| Religion: | Islam |
| Abū Turāb al-Ẓāhirī | |
| Native Name: | أبو تراب الظاهري |
| Birth Date: | 1 January 1923 |
| Birth Place: | Ahmedpur East, Punjab Province, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan) |
| Death Date: | 4 May 2002 |
| Death Place: | Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
| Resting Place: | Jannatul Mualla |
| Nationality: | Saudi Arabian |
| Occupation: | Author, journalist |
| Denomination: | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence: | Zahiri |
| Creed: | Independent Literalist theologian |
| Movement: | Salafi |
| Main Interests: | Jurisprudence, poetry, Biographical evaluation |
| Influences: | Ahmad Muhammad Shakir |
| Influenced: | Abu Abd al-Rahman Ibn Aqil al-Zahiri |
Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Jamīl bin ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq bin ʿAbd al-Waḥīd bin Muḥammad bin al-Hāshim bin Bilāl al-Hāshimī al-ʿUmarī al-ʿAdawī, better known as Abū Turāb al-Ẓāhirī (; 1 January 1923 – 4 May 2002), was an Indian-born Saudi Arabian linguist, jurist, theologian and journalist.[1] [2] he was often referred to as the Sibawayh of his era due to his knowledge of the Arabic language. Al-Ẓāhirī’s contributions to Islamic jurisprudence, poetry, and biographical evaluation have left a lasting impact on the field. Born in Ahmedpur East, Punjab Province, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan), he later became a prominent figure in Saudi Arabia, where he taught Muslim theology at Mecca’s Masjid al-Haram. His extensive travels in pursuit of Islamic manuscripts and his scholarly works have cemented his legacy as a distinguished scholar and author.
Abu Turab was born in 1923 in what was then the British Raj,[3] to a family of Arab descent. Through their family tree, Abu Turab's parents could trace their original roots back to Umar, the second caliph of Islam and of the Rashidun Caliphate, and thus the Banu Adi clan of the Quraysh tribe.[4]
Abu Turab traveled extensively in pursuit of Islamic manuscripts, which he often copied by hand due to a lack of resources. During his younger years, he visited Western Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. He eventually ended up in Egypt, where he earned his master's and doctoral degrees at Al-Azhar University,[3] and was also a student of fellow Hadith specialist Ahmad Muhammad Shakir. Later, Zahiri settled down in Saudi Arabia in 1948 at the behest of first King of Saudi Arabia Ibn Saud, who requested that Abu Turab teach Muslim theology in Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest site in Islam.[3] Zahiri's best-known student was Abu Abd al-Rahman Ibn Aqil al-Zahiri, who shared Abu Turab's pen name due to their adherence to the Zahirite school of Islamic law.[5] Zahiri also had a friendship with a fellow foreigners in Saudi Arabia, Abdallah Bin Bayyah.[6]
Abu Turab died on Saturday morning, the 21st of Safar in 1423 Hijri,[3] corresponding to 4 May 2002 Gregorian.[7] While in his private library, Abu Turab complained of paralysis in his feet to an aide. Prevented from pronouncing the Muslim testimony of faith due to aphasia, Abu Turab died on his bed pointing toward the sky instead. The next morning, he was buried in Mecca's historic Jannatul Mualla cemetery.
Abu Turab authored roughly fifty published works. Although he was fluent in Persian and Urdu and conversational in multiple Languages of India, most of his written work was in Arabic.