A Brief Review of the Biography and Activities of Sheikh Abu Is'haq Ibrahim Attfayish

His Biography

Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Yusuf Attfayish (Abu Is'haq)

A scholar from Bani Yasgun, Mizab. He was born in 1305 H/ 1886 CE in Algeria. He studied with the great scholar Muhammad bin Yusuf Attfayish (Qutb Ala'emah), and AlHaj Ibrahim Zarqoon then he moved to the capital of Algeria and studied with Sheikh Abdul-Qader AlMajawi. After that, he travelled to Tunisia and studied with Sheikh Muhammad bin Yusuf Alhanafi and Sheikh Attaher bin Ashoor (the author of Attahreer wa Tanweer). Sheikh Ibrahim had very strong ties with other Islamic scholars like Muhib Adeen Alkhateeb, Sayyed Qutub, Muhammad Rasheed Ridha, and Hassan Albana.

His writings and books:

Sheikh Ibrahim has left some books including:

   1] Addi'ayah Ila Sabeel Almu'mineen (The Publicity to the way of believers), published.

   2] Mujez Tareekh AlIbadiyah (A Brief History of Ibadhis), published.

  3] AlFarq byn Alibadiyah Walkhawarij (The difference between lbadhis and Khawarij), published many times in Arabic.

   4] Usmat Alanbiya, unpublished letter.

   5] Almuhkam WalMutashabeh, unpublished.

In Tunisia he was also active in politics which in turn made Franc expel him from Tunisia in February 1342H/ 1923CE, so he chose to move to Cairo, Egypt, where he started his intellectual productions and contributions. In 1359H/ 1940CE, the Ministry of Interior in Egypt appointed him as a supervisor of the Correction Department at Dar AlKutub AlMisriyah (Egyptian Books House) where he worked on Aljame Li'ahkam Alqur'an and Almujam Almufahras Li'alfadh Alqur'an.

• He edited and published a number of important books such as:

1- Between 1344H/1925CE to 1349H/ 1930 CE, he established Alminhaj Magazine in Egypt

2- Tuhfat Al'ayan Biseerat Ahlu Oman (History of Oman), by A'Salimi, two volumes.

3-    Three volumes of Kitab Sharh A’Neel, by Alqutb.

4-    Jame Arkan AlIslam, by AlKharousi.

5-    Shamel Alasl Walfare, By Alqutb Attfayish.

6-    Musnad Arabie bin Habeeb, In Hadith.

7-    AlMaqsoorah in language, by Ibn Durayd.

8-    Some volumes of Aljame Li'ahkam AlQuran, by AlQurtubi.

9- AIMu'ajam AlMufahras Lialfadh AlQur'an AlKareem, by Muhammad Fu'ad Abdulbaqi.

He also has some replies to some orientalists' writings published in the Arabic version of Da'erat Alma'aruf AlIslamiah.

 

Other activities:

• He established Jameyat AlHidayah AlIslamiah (Islamic Guidance Society) which was headed by his friend, Alkhudur Husain Altunisi.
• He was active in Jameyat Alshuban Almuslimeen (Muslim Youth Society) in which he had very strong ties with Hassan AlBana.
• He was an active member in the Cooperative group of North Africa Minorities.
• He was appointed by the Ministry Of Endowments in Egypt to supervise the Ibadhi Endowments in Egypt.
• He also played a crucial role in political Issue in Oman. He was an active member at the Omani Imamate Office in Cairo and Imam Ghalib selected him as a representative to the United Nations to defend the Omani Issue in the 1950s.
• To serve the Islamic Publicity, he travelled to Zanzibar (Tanzania), Nafusa, Libia, Quds, Juresulum, Mizab, Algeria.

 

He died in Egypt on the 20^th of Sha'ban 1385H/ 26^th of December 1965.

Reference:

The Differences between Ibdhis and Khawarij, written by: Sheikh Ibrahim Attfayish, translated by: Muneer AlHadhrami and Abdullah AlRawahi.