Shaykh Sa‛īd Hawwī Shāmī

Birth and lineage

Shaykh Sa‛īd ibn Muhammad Hawwī was born in
the Syrian town of Humāt in 1354 A.H./1935. His
mother passed away when he was only two years
old. He came under the care and nurturing of his
father who was a brave mujāhid against the French
colonialists. Socialism, nationalism, the al-Ba‛th
party and the Muslim Brotherhood were the burning
issues during his young days. Allāh ta‛ālā willed
good for him and steered him towards the Muslim
Brotherhood in 1952. He was in the first year of his
secondary studies at the time. He studied under
many scholars of Syria, the first of whom was a
scholar of Humāt, Shaykh Muhammad Hāmid.1
Merits and virtues
Shaykh Sa‛īd was undoubtedly from among the
successful propagators of his time whom I
(‛Abdullāh ‛Aqīl) knew or about whom I read. He was
highly successful in passing on to the people
whatever knowledge he possessed. He departed from
this world at the young age of fifty-three. He left
behind a large treasure of books. Consequently, he
is listed among the prolific writers of his time.
Humility and simplicity
I (‛Abdullāh ‛Aqīl) went to meet him in Ahsā’ (Saudi
Arabia). At the time, he was a teacher at al-Ma‛had
al-‛Ilmī. I observed him to be a person who sufficed
with the bear necessities. His house contained basic

1 ‛Ālam-e-Islām Kī ‛Ālamī Shakhsīyyāt, p. 438.

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furniture. The garments which he had were not
suited for scholars like him in the intense summer
conditions of the country. He was wearing a think
warm long-coat. I persisted on him until he agreed
to wear white garments and overcoats which were in
line with his high status. However, he made the
condition that his garments will have to be loose-
fitting. His food was no better than his garments
and bed. He was polite and courteous to the
publishers who undertook to publish his books
irrespective of whether permission was granted to
publish them or not.
Noble characteristics
Shaykh Sa‛īd was a man of noble characteristics. He
was well-mannered, humble, abstinent, and led a
simple life. He adhered strictly to obedience,
abundant reading of the Qur’ān and remembrance
of Allāh ta‛ālā. He was an avid reader. He always
wrote on themes related to propagation, revivalist
movements, jurisprudence and spirituality. He
remained fully occupied with Islam and issues
surrounding Muslims. He fought against the satanic
forces which were destroying nations, subjugating
people and spreading corruption in the land. He
possessed remarkable strength; he never tired nor
lagged.
He was an expert writer. He used to complete his
books in a short period of time, and then convey
them promptly to the reading public. He was
inclined to Sufism. It overwhelmed him sometimes.
Consequently, his sound nature and creedal
modesty caused him to give preference to remaining
silent on certain occasions.

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Lectures
I had the honour of meeting him on several
occasions in Kuwait. He joined our programme
which used to be held weekly on Friday nights. He
delivered an inspiring talk which won over the
hearts. He spoke in line with the modus operandi of
Imām Hasan al-Bannā’ which was to derive benefit
from each person according to the capabilities
which he possesses, and that it is obligatory on a
propagator to increase the good which is found in
people. He must address their hearts directly
because this is the key to guidance. He used to say
that the purification of the self is the key to
character-building:
ْ َ َ ٰ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ ُ ُ َ َ ََْ َ َ َ َ Ž
َ َ ْ َ ‫ﻗﺪ‬ ََْ
‫اﻓﻠﺢ‬ .‫ﻘﻮﻫﺎ‬y‫ ﻓﺎ ﻬﻤﻬﺎ ﻓﺠﻮرﻫﺎ و‬.‫ﻔﺲ وﻣﺎ ﺳﻮﻫﺎ‬t‫و‬ ٍ
َ َ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ََْ َ َ ْ َ
َ َ ‫وﻗﺪ‬
ْ َ ‫ﺧﺎب‬
.‫دﺳﻬﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ ز§ﻬﺎ‬
By the self and as He proportioned it. He
then inspired it with the understanding of evil
and righteousness. He who purified it has
indeed achieved his goal. He who leaves it
buried in the dust has certainly failed.1
The ‛ulamā’ of the Muslim Brotherhood
The prisons of Egypt certainly contain ‛ulamā’ who
are forced to break rocks and are made to wear the
garments of criminals. They are treated with disdain
because they believed that knowledge is for the sake
of jihād, admonition, hardship and establishing a
bond with Allāh ta‛ālā. When they observed evil,
they spoke against it. When they met an ignorant

1 Sūrah ash-Shams, 91: 7-10.

215
person, they advised him. When they were
tormented by a tyrant, they stood before him so that
they could reply to him and steer him. When the
wealthy who trampled on the rights of their fellow
citizens joined the rulers, the ‛ulamā’ presented the
truth to them. They did all this as a trust which
Allāh ta‛ālā had placed in the hands of the ‛ulamā’.
This was their crime for which they were staked and
shackled. They were herded to quarries just as
murderers, thieves and criminals are herded.
Despite killing them and shedding their blood, and
notwithstanding the severe tests and tribulations
which they were put through; they are the only
hopes for the progress and liberation of the Muslim
nation. O Allāh! Have mercy on them.
Demise
Shaykh Sa‛īd rahimahullāh suffered a partial stroke
in 1987 due to which he was hospitalized. He lost
consciousness on 14 December 1988 and did not
recover from it. He passed away on 9 March
1989/1410 A.H. on a Thursday. This was in al-
Mustashfā al-Islāmī in Jordan. His janāzah salāh
was performed after the jumu‛ah salāh in Masjid
Fījā’ and he was buried in the Sahāb graveyard of
southern ‛Ummān. May Allāh ta‛ālā pardon him and
may He illuminate his resting place. Āmīn. May
Allāh ta‛ālā shower His mercy on him.1

1 ‛Ālam-e-Islām Kī ‛Ālamī Shakhsīyyāt, p. 445.

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