Sheikh Abdullah al-Sharqawi () (1737 – 1812) was an Egyptian writer and scholar of the
Khalwati sufi
Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism.
Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
order.
[al-islam. ''http://www.al-islam.org/sulh-peace-treaty-imam-al-hasan-shaykh-radi-aal-yasin/ubayd-allah-ibn-abbas'', Retrieved 24 July 2014] He was known for being the
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar during the
French Campaign in Egypt and Syria, and for being one of the Leaders of the resistance against the French Occupation in Egypt, he was also one of the Three Leaders to crown
Mehmet Ali Pasha in 1805.
French expedition
During
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
's exile at
St. Helena, and when writing his diaries, he states that the
Azhar University is as Equal if not more, than the
Sorbonne in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. Napoleon looked highly upon Al-Azhar Ulama as the elite of the educated class and as the leaders of the people. When he first set foot in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
he formed a special council (diwan) to govern the capital. a council that consists of nine Sheikhs under the chairmanship of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Sharkawi, the grand Imam of Al-Azhar at that time. The formation of this council stands as an evidences of the importance of Al-Azhar and the high status of its Imams.
References
External links
*http://www.sunnah.org/history/Scholars/mashaykh_azhar.htm#Kharashi
1737 births
1812 deaths
Al-Azhar University alumni
Grand Imams of al-Azhar
Egyptian Sunni Muslims
Egyptian scholars
Sunni fiqh scholars
Khalwati order
Egyptian Sufis
People from Sharqia Governorate
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