Some Muslim scholars and notable figures who passed away in 2022

According to the Gregorian calendar utilised by most countries, it is a new year. In the midst of all the New Year’s celebrations and talks about the previous year, we believe it is vital to remind our brethren of another tragedy that befalls us as time passes: the death of scholars. Ibn Mas’ud, was reported to have said that “The death of a scholar is a loss that cannot be replaced for as long as the day and night alternate.” In a hadith reported by al-Bukhari, the Prophet is quoted as saying, “Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by removing it from (the hearts of) the people, but by taking away the scholars...” 

In light of this, we think it appropriate to remind our brethren of the impending disaster by remembering the scholars, intellectuals, and prominent Muslims who passed away in 2022 across the Muslim world. We ask Allah to have mercy on them and forgive them for their misdeeds. We also pray that Allah grants us the ability to benefit from the good they have left behind on earth and to add to it. Amin.

This list is organised by order of dates of death, and basic information about each individual is provided.

Shaykh Saleh al-Luhaidan (Saudi Arabia)

Al-Luhaidan was born in 1932 in Saudi Arabia. He was an influential person in the Saudi judiciary. He held the position of President of the Supreme Judicial Council until 2009. He gave lessons in the Grand Mosque, which were broadcast. He died on January 5 2022, at the age of 90

Dr. Ahamed Bamba (Ghana/Nigeria)

Dr Ahmad Bamba was born in 1940 in Kumasi, Ghana. He worked as a lecturer at Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria. He was known for his great knowledge of hadith. He died on January 7, 2022.

Shaykh Jawdat Said (Syria/Turkey)

Jawdat Said, a Syrian Islamic thinker, author and proponent of non-violence, opposed the fanaticism of some of the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideologues. He was born in 1931 in Syria’s Golan region. He taught in Saudi Arabia and Syria and addressed Muslims in different countries. He died in exile in Turkey on January 30 2022.

Moldo Sabır Dosbol Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)

Moldo Sabır Dosbol Uulu was born in Batken Kyrgyzstan in 1956.  He is a prolific author who authored and translated many Islamic books into the Kyrgyz language. He was a member of the Council of Ulama in Krygyzstan. He died on March 5, 2022.

Shaykh Mahmud Efendi (Turkey)

Shaykh Mahmud Ustaosmanoglu, also known as Sheikh Mahmud Effendi, was a famous personality in Turkey. He was a Sufi shaykh with millions of followers and established various religious, social and charity organisations worldwide. He has a Qur'an tafsir named Ruh al-Furkan in Turkish. He died on June 23 2022.

Shaykh Muhammad Al-Shareef (Canada)

Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef was born to Egyptian parents in 1975 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He graduated with a degree in Islamic Law from the Islamic University of Madinah in 1999. As the founder of Al-Maghrib Institute in 2002, he pioneered a revival of interest in Islamic knowledge by making it more accessible to young English-Speaking Muslims. He passed away on July 21, 2022, in Dubai, UAE.

Yusuf al-Qaradawi (Egypt/Qatar)

Yusuf al-Qaradawi is an Egyptian Islamic theologian born in 1926. He is the former president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars. He is known for his work on Islamic legal issues, particularly finance and family law. Some of his jurisprudential opinions open the door for debates. He is famous for his programmes on Al-Jazeera TV. He died on September 26, 2022.

Prof. Mohamed Benchekroun (Morocco/France)

Mohamed Benchekroun was a famed Moroccan Islam scholar who spent his life in Morocco and France. He was perhaps most well-known for his 10-volume translation and explanation of the Quran into French. Born in Marrakech in 1932, he passed away on September 29 2022.

Shaykh AbdulGaniy Aboto (Nigeria)

Shaykh AbdulGaniy Aboto was a Nigerian preacher from Nigerian Kwara state. He was born in 1968. He was known to be a great hafidh of the Qur’an and a bold preacher who discussed societal ills and faith in his lectures. He died in a car accident on September 30 2022.

Osama Muhammad Abd al-Azim

Osama Muhammad Abd al-Azim Hamza was an Egyptian Islamic scholar. He was born on January 25 1948. He was a Professor of Jurisprudence at the Faculty of Islamic Studies for Boys at Al-Azhar University, Cairo. He has authored many fundamentalist books and scientific research. He died on October 3 2022.

Shaykh Muhammad Swalihu (Kenya)

Imam Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu was born in 1949. He served as imam of the Jamia Mosque, Kenya’s largest mosque, for 27 years. He specialised in Fiqh (Islamic Law) and other Islamic studies, including Hadith, Tawheed, and Seerah. He taught Islamic-related topics around the areas of his study in his broadcasts. The renowned imam died on October 11 following a battle with cancer.

Prof. Mohammad Nejatullah Siddiqi (India)

Mohammad Nejatullah Siddiqi was an economist and Islamic scholar born in India in 1922. He was known for his contributions to the field of Islamic economics and served as the director of the Islamic Research and Training Institute of the Islamic Development Bank in Saudi Arabia. Siddiqi was also a prolific author and wrote several books on economics, finance, and Islam. Perhaps his most widely read book is Banking without interest which was published in 27 editions between 1973 and 2000 in 3 languages and is held by 220 libraries worldwide. Siddiqi died in California, USA, on November 12 2022.

Maulana Rafi Usmani (Pakistan)

Maulana Rafi Usmani is an Islamic scholar known for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and other religious disciplines. Usmani is also a prolific author and has written numerous books on Islam and its teachings. He is the son of the late Grand Mufti of Pakistan, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, and has served as a member of the Islamic Fiqh Council of the Muslim World League. He died on November 18, 2022.

Shaykh Ubayd Al-Jabriri (Saudi Arabia)

‘Ubayd ibn ‘Abdillāh al-Jābirī is a Saudi Arabian scholar who used to be the imam of Masjid Sabq in Madinah. He is known for his various works on tafsir, aqida and fiqh. He passed away on November 22 2022.

Kimsanbay Azji Abdurahmanov (Kyrgyzstan)

He was born in Batikent, Kyrgyzstan 1940. The pioneer mufti of Kyrgyzstan after the country’s independence. He was the head of Bukhara’s Miri Arab Academy, Uzbekistan, where he studied earlier. He was a diplomat and known for his works in Islamic law. He was the head of the union of central Asia and Kazakhstan Muslims between 1971-1976, where he acted as the editor-in-chief of East Muslims of Soviet Magazine. He studied Islamic law at Jordan University, Jordan. He served in various capacities in dawah activities in Kyrgyzstan and central Asia. He died on November 23 2022.

Shaykh Mahmoud al-Tahaan

Shaykh Mahmoud al-Tahaan is a Syrian scholar born in 1935. He was based in Kuwait, where he taught the knowledge of hadith. His works have been taught worldwide for decades, and his Taysir Mustalahat -l-Hadith is among the most famous in the field of hadith fundamentals. He passed away on November 24, 2022.

Idrakpost Editorial Board