qur’an and elementary arithmetic. He then joined Al-Rasheediyah school in Tripoli, which was an Ottoman government school where Turkish was the language of instruction. One year later he left to study in Al-Wataniyah Islamic school in Tripoli, established and run by Sheikh Hussain Al-Jisr, a well-known Islamic scholar who advocated reform of education so as to incorporate Islamic and modern teaching in the same curriculum. He studied under Sheikh Al-Jisr for eight years, and read also under a number of famous scholars in the city. However, he showed some Sufi tendencies as he admired the famous scholar, Al-Ghazali, and his book Ihya’ Uloom al-Deen.
In this period, the Sufi orientation was paramount in his thinking. He writes that, prior to acquiring Islamic education, “I used to read the Qur’an mainly to refrain from sin, thinking little of the pleasures of this world and thinking only of the hereafter. When I felt that I could benefit others, I used to speak to some people in our hometown emphasizing the fear of God’s punishment more than the desire for His reward.”
It was at this juncture in his life that he saw by chance a few issues of Al-Urwah Al-Wuthqa, the magazine published in Paris by Jamaluddeen Al-Afghani and Muhammad Abdou. He was highly influenced by its advocacy of pan-Islamism and regaining the glory of Islam. He wrote to Al-Afghani who was at the time in Istanbul, introducing himself and seeking to arrange a meeting with him. At the same time, he expressed his view that Al-Afghani would not be allowed to stay long in Istanbul, because “Eastern countries are now like a fool patient who rejects medication simply because it is a medicine to cure him.”
However, soon afterward Al-Afghani died. Now Sheikh Rasheed Redha was keen to meet his disciple and colleague, Sheikh Muhammad Abdou. This was done when he traveled to Egypt in 1898, after having completed his studies in Tripoli.
Although Muhammad Abdou was highly influenced by Al-Afghani, and the two worked together in publishing Al-Urwah Al-Wuthqa in Paris, their methods were later to drift apart. Al-Afghani preferred to concentrate on political activity, feeling that a good Islamic leader could achieve much over a short period of time. Abdou felt that political events culminating in the defeat of the Urabi revolution and the occupation of Egypt by Britain signaled a real end of that era. The only means to bring about progress in the Muslim world was through reforming education. Abdou suggested that efforts should concentrate on raising a generation of young advocates of an enlightened return to Islam to work throughout the Muslim world. Al-Afghani’s response was that he said to Abdou: “You are discouraging.”
By the time Rasheed Redha arrived in Egypt to meet Abdou, the latter was well convinced that education was the only means to progress for Muslims. Discussions between the two resulted in the fulfillment of Redha’s aspiration to establish an Islamic periodical. Abdou agreed to this, insisting that the magazine must adopt three policy guidelines: 1) Not to toe the line of any political party; 2) Not to respond to any paper which attacks or criticizes it; and 3) Not to serve the interests of any high official or leading figures in society. Thus Al-Manar was established in Redha’s first year in Egypt, 1898, and continued publication until his death 37 years later. Abdou supported the magazine with all his energy, speaking about it as if it belonged to him. At the same time, the magazine was the tool by which his views and ideas became well-known throughout the Muslim world.
In his first editorial, Sheikh Rasheed Redha says that the main objectives of the magazine are: 1) Encouraging the education of both boys and girls; 2) Supporting high education in all specialties; 3) Reforming education curricula and methods. He also states that the magazine would aim to support sound reform in the social, religious and economic fields, and to establish the fact that Islam, as a religious system, is not in conflict with prevailing conditions.
Al-Manar was a greatly successful periodical which addressed highly important issues, but placed education at the top of its priorities. It advocated the establishment of more schools for boys and girls throughout the country, making clear that proper education is that which teaches children not merely scientific and literary subjects, but also takes care of their moral values, principles and general ideals. Al-Manar also advocated girls’ education, making it high on its agenda. However, it made it clear that girls’ education should be different from that of boys, taking into account the differences between the two sexes and their needs in life.
In fact, education was the main objective Redha worked for, feeling that it was the only way for Muslims to move ahead. This is clear in the ruling, or fatwa, he issued, saying that “if there is one mosque in a village, then building a school and allocating an endowment fund to run it are more important than building another mosque. Indeed there is not much good in building a mosque where the need for it is negligible. Islam prefers that mosques are built according to the needs of the community.”
In 1912, Rasheed Redha himself established a school where advocates of Islam could receive their learning. He worked hard the previous year to establish such a school in Istanbul, but all his efforts ended in failure. Therefore, he established it in Cairo on his return. The school promised well, particularly after a visit by the Khedive Abbas in 1913. However, it stopped functioning a year later, perhaps because of the outbreak of the First World War.
Sheikh Rasheed Redha was also very active in politics, particularly after the death of his mentor, Muhammad Abdou in 1905. He spoke out in support of every cause of all Muslims throughout the world. He warned Muslims against British plots, making it clear that the British harbored no good intentions toward Muslims. When Italy occupied Libya, he attacked Italy. He also fought hard against French imperialism. He was one of the early writers to warn against the dangers represented by the Zionist movement. Sheikh Rasheed Redha also took an active part in various associations and parties. He joined several of these, such as the Consultative Ottoman Association, which was dedicated to opposing autocratic rule and advocating consultative government. He was its chief director.
He was also the vice-president of the Syrian Union Party, headed by Michele Lutfallah. This party was dedicated to serve the cause of Syria and Lebanon on the international stage. He also joined the Association of Young Muslim Men, which was formed in 1927. Perhaps this was the organization that reflected his views and ideals best.
Sheikh Rasheed Redha wrote extensively. We will speak about his writings next week, God willing. He died while traveling by car from Suez to Cairo on Aug. 22, 1935. May God bless his soul.
