Muhammad Abduh

Muhammad Abduh was a prominent figure of the Arab Nahda and Islamic modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was influenced by Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, a revolutionary pan-Islamic preacher who stimulated his interest in theology, philosophy, and politics. Abduh advocated for the reform of Islamic teachings and institutions in the modern world, and challenged the rigidity of Muslim ritual, dogma, and family ties. He also opposed the foreign domination of Egypt and the Muslim world, and supported the nationalist movement led by Urabi Pasha. He was exiled from Egypt several times for his political activities, and traveled to Paris, Beirut, London, and Tunis. He wrote several influential works, such as Risalat al-Tawhid (The Theology of Unity), a commentary on the Quran, and articles for Al-Manar and Al-Ahram. He was appointed as the Grand Mufti of Egypt in 1899, and used his position to effect reforms in Islamic law, administration, and higher education. He died of kidney cancer in 1905.