Christian Bonaud Explained

Christian Bonaud
Native Name:Yaḥyā ʿAlawī
Birth Place:Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Death Place:Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Occupation:Islamologist, philosopher, writer, translator
Language:French, German, English, Persian, Arabic
Nationality:French
Period:1979–2019
Notableworks:L'Imam Khomeyni, un gnostique méconnu du XXe siècle

Yahya Christian Bonaud (1957 – 26 August 2019),[1] also known as Yaḥyā ʿAlawī (or Yaḥyā Bonaud) was a French Islamologist, philosopher, writer, translator, commentator of the Qur'an in French, and a professor at the Jāmī Theological Center at Al-Mustafa International University in Iran.[2]

Early life

Christian Bonaud was born in 1957 into a Catholic family in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. They lived in (Germany) and Algeria until he was ten-years old, then moved to Strasbourg.[3]

Influenced by the works of René Guénon, a French Sufi metaphysician, Bonaud converted to Islam in 1979.[4] He began to study Arabic.[5] Studying Islamology eventually led him to the writings of Henry Corbin (1903–1978)[6] about Shia Islam.

Under the guidance of Amadou Hampâté Bâ (/1901–1991), an African gnostic and spiritual leader of the Tijaniyyah, he re-converted to Shia Islam[7] and adopted the name Yahya Alawi (Arabic: يَحْيیٰ عَلَوِي|Yaḥyā ʿAlawī). Bonaud did his doctoral dissertation in French on Ruhollah Khomeini, which was reprinted and published as the book French: L'Imam Khomeyni, un gnostique méconnu du XXe siècle ("Imam Khomeini, an unknown gnostic of the 20th century"). While writing his thesis, he spent seven years in Iran studying under the guidance of Sayyed Jalal-ed-Din Ashtiani.[8]

Death

He died at sea in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in a marine accident on Monday, 26 August 2019. He was making a visit to the African continent to address Muslims about the month of Muharram and the guiding principles of Husayn ibn Ali. His body was transferred to Mashhad, Iran (where he had lived for fifteen–years prior) for his funeral rites and burial. He was 62 years old.[9]

Works

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Larijani condoles death of French philosopher Yahya Bonaud. 28 August 2019.
  2. Web site: J'ai travaillé sur l'imam Khomeiny, sur ses œuvres spirituelles et philosophiques. iqna. 10 January 2015.
  3. Web site: دکتر کریستین بونو (یحیی علوی) . Islamshia . 10 September 2011.
  4. Web site: روحم در ادیان دیگر جز اسلام آرامش نداشت . farsnews . 12 September 2015 .
  5. Web site: مراسم بزرگداشت پروفسور کريستين يحيي بونو برگزار شد . sahebkhabar . 6 September 2015 . 5 September 2016.
  6. Web site: روحم در ادیان دیگر جز اسلام آرامش نداشت . tasnimnews . 12 September 2005.
  7. Web site: Christian Bonaud . hawzah . 25 July 2005.
  8. Web site: Staff writer . موسسه فرهنگی ترجمان وحی . cthq . 17 March 2019 . 10 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181210191519/http://www.cthq.ir/newweb/index.php/99-2016-03-30-08-48-13/294-2015-01-25-09-43-51 . dead .
  9. Web site: درگذشت ناگهانی "دکتر یحیی بونو" مستبصر فرانسوی و عضو برجسته مجمع جهانی اهل بیت(ع) + عکس . abna24 . 26 August 2019 . 26 August 2019.
  10. Book: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini . Ayatollah Ruhollah . The Mystery of Prayer: The Ascension of the Wayfarers and the Prayer of the Gnostics . 3 July 2015 . BRILL, 2015 . 9789004298316 .
  11. Web site: روایت فیلسوف فرانسوی از دین اسلام . mashreghnews . 13 September 2015 . 14 September 2015.