Stories of M. A. Sheikho

Mohammad Amin Sheikho
Birth‭: ‬1890‭ ‬A.D‭.‬
Death‭: ‬1964‭ ‬A.D‭.‬
Precept‭: ‬Interpretation of the Holy Qur'an

Early Years
Scholar Sheikho was born in al-Ward district in Sarouja Quarter‭, ‬one of the historical districts of Damascus‭, ‬in Syria which was called mini-Istanbul during the period of the Ottoman rule‭. ‬He was raised in an Arab style house situated opposite the famous public al-Ward Bathhouse‭. ‬This house stands there to the present day‭.‬

Scholar Sheikho was still young when his father‭, ‬the merchant Ismael Sheikho‭, ‬departed this world‭. ‬Mohammad Saleem‭, ‬the only and elder brother of Mohammad Amin‭, ‬was assigned as a director of the Military School during the Ottoman rule‭.‬

Education
At the age of twelve the boy who was to become the great scholar was enrolled at al-Rashidiya School‭, ‬he then went on to complete his studies in Amber‭, ‬the Royal Ottoman Faculty in Damascus‭. ‬He received many certificates of praise and commendation during the Ottoman rule and then under the reign of King Faisal in Syria‭. ‬There are many copies of these certificates still preserved in trustworthy hands‭.‬

One of His Pupils
Professor A‭. ‬K‭. ‬John‭, ‬alias al-Dayrani is the best known and most distinguished among the pupils of Scholar Sheikho‭. ‬He received a certificate of General Education‭ (‬a Syrian certificate which included the study of nine different sciences‭). ‬Prof‭. ‬al-Dayrani collected and verified more than fifty books which were dictated by Scholar Sheikho and written on his behalf‭. ‬Therefore his name is always mentioned in association with the name of Mohammad Amin Sheikho‭.‬

A Glimpse of his distinguished thoughts and views
‭- ‬He disclosed the true meaning of the letters‭ (‬acronyms‭) ‬that are reported at the beginning of the Fortresses of the Holy Qur'an‭, ‬which was not understood by previous Muslim scholars and said that‭, "‬Al'lah knows best His Purpose behind them.î
‭- ‬He disproved the stories which are ascribed wrongly to the noble Envoy Mohammad‭ (‬cpth‭), ‬such as the story of his being affected by the action of magic‭, ‬the story of cutting his noble chest‭ (‬cpth‭), ‬and all that would put him‭ (‬cpth‭) ‬in the wrong‭.‬
‭- ‬He elucidated that the noble Prophets are impeccable in all of their words‭, ‬actions and deeds‭.‬
‭- ‬He was the first in the world to reveal the source of fresh spring and river water‭, ‬which is the ice of the North and South Poles‭.‬
‭- ‬He gave an exact definition of the "human spirit" and clarified the difference between that and the "soul".‬
‭- ‬He differentiated between the "mind" and "thought"
‭- ‬He talked about al-Azal world‭, ‬the very beginning of creation in the world of immaterial spirits‭, ‬and demonstrated the Godly Justice in that world and the reason for the coming of mankind to this world‭.‬
‭- ‬He elucidated the wisdom in turning towards al-ka'ba when communicating with God‭ (‬praying‭); ‬he explained the reason for fasting and the meaning of the Night of al-Qadr‭ (‬Evaluation‭) ‬and how to attain it‭.‬
‭- ‬He interpreted from the noble Qur'an how to derive the proportion of Zakat‭ (‬almsgiving‭).‬