Mahmoud Shaltout facts for kids

Mahmoud Shaltout (1893–1963) (Arabic: محمود شلتوت) was an important Egyptian expert in Islamic law and a learned person. He worked to make big changes at al-Azhar University in Cairo. Al-Azhar is a very old and famous center for Islamic learning. During the 1960s, Shaltout was the top religious leader in Egypt.

He started his religious education in Alexandria, Egypt. Then he spent many years studying at al-Azhar University in Cairo. He worked his way up to become the head of the university, known as its rector. Shaltout wrote many books about sharia (Islamic law) and tafsir (explaining religious texts). Many people see him as a great example of the ideas of Imam Muhammad Abduh.

About Mahmoud Shaltout

Mahmoud Shaltout was born in a farming village in Lower Egypt. He was a very good student at the religious school in Alexandria. Later, he continued to shine at al-Azhar. In 1927, he became a teacher of Islamic law (fiqh) at al-Azhar.

The next year, a leader named Muhammad Mustafa al-Maraghi became the head of al-Azhar. He wanted to make many changes. Shaltout was one of his strongest supporters. When al-Maraghi had to leave his job, Shaltout kept pushing for these important changes.

Working for Change

Shaltout himself held many modern ideas. He believed the Quran should be translated into other languages. He also wanted to improve relations with Shia Muslims. He even suggested sending students from al-Azhar to Europe for advanced studies.

He also wanted to allow women to study at al-Azhar. And he thought that science and technical subjects should be taught there too. Even with all these new ideas, he managed to stay a reformer inside al-Azhar. This was different from other modern thinkers like Taha Hussein, who ended up outside the university. Shaltout helped get support for Nasser against the Muslim Brothers. This happened when King Faruq was not happy with Shaltout.

Bringing Muslims Together

Mahmoud Shaltout worked hard to bring Sunnis and Shiites closer. He issued a fatwa (a religious opinion or ruling). This fatwa officially recognized the Twelver Shiite law. He said it was a fifth school of law, alongside the four main Sunni schools.

This was a big step towards uniting Muslims around the world. The Shiite school of law is called "Ja'fari." This name comes from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (who died in 765). The term "Ja'fari" became more common in the 1900s. People used it when trying to add Shi'ism as a fifth school of law (madhhab).

In 1959, Shaltout gave an interview that led to his famous fatwa. He clearly stated that Muslims are free to follow any of the five schools of thought.

The Fatwa of Unity

The fatwa by Mahmoud Shaltout was published in 1959. It was titled Islam: the religion of unity. It had two main reasons behind it. First, it talked about the historical respect and tolerance between different Sunni law schools. It also included the Shi'i school.

Second, it warned about the harmful effects of prejudice between different Muslim schools of fiqh. Shaltout felt that the spirit of ijtihad (independent reasoning in Islamic law) had turned into arguments. He believed that all schools of fiqh should be open to accepting ideas from each other. They should accept any idea that follows Islamic rules. This would help make sure families and society are well. As a first step, the Ja'fari school of fiqh was added to the lessons at al-'Azhar.

His Views on Apostasy

Shaltout believed that simply not believing in Islam (kufr) is not a reason to kill someone. He thought that a person who leaves Islam (an apostate) should not be killed. This is because the punishment for leaving Islam is in hellfire, not in this world. Mahmoud Shaltout based this idea on parts of the Qur'an. He concluded that leaving Islam does not have a worldly penalty. The Qur'an only talks about punishment in the afterlife.