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A NEWLY DISCOVERED LETTER BY SHEIKH MUHAMMAD ABDUH (D.1905) BRING INSIGHT INTO HIS POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AFTER URABI REVOLUTION
Abstract
Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905) is an Egyptian philosopher, sociologist, and reformer and is ranked as one of the most remarkable ?gures in the contemporary Muslim world. On his death in 1323/1905 he left numerous disciples and many works of real interest and inestimable value. He was, and still is, commonly given the superb title “al-Ustadh al-Imam” (The Master and Guide); this title alone shows the in?uence that he had upon his contemporaries. Recently, a collection of manuscripts and rare books was found in London where a few items are attributed to Muhammad Abduh. One of the items in the collection is a letter that seems to be a hidden document was written with the help of a group of British politicians to be sent to Egyptians politicians and leaders of the broken National Party for them to comment and sign the document. Interestingly, the letter is written in the middle of a manuscript include translation of three chapters from Plato's The Republic. This paper aims to demonstrate the content of this letter where he listed the steps to restore an Egyptian democratic government. The letter brings more insights into Egyptian political life in this period. To this end, the article will look into the history of the political parties in Egypt in this period including the National Party that was first emerged in 1879 and vanished when British troops occupied Egypt in September 1882 to restore order. More importantly, the letter might throw more light on the role of Muhammad Abduh in the political movement after the end of Urabi’s revolution.
Discipline
History
Geographic Area
Egypt
Sub Area
Modernization