Lineage and Upbringing
He is the renowned scholar of Hadith, the famous linguist, the brilliant man of letters, the accomplished poet, and the pioneering Moroccan traveler: the Salafi scholar, Dr. Muhammad al-Taqi—known as Muhammad Taqi al-Din—son of Abd al-Qadir al-Hilali (tracing his lineage back to Hilal, his eleventh great-grandfather), son of Muhammad (known as “Baba”), son of Abd al-Qadir, son of al-Tayyib, son of Ahmad, son of Abd al-Qadir, son of Muhammad, son of Abd al-Nur, son of Abd al-Qadir, son of Hilal, son of Muhammad, son of Hilal, son of Idris, son of Ghalib, son of Muhammad al-Makki, son of Ismail, son of Ahmad, son of Muhammad, son of Abi al-Qasim, son of Ali, son of Abd al-Qawi, son of Abd al-Rahman, son of Idris, son of Ismail, son of Sulayman, son of Musa al-Kazim, son of Jafar al-Sadiq, son of Muhammad al-Baqir, son of Ali Zayn al-Abidin, son of al-Husayn, son of Ali and Fatimah al-Zahra, daughter of Muhammad, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family.
Thus, as you can see, his lineage traces back to al-Husayn ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with them.
More than one historian has mentioned this, and Sultan Hassan I acknowledged this lineage when he visited Sijilmasa in the year 1311 AH.
His Kunya (Patronymic): Abu Shakib (as he named his firstborn son after his friend, Amir Shakib Arslan).
Born: In the year 1311 AH / 1892 CE.
He was born in al-Faydha al-Qadima, also known as “Al-Farkkh,” a few miles from Rissani. His family roots trace back to the village of Awlad Abd al-Qadir in “Al-Ghurfa” within the land of Sijilmasa, known as Tafilalet, in the Kingdom of Morocco.
He grew up in a household renowned for knowledge and jurisprudence; both his father and grandfather were among the jurists of that region.
His Journeys in Pursuit of Knowledge and Serving the Da’wah
He studied the Qur’an under his grandfather and father, memorizing it by the age of twelve. His father intended to send him to the chief reciter of that era, Sheikh Ahmad ibn Salih, to complete the reading of Tajweed, and also planned to travel with him to Al-Qarawiyyin in Fez to seek knowledge there. However, death overtook his father when Al-Taqi was about thirteen years old.
Consequently, his mother took over this responsibility. He studied the Qur’an from beginning to end with Tajweed under the aforementioned Sheikh, after which he remained for a period without formal education.
Upon reaching the age of majority, he traveled to the Zawiyah of Ait Ishaq in the Ait Akhlaf tribe, staying there for two years before returning to Tafilalet.
He then traveled to Algeria and stayed with the Ahmiyan tribe, with no thoughts of studying until he saw the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in a dream. The Prophet said to him: “Seek knowledge.”
This instilled in him a deep determination to pursue knowledge. He went to the righteous man, Sheikh Muhammad Sidi ibn Habibullah al-Shinqiti, and related his dream to him. The Sheikh gave him a copy of Mukhtasar al-Sheikh Khalil and said, “Start memorizing this book, and whenever we meet, I will explain part of it to you.”
He continued memorizing, and after a while, went to stay with the Sheikh to study jurisprudence and grammar until Allah opened his understanding of Arabic grammar. The Sheikh would even appoint him as his substitute in his absence, until the Sheikh passed away in 1338 AH.
He then headed to the city of Oujda, staying for a time with the scholar and man of letters, Mr. Ahmad al-Skairij, to teach his son, Professor Abd al-Karim, and his nephew, Abd al-Salam. Afterward, he traveled to Fez and attended the lessons of various professors at Al-Qarawiyyin, most notably the meticulous scholar and reformer, Mr. Al-Fatimi al-Sharadi, may Allah have mercy on him.
Among the greatest scholars of Fez whom he met—and the one who had the greatest influence on his life and direction toward studying the sciences of the Book and the Sunnah—was the meticulous scholar and Sheikh of Islam, Muhammad ibn al-Arabi al-Alawi, may Allah have mercy on him. A debate took place between them that changed the course of his life (which we will publish on this platform).
Al-Hilali obtained an ijaza (certification) from Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque, which the German University of Bonn equated to the high school “Baccalaureate” certificate.
He then traveled to Cairo, where he met several scholars, such as Sheikh Abd al-Zahir Abu al-Samh, Sheikh Muhammad Rashid Rida, Sheikh Muhammad al-Rumali, and others. He also attended higher-level classes at Al-Azhar.
He stayed in Egypt for about a year, calling people to Allah, explaining the creed of the Salaf, and criticizing shirk (polytheism) and atheism.
After performing Hajj, he headed to India to fulfill his aspiration for the science of Hadith. There, he met eminent scholars, benefiting and being benefited. Among the greatest scholars he met was the Hadith master and scholar Sheikh Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Rahim al-Mubarakpuri, author of Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi bi Sharh Jami al-Tirmidhi. He studied Hadith under him and received his ijaza.
Al-Mubarakpuri praised him in a poem urging students of knowledge to hold fast to the Hadith and benefit from the aforementioned commentary. That poem was printed in the fourth volume of the Indian edition.
He also stayed with Sheikh Muhammad ibn Husayn ibn Muhsin al-Hadidi al-Ansari al-Yamani, who was residing in India at the time. He read portions of the six major books of Hadith with him and received an ijaza from him as well.
From India, he headed to “Al-Zubayr” (Basra) in Iraq, where he met the Mauritanian Salafi scholar and researcher, Sheikh Muhammad al-Amin al-Shinqiti, founder of the Al-Najat Private School in Al-Zubayr (who is not the famous exegete and author of Adwa al-Bayan).
He benefited from his knowledge and stayed in Iraq for about three years, teaching at the aforementioned “Al-Najat Private School” starting from the beginning of Rabi al-Thani 1340 AH.
He then traveled to Saudi Arabia via Egypt, where Mr. Muhammad Rashid Rida gave him a letter of introduction and recommendation to King Abdulaziz Al Saud, stating: “Muhammad Taqi al-Din al-Hilali al-Maghrebi is the best of the scholars of the horizons to come to you, so I hope you will benefit from his knowledge.”
He stayed as a guest of King Abdulaziz for a few months until he was appointed as a supervisor of teaching in the Prophet’s Mosque, remaining in Medina for two years. He was then transferred to the Sacred Mosque and the Saudi Scientific Institute in Mecca, residing there for one year.
Afterward, he received letters from Indonesia and India requesting him to teach in their schools. He chose to accept the invitation of Sheikh Sulayman Nadwi in the hope of pursuing university studies in India. He became the head professor of Arabic literature at Nadwat al-Ulama College in the city of Lucknow, India, where he stayed for three years, learning the English language, though university studies did not materialize for him there.
At the suggestion of Sheikh Sulayman Nadwi and with the assistance of his student, student Masood Alam Nadwi, he published the magazine Al-Dhiya.
Following this, he traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, and stayed with his friend, the Amir of Eloquence, Shakib Arslan.
Wishing to study at a British university which didn’t pan out, Amir Shakib wrote a letter to a friend in the German Foreign Ministry, saying: “I have a Moroccan literary youth the likes of whom has not entered Germany, and he wishes to study at a university. Perhaps you can find a place for him to teach Arabic literature with a salary to help him study.”
A reply of acceptance soon arrived, and Sheikh al-Hilali traveled to Germany, where he was appointed as a lecturer at the University of Bonn. He began learning the German language, earning his diploma in it after a year, and became a student at the university while simultaneously serving as a lecturer there.
During that period, he translated a great deal from and into German.
After three years in Bonn, he moved to the University of Berlin as a student, lecturer, and supervisor of the Arabic radio broadcast, which he used as a platform to criticize colonialism and resist the French occupation of Morocco.
In 1940 CE, he presented his doctoral dissertation, in which he refuted the claims of certain Orientalists regarding Arabic literature, such as Martin Hartmann and Carl Brockelmann.
The topic of his dissertation was: “The Translation of the Introduction to the Book ‘Al-Jawahir min al-Jawaahir’ with Commentary.” The examination and discussion committee consisted of ten scholars, who unanimously approved granting him the Ph.D. degree in Arabic literature.
During World War II, the Sheikh traveled to Morocco. In 1947 CE, he traveled to Iraq and taught at “Queen Aliyah” College in Baghdad until the military coup occurred in Iraq, prompting him to leave for Morocco in 1959 CE.
During his residence in Morocco—his original homeland—he began calling people to the oneness of Allah, discarding polytheism, and following the methodology of the best generations.
In that same year (1959 CE), he was appointed as a teacher at Mohammed V University in Rabat, and later at its branch in Fez.
In 1968 CE, he received an invitation from His Eminence Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Baz, then President of the Islamic University of Madinah, to work as a professor at the university on secondment from Morocco. Sheikh al-Hilali accepted and worked there until 1974 CE, when he left the university and returned to the city of Meknes in Morocco to dedicate himself fully to calling people to Allah.
He began delivering lessons in mosques and traveling throughout Morocco to spread the call of the pious predecessors.
He was a regular contributor to Al-Fath magazine, founded by Muhibb al-Din al-Khatib, and Al-Manar magazine, founded by Muhammad Rashid Rida, may Allah have mercy on them all.
His Teachers, Students, and Contemporaries
Some of his teachers and those who granted him ijaza, may Allah have mercy on them:
- Sheikh Ahmad al-Salih (studied Tajweed under him in his youth)
- Sheikh Muhammad Sidi ibn Habibullah al-Tandhi al-Shinqiti
- Sheikh Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Rahim al-Mubarakpuri
- Sheikh Muhammad ibn al-Arabi al-Alawi
- Sheikh Al-Fatimi al-Sharadi
- Sheikh Ahmad Skairij
- Sheikh Muhammad ibn Husayn ibn Muhsin al-Hadidi al-Ansari al-Yamani
- Sheikh Muhammad al-Amin al-Shinqiti (not the author of Adwa al-Bayan)
- Sheikh Muhammad Rashid Rida
- Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim
- Sheikh Abd al-Karim al-Sa’iqa al-Iraqi
- Various scholars of Al-Qarawiyyin
- Various scholars of Al-Azhar
Many students studied under Dr. Taqi al-Din al-Hilali in various countries he visited or settled in, including:
- Sheikh Muhammad al-Amin Boukhobza
- Sheikh Hammad ibn Muhammad al-Ansari
- Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al Sheikh (studied Arabic prosody under Al-Hilali)
- Sheikh Umar ibn Hasan Al Sheikh (received an ijaza from Al-Hilali for all his transmitted narrations)
- Sheikh Muhammad ibn Nasir al-Aboudi
- Sheikh Abdullah al-Khayyat, former Imam of the Sacred Mosque in Mecca
- Abul Hasan al-Nadwi
- Masood al-Nadwi
- Muhammad ibn Abboud
- Sheikh Umar Muhsin
- Muhammad ibn Ouda
- And many others too numerous to mention in detail.
Dr. al-Hilali also sat with numerous scholars, callers, and thinkers, including:
- Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Baz
- The grandfather of Dr. Abdullah Nasseef, former Secretary-General of the Muslim World League
- Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Subayil, Imam of the Sacred Mosque in Mecca
- Sheikh Muhammad Salih al-Tuwaijri
- Sheikh Sulayman al-Manea of the Sacred Mosque
- Sheikh Umar Fallatah
- Sheikh Abu Bakr Jabir al-Jaza’iri
- Amir Shakib Arslan
- Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdulwahhab al-Banna
- Sheikh Suwaylim, agent of the Mutawa’ah of King Abdulaziz
- Sheikh Umar Uzbek from Afghanistan
He also had correspondences with many scholars, sheikhs, figures, kings, and princes, which we will work on publishing on the website, by the permission of Allah Almighty.
The Works and Writings of Dr. al-Hilali
The authored works of Dr. Taqi al-Din al-Hilali, may Allah have mercy on him, are extremely numerous, and compiling them is no easy task as they were written across various eras and diverse locations. Many of his books originated as serialized articles published in parts and later gathered into books, while others were concise treatises, among other formats.
Key Magazines to Which Dr. al-Hilali Contributed
- Al-Dhiya: Founded by him; it contains twenty-six articles written by him.
- Moroccan Magazines: Al-Iman, Al-Alam, Majalat Dar al-Hadith al-Hassania, Al-Mithaq, Al-Hurriya, Da’wat al-Haqq, Lisan al-Din, Al-Irshad, Al-Safir, Al-Maghrib al-Jadid, Al-Wihda al-Maghrebiya, Al-Rif, Al-Ihya, and Al-Majala al-Islamiyya.
- Indian Magazines: Al-Jami’a al-Salafiyya, Al-Ba’th al-Islami, Al-Jami’a, and Sawt al-Umma.
- Afghan Magazine: Islah.
- Pakistani Magazine: Al-I’tisam.
- Kuwaiti Magazine: Al-Wa’y al-Islami.
- Egyptian Magazines: Al-Manar, Al-Fath, Al-Alam al-Masri, Al-Huda al-Nabawi, Al-Tawhid, Al-Shabab, and the Muslim Brotherhood Newspaper.
- Iraqi Magazines: Al-Sijil, Al-Thughr, Sada al-Shabban al-Muslimin, Al-Hidaya, Al-Nas, Al-Thaqafa al-Islamiyya, Al-Ukhuwwah al-Imaniyya, and the Magazine of the College of Arts and Sciences.
- Syrian Magazines: Al-Tamaddun al-Islami, Haddarat al-Islam, and Al-Alam Newspaper.
- Palestinian Magazine: Al-Jami’a al-Islamiyya (founded by Hajj Muhammad Amin al-Husseini).
- Algerian Magazines: Al-Jami’a al-Arabiyya, Al-Sirat al-Sawiy, Al-Basa’ir, Al-Shihab, and Sahifat al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyya.
- Saudi Magazines: Sawt al-Hijaz, Al-Jami’a al-Islamiyya, and Al-Buhuth al-Islamiyya.
Major Authored Works
- Al-Zand al-Wari wal-Badr al-Sari fi Ikhtisaar wa Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari (Volume 1 only)
- Al-Ilham wal-In’am fi Tafsir Surat al-An’am
- Al-Isfar ‘an al-Haqq fi Mas’alat al-Sufoor wal-Hijab
- Al-Anwar al-Muttaba’ah fi Tahqiq Sunnat al-Jum’ah
- Ahkam al-Khula’ fi al-Islam
- Sabil al-Rashad fi Hady Khayr al-‘Ibad
- Al-Barahin al-Injiliyya ‘ala anna ‘Isa Dakhil fi al-‘Ubudiyyah wa Bari’ min al-Uluhiyyah
- Al-Jaysh al-Jarrar min Ahadith al-Mukhtar fi anna al-Ruba’iyyah Rak’atan fi Jami’ al-Asfar
- Al-Husam al-Mahiq likuli Mushrik wa Munafiq
- Al-Da’wah ila Allah fi Aqtar Mukhtalifah
- Al-Siraj al-Munir fi Tanbih Jama’at al-Tabligh ‘ala Akhtaihim
- Al-Turuq al-Shar’iyyah li-Hall al-Mashakil al-Zawjiyyah (co-authored with Sheikh Sulayman ibn Muhammad al-Humaydi)
- Al-‘Ilm al-Mathur, wal-‘Alam al-Mansur, wal-Liwa’ al-Manshur fi al-Radd ‘ala Ahl al-Ghurur, al-Mustanjidin bil-Maqbur
- Al-Qadi al-Adl fi Hukm al-Bina’ ‘ala al-Qubur
- Al-Hadiyya al-Hadiyya lil-Ta’ifa al-Tijaniyya
- Taqwim al-Lisanayn
- Dawa’ al-Shakin wa Qami’ al-Mushakkikin fi al-Radd ‘ala al-Mulhidin
- Mukhtasar Hady al-Khalil fi al-Aqa’id wa ‘Ibadat al-Jalil
- Lisan al-Din (Volume 1 of a magazine he used to issue in Tetouan)
- Rihla min al-Zubayr ila Geneva
- Man Yurafiquni ila Berlin bi-Qismiha al-Sharqi wal-Gharbi
- Rihla ila Dir’a fi al-Janub al-Sharqi lil-Maghrib
- Rihla ila Almaniya
- Tarikh al-Lughat al-Samiyyah
- Al-Lughah al-Arabiyyah bayna Awliya’iha wa A’da’iha (from the lectures of the Damascus University Mosque)
- Al-Sadiqat al-Thalath (a story)
- Fakak al-Asir al-Ani Makbool bil-Kibl al-Tijani
- Al-‘Uqud al-Durriyya fi Man’ Tahdid al-Dhurriyya
- Kitab al-Futuwwa by Ibn Mimar al-Baghdadi (verified in collaboration with other authors)
- Al-Subh al-Safir fi Hukm Salat al-Musafir
- Al-Sirat al-Mustaqim fi Sifat Salat al-Nabi al-Karim
- I’lam al-Khass wal-‘Amm bi-Butlan al-Rak’ah li-man Fatathu al-Fatihah wal-Qiyam
- Hukm Tarik al-Salat ‘Amman hatta Yakhruja Waqtuha
- Awqat al-Salat ‘an al-Nabi Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam
- Bayan al-Fajr al-Sadiq wa Imtiyazihi ‘an al-Fajr al-Kadhib
- Dalil al-Hajj al-Hanif
- Qabsah min Anwar al-Wahy
- Fath al-Rahman fi Tafsir Umm al-Quran
- Sabb al-Qadianiyyin lil-Islam wa Tasmiyatuhu al-Shajarah al-Mal’unah wa Jawabuhum
- Hukm Musafahat al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah lil-Rijal al-Ajانب
- Al-Thaqafah allati Nahtaju Ilayha
- Ta’lim al-Inath wa Tarbiyatuhunna
- Ma Waqa’a fi al-Quran bi-Ghayr Lughat al-Arab
- Akhlaq al-Shabab al-Muslim
- Aal al-Bayt Ma Lahum wa Ma ‘Alayhim
Annotations:
- Annotation on Kitab al-Tawhid by Sheikh al-Islam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab
- Annotation on Kashf al-Shubuhat by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab
- Various annotations on the Gospel of Matthew
Poetic Works:
- Fadl al-Kabir al-Muta’ali (Diwan of poetry)
- “Al-Hadiyat” (Four poems from his early poetry)
- Asma’ Allah al-Husna (A poem)
- Min Wahy al-Andalus (A poem)
- Qurrat al-Ayn fi Madh al-Malakayn (Coolness of the Eyes in Praising the Two Kings)
- Along with other poems, some of which were preserved while the rest were lost.
Works in Translation:
- Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Quran in the English Language (adapted from the exegeses of Al-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, and Sahih al-Bukhari), co-authored with Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan
- Ph.D. Dissertation: Translation of the introduction to the book Al-Jawahir fi al-Jawahir with commentary (in German)
- The Plays of Muhammad ibn Daniyal: An Introduction and Overview of Their Contents (in English)
- How the Jews of the United States Raise Their Children (translated from English)
- Arab Civilization in Andalusia (translated from English)
- The Tabaqat among the Arabs (an article in German)
His Passing
On Monday, 25 Shawwal 1407 AH, corresponding to June 22, 1987 CE, the Islamic Ummah was struck by the tragedy of losing this great luminary among the figures of Da’wah and reform.
This took place at his home in the city of Casablanca, Morocco.
A massive gathering of people attended his funeral procession, led by scholars, intellectuals, and politicians.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Indeed, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it away from His servants, but rather He takes away knowledge by taking the lives of scholars. Until, when no scholar remains, the people take ignorant leaders as heads; they are asked, and they give rulings without knowledge, so they go astray and lead others astray.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
We ask Allah, the Most Generous, to shower the Sheikh with His vast mercy and admit him into His spacious gardens.
His Final Moments
A man who used to sit with Sheikh Muhammad Taqi al-Hilali, may Allah have mercy on him—and whom the Sheikh visited at his home—Mr. Abd al-Ilah al-Sharqawi (residing in Morocco currently), recounted to us that a cousin of the Sheikh, known in Morocco as “Al-Hilali,” narrated the following to him:
In the final days of his life, Sheikh Muhammad Taqi al-Hilali, may Allah have mercy on him, was ill and bedridden, unable to perform Wudu (ablution), so he used to perform Tayammum (dry ablution). He did not hold the view of performing Tayammum with a stone; rather, he performed it with soil. He kept a bag filled with soil in his house for that very purpose. Whenever it was suggested to him to perform Tayammum with a stone, he would say, “No, this is the action of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him” (meaning Tayammum with soil).
One day, he said to his household, “Bring me water for Wudu.”
They said to him, “You cannot perform Wudu, so perform Tayammum instead.”
However, he insisted on performing Wudu, so they brought him water. He performed Wudu, may Allah have mercy on him, prayed two Rak’ahs, and reclined on his bed.
He then asked those present in his house, “Who among you is proficient in reading the Qur’an?”
One of them recited Surah Ya-Sin to him while he listened until it was completed. Then the Sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, said to him, “Repeat the recitation starting from the words of the Almighty: {Does man not consider that We created him from a sperm-drop - then at once he is an open adversary?} [Surah Ya-Sin: 77].”
The reciter repeated the reading until he finished the words of the Almighty: {And he presents for Us an example and forgets his [own] creation. He says, “Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?”} [Surah Ya-Sin: 78].
At that moment, the Sheikh raised his finger toward the sky (meaning as if to say: Allah is the One who gives life to bones while they are disintegrated), and his soul departed at that very instant.
May Allah bestow vast mercy upon him and grant us all a good ending. Amen.
- Credit for acquiring this report goes—after Allah Almighty—to the noble brother Abu al-Mahasin Muhsin al-Maghrebi, may Allah reward him well. He was the one who told us about Mr. Abd al-Ilah al-Sharqawi, so we contacted the latter and he narrated it to us.