Abū al-Thanā’ Shihāb ad-Dīn Sayyid Maḥmūd ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Ḥusaynī al-Ālūsī al-Baghdādī (‎; 10 December 1802 – 29 July 1854 CE) was an Iraqi Islamic scholar best known for writing Ruh al-Ma`ani, an exegesis (tafsir) of the Qur'an.

Biography

He was born in Baghdad on the day of Jumuah, 14 Shaban 1217 AH (Friday, 10 December 1802). He was a prominent Baghdad scholar in the Ottoman Empire. Because some of his phrases resembled that of the Ahl al-Hadith and Salafis such ibn Taymiyyah and Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, he was accused of supporting Wahhabism. This led to his dismissal in 1847. He sent his tafsir to the authorities in Istanbul as proof for his loyalty to the established Islamic tradition and the Ottoman Empire. ʿĀrif Hikmet Bey was impressed by al-Alusis' deep knowledge and advised him to consult Reşid Mehmed Pasha for his concern. Reşid Mehmed Pasha eventually assigned him as a member of the madrasa of the Murjan Mosque and the position of a mufti. He died on 5 Dhul-Q'dah, 1270 AH (29 July 1854)

Works

An exhaustive list of all his works far too long and thus difficult to compile. Indexes in the British Library and the below are a few examples:

Legacy

Mahmud al-Alusi had five sons who were also scholars: Sayyid Abdullah Bahauddin al-Alusi, Sayyid Sa'ad Abdulbaqi al-Alusi, Nu'man al-Alusi, Sayyid Mohammad Hamid al-Afandi and Sayyid Ahmed Shakir al-Afandi. His tafsir was published for the first time in 1883. Through his son Sayyid Abdullah Bahauddin al-Alusi, Mahmud had a grandson, Mahmud Shukri al-Alusi, who was a leading scholar of Baghdad and a religious reformist.