Christian Bonaud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christian Bonaud
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| Native name |
Yaḥyā ʿAlawī
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| Born | 1957 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany |
| Died | 26 August 2019 (aged 61–62) Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
| Occupation | Islamologist, philosopher, writer, translator |
| Language | French, German, English, Persian, Arabic |
| Nationality | French |
| Period | 1979–2019 |
| Notable works | L'Imam Khomeyni, un gnostique méconnu du XXe siècle |
Yahya Christian Bonaud (born in 1957 – died on August 26, 2019) was a French thinker, writer, and translator. He was also known as Yaḥyā ʿAlawī. He was an Islamologist, which means he studied Islam deeply. He also taught at a university in Iran called Al-Mustafa International University.
Contents
Christian Bonaud's Early Life
Christian Bonaud was born in 1957 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. His family was Catholic. He lived in Germany and Algeria until he was ten years old. After that, his family moved to Strasbourg, France.
How He Became Muslim
When he was 22, in 1979, Christian Bonaud became interested in the writings of René Guénon. Guénon was a French writer who studied spiritual traditions. Because of Guénon's ideas, Bonaud decided to convert to Islam. He then started learning the Arabic language.
His studies about Islam led him to the works of Henry Corbin. Corbin was a scholar who wrote about Shia Islam, which is a branch of Islam.
Later, Christian Bonaud met Amadou Hampâté Bâ. Bâ was an important spiritual leader from Africa. Under Bâ's guidance, Bonaud chose to follow Shia Islam more closely and changed his name to Yahya Alawi.
His Studies and Writings
Yahya Bonaud wrote his main university paper, called a doctoral dissertation, about Ruhollah Khomeini. Khomeini was a very important religious and political leader in Iran. Bonaud's paper was later published as a book titled L'Imam Khomeyni, un gnostique méconnu du XXe siècle. This means "Imam Khomeini, an unknown gnostic of the 20th century." While writing this paper, he lived in Iran for seven years. During this time, he studied with a respected teacher named Sayyed Jalal-ed-Din Ashtiani.
His Passing Away
Yahya Christian Bonaud died on August 26, 2019. He passed away in a marine accident at sea near Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He was visiting Africa to speak to Muslims about the month of Muharram and the teachings of Husayn ibn Ali. He was 62 years old. His body was taken to Mashhad, Iran, where he had lived for 15 years. His funeral and burial took place there.
What Christian Bonaud Wrote
Yahya Christian Bonaud wrote several books and translated important texts. Here are some of his works:
- L'Imam Khomeyni, un gnostique méconnu du XXe siècle (1997) – This book is about Imam Khomeini.
- French translation of the Qur'an – He translated the holy book of Islam into French.
- Le soufisme: Al-tasawwuf et la spiritualité islamique (1991) – This book is about Sufism, which is a spiritual part of Islam.
- Rituals of the Islamic Revolution
