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Martin Lings
Abū Bakr Sirāj al-Dīn
Lings2.jpg
Lings in 2001
Religion Islam
Alma mater
Personal
Born (1909-01-24)24 January 1909
Burnage, Manchester, England
Died 12 May 2005(2005-05-12) (aged 96)
Westerham, Kent, England
Senior posting
Title Shaykh
Spouse(s) Lesley Smalley (1944–2005)

Martin Lings (born January 24, 1909 – died May 12, 2005) was an English writer and scholar. He was also known by his Arabic name, Abū Bakr Sirāj ad-Dīn. Martin Lings studied with a Swiss thinker named Frithjof Schuon. He was also an expert on the plays of William Shakespeare.

Lings is most famous for his book about the life of the Prophet Muhammad. This book, called Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources, was first published in 1983 and is still very popular today.

Martin Lings: His Early Life and Education

Martin Lings was born in 1909 in Burnage, Manchester, England. His family was Protestant. He started traveling at a young age because his father's job took them to the United States for a long time.

He went to Clifton College and then to Magdalen College, Oxford University. There, he earned a degree in English Language and Literature. At Oxford, he became a close friend of the famous writer C. S. Lewis. After Oxford, Lings taught Anglo-Saxon and Middle English at Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania.

While at Oxford, Lings discovered the writings of René Guénon, a French thinker who had become a Muslim. He also found the works of Frithjof Schuon, a German spiritual teacher. In 1938, Lings met Schuon in Switzerland. This meeting led Lings to follow a spiritual path called the Alawiyya tariqa, which Schuon led. Lings remained a student and supporter of Schuon for the rest of his life.

His Career and Writings

In 1939, Lings traveled to Cairo, Egypt, to visit a friend. Sadly, his friend passed away soon after he arrived. Lings then began to study the Arabic language. Cairo became his home for more than ten years. He taught English at the University of Cairo and directed Shakespeare plays every year.

Lings1
Lings in 1948.

In 1944, Lings married Lesley Smalley. They lived together in a village near the famous pyramids. In 1952, Lings had to leave Egypt because of political unrest against the British.

When he returned to the United Kingdom, he continued his studies. He earned another degree in Arabic and a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. His PhD paper was later turned into a book about an Algerian Sufi teacher named Ahmad al-Alawi.

After finishing his PhD in 1959, Lings worked at the British Museum. Later, he worked at the British Library. He was in charge of eastern manuscripts and other old texts. From 1970 to 1973, he was the Keeper of Oriental Printed Books and Manuscripts. He also wrote many articles for a magazine called Studies in Comparative Religion.

Lings wrote many books throughout his life, especially in his later years. His book about Ahmad al-Alawi was well-received. However, his most famous work was the biography of Muhammad, published in 1983. This book brought him great recognition in the Muslim world. He even received awards from the governments of Pakistan and Egypt. It was called the "best biography of the prophet in English" at a conference in Islamabad.

Lings continued to travel a lot, but he made his home in Kent, England. He passed away on May 12, 2005.

Martin Lings and Shakespeare

Martin Lings also made important contributions to understanding William Shakespeare. He believed that Shakespeare's plays had deeper, hidden spiritual meanings. He also thought that Shakespeare himself was a very spiritual person.

Newer editions of Lings' books about Shakespeare include an introduction written by Charles III, who is now the King of the United Kingdom. Just before he died, Lings gave an interview about his ideas on Shakespeare. This interview was later made into a film called Shakespeare's Spirituality: A Perspective. An Interview With Dr. Martin Lings.

Books by Martin Lings

Here are some of the books Martin Lings wrote:

  • The Underlying Religion (2007)
  • Splendors of Qur'an Calligraphy And Illumination (2005)
  • A Return to the Spirit : Questions and Answers (2005)
  • Sufi Poems : A Mediaeval Anthology (2005)
  • Mecca: From Before Genesis Until Now (2004)
  • The Eleventh Hour: the Spiritual Crisis of the Modern World in the Light of Tradition and Prophecy (2002)
  • Ancient Beliefs and Modern Superstitions (2001)
  • What is Sufism (1999)
  • The Secret of Shakespeare : His Greatest Plays seen in the Light of Sacred Art (1998)
  • A Sufi saint of the twentieth century: Shaikh Ahmad al-°Alawi, his spiritual heritage and legacy (1993)
  • Symbol & Archetype : A Study of the Meaning of Existence (1991)
  • Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources (1983)
  • The Quranic Art of Calligraphy and Illumination (1976)
  • The Book of Certainty: The Sufi Doctrine of Faith, Wisdom and Gnosis (1952)

See also

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