Al-Manār (Arabic: المنار; 'The Lighthouse'), was an Islamic magazine, written in Arabic, and was founded, published and edited by Rashid Rida from 1898 until his death in 1935 in Cairo, 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 a pan-Islamic Caliphate.[3]
 Cover of the second issue of Al Manār magazine, 1899 | |
| Editor-in-chief | Rashid Rida |
|---|---|
| Categories |
|
| Frequency |
|
| Founder |
|
| Founded | 1898 |
| Final issue | 1940 |
| Country | Egypt |
| Based in | Cairo |
| Language | Arabic |
History and profile
Al-Manār was founded by 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 disseminate reformist ideas and preserve the unity of the Muslim 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 sole editor-in-chief of the magazine.[2] Its content was heavily about Quranic interpretations.[6] Rida published numerous articles in Al-Manār which praised the Wahhabi movement in Arabia.[7] One of the contributors was Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi, a scholar from Aleppo, Syria.[8] His book, Umm al-Qura, was serialized in Al-Manār from April 1902 to February 1903 which proposed the establishment of an Arab Caliphate.[9] The magazine also featured articles on politics[6] and covered the coronation of King Hussein as the ruler of Hejaz in October 1916.[10]
In addition to championing the beliefs of the Arabian Muwahhidun movement, Al-Manar also popularised the treatises of major Salafi theologians of Yemen. These included Nayl al-Autar & Irshad al-Fuhul by Al-Shawkani and Subul al-Salam by Ibn al-Amir Al-San’ani. Outlining the religious orientation of his magazine, Rashid Rida wrote:
“since its inception, al-Manar has been preaching the pure oneness [of God] and the views of the early pious generation (madhhab al-salaf) in matters [related to] the dogmas and guidance of Islam. 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)"[11]
Al-Manār was one of the earliest Arab publications which called attention to the Zionist threat against Palestine.[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 of Muslim Brotherhood was the publisher of Al-Manār.[8]
Legacy
Al-Manar advocated for a fundamentalist revival of the methodology and doctrine of the Salaf al-Salih based on the writings of classical Hanbali theologian Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah (728 A.H/1263 C.E); communicating these ideas in such a way that mobilised the Muslim masses both culturally and politically.[14] The intellectual heritage of Al-Manār is one of the basic tenets adopted by the popular movements in Arab World, including the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the Association of Algerian ‘Ulama’ in Algeria.[8] Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hasan Al Banna, praised Al-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, including Shura, a Turkic language magazine published in Orenburg from 1908 to 1918.[16][17]
See also
References
External links
- Al-Manār issues, in the Internet Archive
Media related to Al-Manar magazine at Wikimedia Commons
