Al-Sayyid Muhammad bin ‘Alawi bin Abbas al-Maliki al-Hasani was one of the foremost traditional Islamic scholars of contemporary times, and without doubt, the most highly respected and loved scholar of the holy city of Mecca and the entire Hijaz region (Western Arabia).
The Shaykh is a grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, a leader of the Ahl al-Bayt, the Imam of Hadith in our age, an authority of the four Madhhabs, a spiritual leader of the highest calibre, a caller to Allah par excellence, and unparalleled in his standing in the world of traditional Islamic scholarship.
Visiting him was considered imperative for the Ulama who would visit Mecca.
His Family & Lineage
The Sayyid descends from a noble family that is directly connected to the blessed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He is a scion of the famous al-Maliki al-Hasani family of Mecca, who are descendants of the Prophet ﷺ through his grandson, Imam al-Hasan b. ‘Ali رضي الله عنه.
The Sayyid grew up in the city of Mecca in close proximity to the Haram
The Maliki family is one of the most respected families in Mecca and has produced great scholars who taught in the Haram of Mecca for centuries. In fact, five of the Sayyid's ancestors have been the Maliki Imams of the Haram of Mecca.
His grandfather, al-Sayyid Abbas al-Maliki was the Mufti and Qadi of Mecca and the Imam and Khatib of the Haram. He held this position during the Ottoman, then Hashemite times, and continued to hold it after the Saudi Kingdom was established. The late King ‘Abdul Aziz bin Sa’ud had great respect for him.
His late father, al-Sayyid ‘Alawi al-Maliki was one of the greatest ‘Ulama of Mecca in the previous century. Al-Sayyid ‘Alawi al-Maliki taught the various traditional Islamic sciences in the Haram of Mecca for nearly 40 years!
Hundreds of students from all over the Islamic world benefited from his lessons in the Haram and many hold key religious positions in their lands today. The late King Faisal would not make any decision regarding Mecca without consulting al-Sayyid ‘Alawi. He passed away in 1971 and his funeral was the biggest funeral seen in Mecca in a 100 years! For the next three days after his death, the local Saudi radio stations played the holy Qur'an only. This was something that was only done for him.
The Maliki family has produced many other scholars, but for the sake of brevity we have only mentioned al-Sayyid Muhammad bin ‘Alawi's eminent father and grandfather.
His Birth & Early Education
Al-Sayyid Muhammad al-Hasan bin ‘Alawi bin Abbas bin ‘Abdul Aziz, was born in 1946, in the holy city of Mecca, in the famous al-Maliki al-Hasani Sayyid family of traditional ‘Ulama.
The Sayyid grew up in beneath the mountains of Mecca
The Sayyid was fortunate to have as his father, the most learned scholar of Mecca, al-Sayyid ‘Alawi. His father was his first and primary teacher, teaching him privately at home and as well as at the Haram of Mecca, where he memorized the Holy Qur'an at a young age.
The Sayyid was educated by his eminent father from childhood and was authorized to teach every book he studied with him.
His Further Education
With his father's instruction, he also studied and mastered the various traditional Islamic sciences of Aqidah, Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Usul, Mustalah, Nahw, and more at the feet of other great scholars of Mecca, as well as Medina, all of whom granted him full ‘Ijazah (certification) to teach these sciences to others.
The Sayyid received his PhD from al-Azhar University in Egypt at age 25, making him both the first & youngest Saudi national to earn a PhD at that institution
By the age of 15, the Sayyid was already teaching the books of Hadith and Fiqh in the Haram of Mecca to fellow students, by the orders of his teachers!
After finishing his traditional education in his hometown of Mecca, he was sent by his father to study at the esteemed Al-Azhar University of Egypt. He received his Ph.D. from al-Azhar at the age of 25, making him the first and youngest Saudi to earn a Ph.D. from there. His thesis on Hadith was rated 'excellent,' and highly praised by the eminent ‘Ulama of the Azhar at that time, such as Imam Abu Zahra.
His Travels in Questing for Knowledge
It has been the way of most great ‘Ulama to travel in pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. The Sayyid was no exception to this rule. He traveled from a young age, with the permission of his father, to seek knowledge and spirituality from those who possess it.
The Sayyid traveled extensively in North Africa, Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and the Indo-Pak subcontinent to learn from great scholars, meet the Friends of Allah, visit the Mosques and Shrines, and collect manuscripts and books. In each of these lands, he met its great ‘Ulama and Awliya and benefited immensely from them.
The ‘Ulama of these lands, in turn, were also very impressed by this young student from Mecca and gave him special attention. Many had great respect for his learned father already, so were extremely honored to have the son as their student.
His ‘Ijazat (Licenses to Transmit)
The Traditional system of Islamic education is based on Ijazah or the 'permission to transmit Sacred Knowledge.' Not just any person was allowed to teach; only those who had certified Ijazahs from well-known scholars.
For every branch of knowledge and for every book of Hadith, Fiqh, Tafsir there are sanads or 'chains of narration' that go back to the author of the book himself through his students and their students. And in the case of most sanads, such as those of the Qur'an, Hadith, and Tasawwuf, they connect back to the blessed Prophet ﷺ.
Sayyid Muhammad was honored to be one of the Shaykhs with the largest number of ijazahs in our times. He also possessed the closest i.e. shortest 'chains of narration' to his ancestor, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
In his Arabian homeland and in the course of his travels, the Sayyid obtained more than 200 ijazahs from the greatest scholars of his time, in every branch of Islamic knowledge. Thus, his own ijazah that he would grant to his students was from the most prestigious and rarest in the world, linking his students to countless great scholars.
His Teachers
Indeed, most of the great Scholars today had sought the ijazah from the Sayyid. The Masters who granted the Sayyid their respective ijazahs were great savants and shining stars from all over the Islamic world. We would like to mention a few here:
His Teachers from Mecca al-Mukarrama
His learned father and his first teacher, al-Sayyid ‘Alawi bin Abbas al-Maliki
Shaykh Muhammad Yahya Aman al-Makki
Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad al-’Arabi al-Tabbani
Shaykh Hasan Sa’id al-Yamani
Shaykh Hasan bin Muhammad al-Mashshat
Shaykh Muhammad Nur Sayf
Al-Sayyid Muhammad Amin Kutbi
Al-Sayyid Ishaq bin Hashim ‘Azuz
Al-Habib Hasan bin Muhammad Fad'aq
Al-Habib ‘Abdul Qadir bin ‘Aydarus al-Bar
Shaykh Khalil Abd-al-Qadir Taybah
Shaykh ‘Abd-Allah Sa'id al-Lahji
His Teachers from Madinah al-Munawwarah
The Sayyid studied with many teachers in Madinah
Shaykh Hasan al-Sha'ir, Shaykh al-Qurra of Medina
Shaykh Diya'uddin Ahmad al-Qadiri
Al-Sayyid Ahmad Yasin al-Khiyari
Shaykh Muhammad al-Mustafa al-’Alawi al-Shinqiti
Shaykh Ibrahim al-Khatani al-Bukhari
Shaykh ‘Abdul Ghafur al-’Abbasi al-Naqshbandi
His Teachers from Hadramawt & Yemen
Al-Habib ‘Umar bin Ahmad bin Sumayt, Grand Imam of Hadramawt
Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad Zabarah, Mufti of Yemen
Shaykh al-Sayyid IbrahIm bin Aqil al-Ba-’Alawi, Mufti of Ta'iz
Al-Imam al-Sayyid ‘Ali bin ‘Abdul Rahman al-Hibshi
Al-Habib ‘Alawi ibn ‘Abdullah bin Shihab
Al-Sayyid Hasan bin ‘Abdul Bari al-Ahdal
Shaykh Fadhl bin Muhammad Ba-Fadhal
Al-Habib ‘Abdullah bin ‘Alawi al-Attas
Al-Habib Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafeez
Shaykh ‘Abdullah Zayd al-Zabidi
His Teachers from Syria & Lebanon
Shaykh Abul Yusr ibn ‘Abidin, Mufti of Syria
Shaykh al-Sayyid al-Sharif Muhammad al-Makki al-Kattani, Mufti of the Malikis
Shaykh Muhammad As’ad al-Abaji, Mufti of the Shafi’is
Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad Salih al-Farfur
Shaykh Hasan Habannakah al-Maydani
Shaykh ‘Abdul ‘Aziz ‘Uyun al-Sud al-Himsi
Shaykh Muhammad Sa’id al-Idlabi al-Rifa’i
Shaykh ‘Abdullah al-Harari
IGP’s Sayyid Muhammad b. ‘Alawi al-Maliki Book + Course Bundle contains 4 of the Sayyid’s books published by Imam Ghazali Publishing, as well as courses covering two of these texts.
His Teachers from Egypt
Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad al-Hafiz al-Tijani, Imam of Hadith in Egypt
Shaykh Amin Mahmud Khattab al-Subki
Shaykh Muhammad al-’Aquri (student of Imam al-Bajuri)
Shaykh Hasan al-’Adawi
Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad Abul ‘Uyun al-Khalwati
Al-Imam al-Akbar Dr. ‘Abdul Halim Mahmud, Rector of al-Azhar
His Teachers from North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Libya, & Tunisia)
Shaykh al-Sayyid ‘Abdullah bin al-Siddiq al-Ghumari, Imam of Hadith in Morocco
Shaykh al-Sayyid ‘Abdul ‘Aziz bin al-Siddiq al-Ghumari
Shaykh Muhammad al-Tahir ibn ‘Ashur, Imam of al-Zaytuna, Tunis
Shaykh al-Sayyid al-Sharif ‘Abdul Kabir al-Saqali al-Mahi
Shaykh al-Tayyib al-Muhaji al-Jaza'iri, Muhaddith of Algeria
Shaykh al-Faruqi al-Rahhali al-Marrakashi
Shaykh al-Sayyid al-Sharif Muhammad al-Muntasir al-Kattani
Shaykh Sidi Muhammad Bal-Qa'id al-Hibri al-Shadhili al-Darqawi, Algeria
His Teachers from the Indo-Pak Subcontinent
Shaykh al-Faqih Abul Wafa al-Afghani, Imam of the Hanafis, Hyderabad Deccan
Shaykh al-Allamah ‘Abdul Mu’id Khan, Hyderabad Deccan
al-Imam al-’Arif-Billah Mustafa Rida Khan al-Barelawi, Mufti of India
Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyyah al-Kandahlawi, Master of Hadith
Malawana Zafar Ahmad Thanawi, author of 'Ila al-Sunan
His Teachers from the Sudan
Shaykh Yusuf Hamad al-Nil
Shaykh Majdhub Muddassir Ibrahim al-Tijani
Shaykh Ibrahim Abul Nur
Shaykh al-Tayyib Abu Qinayah al-Tijani
These were only the more famous of the scholars from whom our Shaykh obtained ijazah's, and there are many others. In al-Sayyid Muhammad ‘Alawi al-Maliki, one would find the best of all these Shaykhs from various backgrounds and inclinations.
The Sayyid's broadmindedness in his quest for knowledge is an example for all those who wish to restrict themselves to one school or institute.
His Teaching Career
One would not like to use the word 'career' for the Sayyid's teaching activities, as this word may seem closely connected to material gains.
The Sayyid, like all traditional Shaykhs, and like his ancestors before him, taught solely for the sake of Allah and expected nor gained any material benefits at all. In fact, he would host a large number of students at his own residence, providing them with food, drink, shelter, clothes, books and everything else they need. In return, they were only required to follow the rules and etiquette of students of sacred knowledge.
Students of the Sayyid would usually stay with him for many years, learning the various branches of Islamic knowledge, then return to their lands. Hundreds of students learnt at his feet, and have since become savants of Islamic knowledge and spirituality in their own countries, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Yemen and Dubai.
The Sayyid occasionally taught in the Haram of Medina
After returning from al-Azhar, he was also appointed as Professor of Islamic studies at the Umm al-Qura University in Mecca, where he taught from 1970. In 1971, after his father's death, the scholars of Mecca asked him to accept his father's position as a teacher in the Haram, which he did. Thus, he sat on the Chair from which his family had taught for more than century.
The Sayyid also taught in the Haram of Medina occasionally. His lessons were the largest attended lessons in the Two Harams.
In the early eighties however, he was removed from both his teaching position in the Umm al-Qura University as well as his ancestral chair of teaching in the Haram, due to the fatwas or edicts of some fanatical scholars of the Wahhabi sect, who considered his presence a threat to their extremist ideology and religious authority.
Since then, he taught the great books of Hadith, Fiqh, Tafsir and Tasawwuf at his home and mosque on al-Maliki street in the Rusayfah district of Mecca, and his public lessons, between Maghrib and ‘Isha, were attended by no less than 500 people daily. Many students from the University would attend his lessons in the evenings.
Despite opposition from the Wahhabi establishment, al-Sayyid Muhammad ‘Alawi al-Maliki was highly respected by the Saudi government and was often consulted by the King on important affairs.
He was also nominated as the head judge at the international Qira'at (Qur'anic reading) competition in Mecca for three consecutive years.
His Writings & Publications
The Sayyid was a prolific writer and produced close to one hundred works. He has written on a variety of religious, legal, social and historical topics and many of his books are considered masterpieces on the subject and are prescribed textbooks in Islamic institutes around the world.
We mention here some selected works on various subjects:
His Writings in ‘Aqidah
An updated edition of The Life of the Prophets in their Graves was published by IGI in 2021.
Mafahim Yajib ‘an Tusahhah (Notions that Must Be Corrected), perhaps the most important contemporary statement of Ahl al-Sunna on the “Salafī” heresy. In this book Shaykh Muḥammad ibn ‘Alawi establishes the proofs and positions of the Imams of Ahl al-Sunna on the topics of taṣawwuf, tawassul, the Prophet’s s intercession, the celebration of his birthday (mawlid), the Ash’ari School, etc. with extensive documentation including the sources claimed as authoritative by the “Salafīs” themselves -Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhab.
Manhaj al-Salaf fi Fahm al-Nusus (“The Methodology of the Predecessors in Understanding the Texts: Theory and Practice”), his latest work, a continuation and update of the Mafahim.
Al-Tahzir min al-Takfir
Huwa Allah (“{He is Allāh} (112:1)”), a statement of Sunni doctrine in refutation of the aberrations of anthropomorphism
Qul Hadhihi Sabili (“{Say: This Is My Way} (12:108)”), a concise manual of Islamic doctrine and morals.
Sharh ‘Aqidat al-’Awwam
His Writings in Tafsir
Zubdat al-Itqan fi ‘Ulum al-Qur'an
Wa-Hiwa bil Ufuq al-A’la (“{When He was on the uppermost horizon} (53:7)”), the most comprehensive commentary to date on the Prophet’s ﷺ night journey and ascension, summing up over forty works devoted to the subject. A companion to the Shaykh’s al-Anwar al-Bahiyya, the book contains a detailed commentary of the verses that pertain to the vision of Allah and a full documentation of the authentic relevant narrations.
Al-Qawa’id al-Asasiyya fi ‘Ulum al-Qur'an (“Basic Foundations in the Sciences of the Qur’ān”), a useful primer and introduction to Dr. Nūr al-Dīn ʿItr’s ‘Ulum al-Qur’an al-Karim (“The Sciences of the Noble Qur’an”).
Hawl Khasa'is al-Qur'an
His Writings in Hadith
Al-Manhal al-Latif fi Usul al-Hadith al-Sharif
Al-Qawa’id al-Asasiyya fi ‘Ilm Mustalah al-Hadith
Fadl al-Muwatta wa-Inayat al-Umma al-Islamiyya bihi
Anwar al-Masalik fi al-Muqaranat bayna Riwayat al-Muwatta lil-Imam Malik
His Writings in Seerah
Shaykh GF Haddad’s translation “The Prophet’s Night Journey & Heavenly Ascent”, republished by IGI in Rajab 1442/2021, is an excerpt from the Sayyid’s al-Anwar al-Bahiyya w’al-Mi’raj Khayr al-Bariyya
Muhammad: al-Insan al-Kamil (“Muḥammad the Perfect Human Being” ﷺ), a comprehensive summary of the Prophet’s ﷺ attributes in the manner of the books of shamā’il. Its chapters are titled as follows:
The Perfection of His Lofty Gifts and Pure Attributes.
The Perfection of His Immunity From Defects and Questionable Aspects, and His Divine Safeguard from Enemies, Devils, and Offences.
The Perfection of His Magnificent Manners and Noble Qualities.
The Perfection of His Illustrious Merits and Peerless Traits.
The Perfection of His Wisdom in Government and Military Leadership.
The Perfection of His Conduct in the Administration and Education of the Community, and His Heedful Interaction with Them in General and with His Family and Companions in Particular.
The Perfection of His Law and Its Fulfillment of Human Needs and Keeping Pace with the Spirit of the Times without Incurring Alteration nor Substitution.
Tarikh al-Hawadith wal-Ahwal al-Nabawiyya (“Historical Events and Markers in the Prophet’s ﷺ Life”).
'Urf al-Ta'arif bil-Mawlid al-Sharif
Al-Anwar al-Bahiyya fi Isra' wal-Miraj Khayr al-Bariyya (“The Resplendent Lights of the Night Journey and Ascension of the Best of Creation”), a monograph that collates all the sound narrations of the Prophet’s ﷺ night journey and ascension into a single narrative.
Al-Zakha'ir al-Muhammadiyya
Zikriyat wa-Munasabat
Al-Bushra fi Manaqib al-Sayyidat Khadijah al-Kubra
His Writings in Usul
Al-Qawa’id al-Asasiyya fi Usul al-Fiqh (“Basic Foundations in the Principles of the Law”), a useful primer and introduction to Dr. Wahba al-Zuhayli’s two-volume Uṣul al-Fiqh al-Islami
Sharh Manzumat al-Waraqat fi Usul al-Fiqh
Mafhum al-Tatawwur wa al-Tajdid fil Shari’ah al-Islamiyya (“What is Meant by Growth and Renewal in Islamic Law”)
His Writings in Fiqh
The Sayyid’s work on the legality of the Mawlid has been translated by IGI as On Celebrating the Birth of the Prophet ﷺ
Al-Risalat al-Islamiyya Kamaluha wa-Khuluduha wa-‘Alamiyyatuha (“The Message of Islam: Its Perfection, Immortality, and Universality”).
Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk
Al-Ziyarat al-Nabawiyya bayn al-Shari’a wa-al-Bid’iyya
Shifa' al-Fu'ad bi-Ziyarat Khayr al-’Ibad (“The Healing of Hearts Concerning the Visitation of the Best of Human Beings”) which establishes the proofs and positions of the Imams of Ahl al-Sunna on the subject of travelling to visit the Prophet ﷺ in order to obtain blessings (tabarrukan) and inter-cession (tashaffuʿan)
Hawl al-Ihtifal bi-Zikra al-Mawlid al-Nabawi al-Sharif (On Celebrating the Birth of the Prophet ﷺ) a meticulous summation of the proofs adduced by the scholars for the permissibility of celebrating the mawlid.
Al-Madh al-Nabawi bayn al-Ghuluww wal-Ijhaf (“The Panegyric of the Prophet ﷺ Between Extremism and Fairness”), a study of the genre with examples from the Qur’ān, ḥadīth, commentaries, and poetry showing that praising the Prophet ﷺ is part of the perfection of one’s Islam and not, as some enviers have claimed, a contravention of the ḥadīth: “Do not over-extol me (lā tuṭrūnī) the way Christians over-extolled ʿĪsā ibn Maryam e; [i.e. by divinizing him].”
His Writings in Tasawwuf
Al-Mukhtar min Kalam al-Akhyar
Abwab al-Faraj (“The Gates of Deliverance”), a descriptive manual of supplications and devotions for various occasions from the Qur’an, the Sunna, and the Imams of Islam together with a description of the manners of supplicants. It contains a valuable prescription for reciting the Fatiḥa frequently.
Shawariq al-Anwar min Adiyat al-Sadah al-Akhyar (“The Epitome of the Rising Lights Taken From the Supplications of the Elect Masters”), a manual of devotions taken from the Sunna and the Imams of Islam. It contains, among other precious supplications, the devotion (ḥizb) of Imam al-Nawawi which begins with the words:
“In the name of Allāh, Allāh is greatest! I say upon myself, my Religion, my spouses, my children, my property, my friends, their Religion and their property, a thousandfold “There is no change nor power except with Allāh the Exalted, the Almighty.”
Al-Husun al-Ma’niyya (“The Invincible Forts”), a booklet of personal devotions selected from the Sunna and the practice of the Salaf.
Mukhtasar Shawariq al-Anwar
Azkar Nabawiyya wa-’Adiyyat Salafiyya
Al-Bayan wal-Ta’rif fi Dhikra al-Mawlid al-Sharif (“The Exposition and Definition of the Celebration of the Noble Birthday”), a concise anthology of texts and poems related to the subject.
His Writings on Other Subjects
Heaven Explored: A Description of Jannah is a new translation of the Sayyid’s Ma La ‘Aynun Ra'at with parallel Arabic text, published by Imam Ghazali Publishing in 2023.
Fi Rihab al-Bayt al-Haram (History of Mecca)
Al-Mustashriqun Bayn al-Insaf wa al-’Asabiyya (“The Orientalists Between Fairness and Prejudice”), a brief survey of the pitfalls of literature on Islam by non-Muslims.
Nazrat al-Islam ila al-Riyada (Sports in Islam)
Al-Qudwat al-Hasana fi Manhaj al-Da'wah ila Allah (“The Excellent Examplar in the Method of Calling Others Unto Allah”).
Nizam al-Usra fi al-Islam (Islam and Family)
Kashf al-Ghumma (Virtues of helping fellow Muslims)
Al-Da’wat al-Islahiyya (Call for Reform)
Al-Muslimun bayn al-Waqi' wa al-Tajriba (Contemporary Muslim world)
Fi Sabil al-Huda wal-Rashad (Collection of speeches)
Sharaf al-Ummat al-Islamiyya (Superiority of the Muslim Umma)
Usul al-Tarbiyyat al-Nabawiyya (Prophetic methods of education)
Nur al-Nibras fi Asanid al-Jadd al-Sayyid ‘Abbas (Set of Grandfather's Ijazahs)
Al-’Uqud al-Lu'liyya fil Asanid al-’Alawiyya (“The Pearl Necklaces: ‘Alawi’s Transmission Chains”), in which the Shaykh lists the transmission chains he received from his father, Sayyid ‘Alawi ibn ‘Abbas.
Al-Tali’ al-Sa’id al-Muntakhab min al-Musalsalat wal Asanid (“The New Moon of Happiness: A Selection of Similarly-Narrated Ḥadiths and Chains”).
Al-’Iqd al-Farid al-Mukhtasar min al-Athbat wa al-Asanid (Set of Ijazahs)
This is a selected list of the published works of the Sayyid. There are many other publications that were not mentioned and many works that are still to be published.
We also did not mention the numerous important classical works that the Sayyid has located, researched and published for the first time, with notes and commentary. All together, the Sayyid's contribution in this field has been great.
Many of the Sayyid's works have also been translated into foreign languages.
His Other Activities
The Sayyid was a keen propagator of true Islamic guidance and spirituality and traveled all over Asia, Africa, Europe and America calling people to heed to the Words of Allah and His final Messenger Muhammad ﷺ.
A Mawlid in Mecca, with the Sayyid in attendance
In Southeast Asia especially, the Sayyid personally established and ran more than 70 Islamic schools to counter Christian missionary activities.
Large numbers of Christians and Buddhists embraced Islam at his blessed hands, many of them, simply by looking at the Muhammadan Light shining on his face.
Wherever he would go, the leaders, scholars and masses of that country would receive him with jubilation. He often addressed crowds of hundreds and even thousands of people. He was dearly loved and adored all over the Muslim world, not only because of his Muhammadan Lineage but also because of his immense knowledge, wisdom, humble manners and spiritual charisma. He was known to be extremely generous with his knowledge, wealth and time.
The Sayyid’s Approach
The Sayyid followed and advocated the mainstream majority tradition of Islam, the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah, the hallmark of which is tolerance and moderation, knowledge and spirituality, and unity in diversity. He believed in adherence to the four established Madhhabs, but without fanaticism. He taught respect for the great ‘Ulama and Awliya of the past.
He was against the hasty condemnation of fellow Muslims as disbelievers (kafirs) and polytheists (mushriks), something that has become the trademark of certain modern sects today. He was very critical of so-called 20th century 'reformers' who wish to simply wash away the Islam of the previous generations in the name of 'pure Islam'. He believed that condemning all Ash’aris, or all Hanafis, Shafi’i's and, Malikis or all Sufis, as some extremist sects are doing nowadays, means condemning the whole Umma of Islam for the past thousand years. This can only be the attitude and approach of an enemy of Islam, not a friend.
The Sayyid strongly believed that the great Madhhab-following Sunni-Sufi Islamic scholars of the past thousand years, are our connection to the Qur'an and Sunnah, and not a barrier between them and us, as some would like to believe. True understanding of the Qur'an and Sunnah is one that is based on the interpretation of the great scholars of Islam, not the whims and fancies of modern-day extremists who don't think twice before condemning the majority of the Muslims of the world. The Sayyid believed that the majority of this Umma are okay, it's the fanatical minority groups that must recheck their extremist ideologies.
The janazah of the Sayyid was attended by many thousands of people.
The Sayyid was also a proponent of true Shariah based Sufism, the Sufism of the great Awliya and saints of this Umma. He himself was a spiritual master of the highest caliber, linked to most of the great Spiritual Orders of Islam, through great Shaykhs of the Tariqas or spiritual orders. He believed that reciting dhikr, alone and in congregation, is an integral part of a Muslim's spiritual well-being. All his students were required to pray tahajjud (night vigil) and read morning and evening awrad (litanies).
Finally, the Sayyid believed that Muslims must use their resources to uplift the state of their Umma, spiritual, socially and materially, and not waste their precious time in fighting over petty issues. He believed Muslims should not condemn each other on matters that have been differed upon by the ‘Ulama, they must rather join hands in combating that which is agreed upon to be evil and sin. The Sayyid's views are exemplified in his most famous work Mafahim Yajib an Tusahhah (Notions that Must be Corrected), a book that gained wide appreciation throughout the Islamic world, and was highly acclaimed in scholarly circles.
His Death
The Sayyid passed away on Friday the 15th of Ramadan 1426 / 29th October 2004 (and he had wished to pass away in Ramadan) in a state of fasting in his house in Mecca.
The day after his passing away, the King of Saudi Arabia, ‘Abdullah, and all the top officials of the country and members of the Saudi royal family came to pay their condolences.
The Sayyid left behind two sons, Sayyid Ahmad and Sayyid ‘Abdullah, and many daughters. Sayyid Ahmad is a learned young scholar and has become his father's able successor. He continues with all the teaching and spiritual activities of his father.
The Sayyid also left behind a large number of students, many of whom hold prominent positions in Saudi Arabia and throughout the Muslim world. Through them, and through his works, his legacy continues to flourish.
May Allah grant him the highest place in Jannah next to his beloved Grandfather, Sayyidina Rasulillah ﷺ. Amin.
This article was adapted from the work of the Sayyid’s student Shaykh Fakhruddin Owaisi.
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IGP’s Sayyid Muhammad b. ‘Alawi al-Maliki Book + Course Bundle contains 4 of the Sayyid’s books published by Imam Ghazali Publishing, as well as courses covering two of these texts.