Muhammad Hamidullah | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | 19 February 1908 |
| Died | 17 December 2002(2002-12-17) (aged 94) |
| Era | Modern era |
| Main interest(s) | Islamic law,international Law,Quranictafsir andhadith |
| Notable idea(s) | Evolution ofIslamic,international Law |
| Alma mater | Jamia Nizamia,Osmania University,Bonn University,Sorbonne University |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| School | Shafi‘i |
| Muslim leader | |
| Teacher | Manazir Ahsan Gilani,Abul Wafa Al Afghani[1] |
Influenced | |
Muhammad Hamidullah (19 February 1908 – 17 December 2002) was an Indian Islamic scholar from the princelystate of Hyderabad. He wrote dozens of books and hundreds of articles onIslamic science,history andculture.
Hamidullah was born in Hyderabad, the capital city ofHyderabad State, (nowHyderabad,Telangana,India) the youngest amongst three brothers and five sisters. Both his great-grandfather and his grandfather were Islamic scholars who authored commentaries on theQuran.[2]
Hamidullah's father Mufti Abu Mohammad Khalilullah, was a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence, a director of revenue in the government of theNizam of Hyderabad, and a pioneer in establishing an interest-free banking system in Hyderabad.[3]
Hamidullah obtained the degree ofMaulawi Kamil with distinction from Madrasah Nizamiyah, followed by a BA, LLB and MA in international law fromOsmania University. He then travelled to Germany and was awarded a D.Phil. byBonn University in 1932. After serving in the faculty of Bonn as a lecturer in Arabic and Urdu for a short time, he registered atSorbonne University in France for his second doctorate. He was awardedD.Litt. by the university after 11 months. He taught international law at Osmania University between 1936 and 1946.[4]
In 1948, Hamidullah was appointed by theNizam as a representative of Hyderabad at the United Nations. FollowingIndia's annexation of Hyderabad in 1948, Hamidullah rejected both Pakistani and Indian citizenship. Classed as aRefugee of Hyderabad by the French Government, he lived in exile in Paris. Hamidullah was a research fellow at theFrench National Centre for Scientific Research from 1954 until he retired in 1978. He also gave regular lectures at Turkish universities during this time.[5]
He is known for his contributions to the research ofHadith, translating the Quran into multiple languages, and for his biography of the Islamic prophetMuhammad in French.[6][7]
Hamidullah received theHilal-i-Imtiaz award from the government of Pakistan in 1985. He donated the award's prize money to the Islamic Research Academy at theInternational Islamic University in Islamabad.[8]
In 1996, Hamidullah moved toJacksonville, Florida in the United States of America. He died on 17 December 2002.[9]
Having "authored over 100 books in English, French, German, Arabic and Urdu, and about 1000 scholarly essays and articles on the various aspects of Islam and related areas",[10] Muhammad Hammidullah's notable publications include :
