Muḥammad ʿAbduh, Egyptian religious scholar, jurist, and liberal reformer. As a student in Cairo, he came under the influence of Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī. He was exiled for political radicalism (1882–88); he began his judicial career when he returned to Egypt. He rose from judge to muftī (legal counselor) in 1899. In his Treatise on the Oneness of God, he argued that Islam was superior to Christianity because it was more receptive to science and civilization. He liberalized Islamic law and administration, promoting considerations of equity, welfare, and common sense, even when this meant disregarding the literal texts of the Qurʾān.
Similar information
- Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal summary: Learn about the life of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and his contributions to Islam
- Muhammad summary: Know about the life of Muhammad and the establishment of Islam
- Adolf von Baeyer summary: Learn about Adolf von Baeyer, his work on synthesizing indigo, and his contributions to chemistry