Mohammed Abdu,
a pioneer of reform and revolution

Thanks to his education at Al-Azhar University, the time-honoured world university and the mouth piece of Islam, Imam Muhammad Abdu became one of the Ulammas who were well aware of the moderation and universality of Islam. He renounced rigidity and isolation and was keen to communicate with useful human thought wherever it may exist.
He was extremely involved in the issues of his homeland and offered relentless endeavors to realize its prosperity and reform its people. Thus, Sheikh Muhammad Abdu (1865-1905) well deserved to be the symbol of reform and innovation in the 19th and 20th centuries. His disciples have been playing a major role in Egypt on the fringe of the third millennium.

Muhammad Abdu... A Great Thinker
Imam Muhammad Abdu's reform principles are based on the following:
First: Introducing thought free of conventional fetters, toeing the line of the Umma's predecessors in understanding religion and seeking original sources in acquiring knowledge. He believed that thought is a God given gift that controls man's action and maintains human discipline.

Second: Correcting the style of written Arabic language whether in official addresses among governmental organizations or in originally composed and translated newspaper articles. Writing stylistics in Egypt was confined to two methods:
1- Method used in government departments which depended on harmonizing words which form and content can hardly be attributed to a specific language.
2- Method used by men of letters and graduates of Al-Azhar university which depended on redundant assonance and poor incomprehensible alliteration inconsistent with Arabic language semantics and syntax, though complying with form.

Third: Distinguishing between the people's obedience to the government and the government's justice to the people. In this context, Muhammad Abdu urged the Egyptian nation to care for their rights. To him, although rulers are entitled to total obedience from the public, they are yet human beings who may err or be tempted by their desires. Only by the nation's verbal and practical advice, may such deviation be redeemed.

Al-Waqa'e al Misrya
Al-Waqa'e al Misrya, the first official Egyptian gazette started to publish revolutionary ideas expressed by Muhammad Abdu. He issued it exclusively in Arabic and introduced a new system of management and editing aided by some of Gamal ad-Din Al-Afghani's disciples: Abdel Kareeem Solaiman, Saa'd Zaghloul and Ibrahim Hilbawi. Through al-Waqa'e al-Misrya, Muhammad Abdu became one of the national movement leaderships which, according to him, necessitated the involvement of all nation's elements.

He called for freedom and democracy, explained the true meaning of nationalism and asserted that education was a key factor for creating a responsible generation capable of serving their homeland.

Thus, al-Waqa'e al-Misrya became the mouthpiece of religious and moral reform attempting to redeem the society without any western influence. He was a major contributor to the Orabi Revolution, however , he could perceive that the Orabians' attitude could pave the way for foreign military intervention in Egypt.

Al-Urwa al-Wuthqa (the indissoluble link)
After the Orabi revolution proved to be futile, Muhammad Abdu was exiled to Beirut. In 1883, he joined Gamal Ad-Din Al-Afghani in Paris. Together, they issued a political gazette entitled al Urwa al- Wuthqa.

The first issue was published on March 13, 1884 and was followed by 18 issues that were secretly sent to Egypt. The Arabic gazette, which was unprecedented in Europe, called upon Muslims to care about their duties and stick to their origins. It supported the Islamic University and called for struggle against foreign hegemony and internal tyranny. It also stressed that ending the British occupation of Egypt was imperative.

Owing to the close cooperation between Gamal ad-Din al Afghani and Muhammad Abdu, the latter's national awareness widened. He became more interested in political relationships, between the East and the West and recognized the importance of rebuilding a new social and political life order in the Islamic World.

Monotheism
After al-Urwa al Wuthqa was banned, Muhammad Abdu returned to Beirut. He issued his book "The Message of Monotheism" in 1885. In his book, he supported independent reasoning "ijtihad" and hailed religious reform as the pillar of social and political reform. In 1888, he returned to Egypt and called for establishing a modern Egyptian university where modern arts and sciences can be taught.

In 1892, he founded the Islamic Charitable Society in cooperation with his colleagues and disciples: Sa'd Zaghloul, Hassan Assem and Ahmad Fathi Zaghloul.

Emancipation of Women
Muhammad Abdu restricted polygamy to legal necessities. He also granted women the right to file for divorce for a legal reason and supported women's participation in political affairs. In this respect, he offered real inspiration to Qasem Amin.

Muhammad Abdu, the Reformer
Reform topped Muhammad Abdu's priorities. He advocated social reform in his articles in the official gazette and offered treatment to all social diseases. He refined the Arabic language and used highly formal Arabic in his political articles in al-Urwa al-Wuthqa which was unfamiliar in press language. His endeavors in religious reform were quite fruitful but were hindered by Khedive Abbas' hostility.

He also attempted to reform Shari'a Courts, Ministry of Awqaf " religious endowments" and al-Azhar. Most Sgnificant Social Writings of Imam Muhammad Abdu Thanks to his broad mind and wide religious knowledge, Muhammad Abdu tackled various social issues. His approach conformed with the needs of his age without any violation to Islamic rules. The most significant of these issues are: polygamy, marriage, women's veil, divorce, all in terms of Shari'a, the necessity of reforming judicature, Shari'a courts, Awqaf and mosques. He also tackled monotheism, compelling and free will, fate and destiny, consultation and leadership.