Un projet de réforme pour l'Université d'al-Azhar en 1928 : le Mémorandum du shaykh al-Marâghî

• Main Author: Francine Costet-Tardieu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Université de Provence 2002-04-01
• Series: Revue des Mondes Musulmans et de la Méditerranée
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/remmm/231

The Egyptian shaykh Marâghî, born in 1881 and disciple of Muhammad 'Abduh, became shaykh of al-Azhar in May 1928. Two months later, he addressed a Memorandum to King Fu'âd and the Egyptian prime minister about problems concerning al-Azhar and the reforms which he wished to undertake. The present study essentially consists in providing a complete and annotated translation of the Memorandum. In his Memorandum, Shaykh Marâghî writes about the mission of the ulama and discusses reforms necessary for assuring the best training for ulama at al-Azhar which would permit them to understand the needs of the modern world. The reforms suggested by Marâghî aimed at restoring the prestige and the influence of al-Azhar in the Muslim world as well as assuring the professional future of its students. Legislation based on this Memorandum was never signed by the king and Shaykh Marâghî resigned in 1929 ; he did, however, become shaykh once more of al-Azhar from 1935 to 1945.