 Cover of the second issue ofAl Manār magazine, 1899 | |
| Editor-in-chief | Rashid Rida |
|---|---|
| Categories |
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| Frequency |
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| Founder |
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| Founded | 1898 |
| Final issue | 1940 |
| Country | Egypt |
| Based in | Cairo |
| Language | Arabic |
Al-Manār (Arabic:المنار; 'The Lighthouse') was anIslamic magazine, written inArabic, and was founded, published and edited byRashid Rida from 1898 until his death in 1935 inCairo, Egypt.[1][2] The magazine championed the superiority of Islamic religious system over other ideologies and was noteworthy for its campaigns for the restoration of apan-IslamicCaliphate.[3]
Al-Manār was founded by the Sunni scholarMuhammad Rashid Rida in 1898,[2] and his brother, Salih Rida, was also instrumental in the establishment of the magazine.[4] They were both members of the Decentralization Party.[4] Their goal in establishing the magazine was to articulate and disseminatereformist ideas and preserve the unity of theMuslim nations.[5] The magazine was based in Cairo.[1][6] It was started as a weekly, but later its frequency was switched to monthly.[1]
Rashid Rida was the soleeditor-in-chief of the magazine.[2] Its content was heavily aboutQuranic interpretations.[6] Rida published numerous articles inAl-Manār which praised theWahhabi movement in Arabia.[7] One of the contributors wasAbd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi, a scholar fromAleppo, Syria.[8] His book,Umm al-Qura, was serialized inAl-Manār from April 1902 to February 1903 which proposed the establishment of anArab Caliphate.[9] The magazine also featured articles onpolitics[6] and covered the coronation ofKing Hussein as theruler of Hejaz in October 1916.[10]
In addition to championing the beliefs of the ArabianMuwahhidun movement,Al-Manar also popularised the treatises of major Salafi theologians ofYemen. These includedNayl al-Autar andIrshad al-Fuhul byAl-Shawkani andSubul al-Salam by Ibn al-Amir Al-San’ani. Outlining the religious orientation of his magazine, Rashid Rida wrote:[11]
since its inception,al-Manar has been preaching thepure oneness [of God] and the views of the early pious generation (madhhab al-salaf) in matters [related to] the dogmas and guidance ofIslam. As for matters relating to governance and power, it [i.e.,al-Manar, has been advocating] the arts of the age and the laws of nature (funun al-asr wa sunan al-khalq)
Al-Manār was one of the earliest Arab publications which called attention to theZionist threat againstPalestine.[12] The magazine claimed in 1898 that the Zionists were attempting to occupy Palestine.[12] It repeated the same fears in 1902.[12]
Following the death of Rashid Rida in 1935,Al-Manār was irregularly published until 1940.[8] In October 1939 it was temporarily banned by the Egyptian government.[13] Two issues were published by the heirs of Rida, and from 1939 to 1940 the Association ofMuslim Brotherhood was the publisher ofAl-Manār.[8]
Al-Manar advocated for afundamentalist revival of the methodology and doctrine of theSalaf al-Salih based on the writings of classicalHanbali theologianAhmad ibn Taymiyyah (728 AH/1263 CE); communicating these ideas in such a way that mobilised the Muslim masses both culturally and politically.[14] The intellectual heritage ofAl-Manār has been adopted and championed by Islamic religious movements and organizations inArab world, including theMuslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the Association of Algerian ‘Ulama’ inAlgeria.[8] Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood,Hasan Al Banna, praisedAl-Manar as one of "the greatest influences in the service of Islam for this age in Egypt and in other areas."[15]
Al-Manār inspired various journals, includingShura, aTurkic language magazine published inOrenburg between 1908 and 1918.[16][17]
Media related toAl-Manar magazine at Wikimedia Commons