MUHAMMED OSMAN EL-MİRGANÎ (Sûfi Kisiliği ve Tefsirciliği)

Mohammed Uthman al-Mirghani (1973-1852) a famous Sufi scholar known as al- Khatim, was born into the Mirghani family in Mecca, which was one of the noblest (Shareef) families descending from the Prophet (peace be upon him). He received his religious education and mystic training and carried his missionary activities in the XIXth century when the Islamic world had remained under the obvious influence of the political and intellectual thoughts and progresses in the West. As well as he was the founder of the Khatmiyya order, which has played an important role for the establishment and formation of the socio-cultural, political and religious aspects of Modern Sudan. Al-Mirgani was prominent with his scholar personality specializing in essential Islamic disciplines alongside with his Sufi character being molded and formed by the teachings and practices of the largest and most broadcasted orders in Hicaz, Sudan and Upper Egypt during the XVIIIth century such as Naqshbandiyya, Qadiriyya, Shazaliyya, Junaidiyya and his chief teacher Ahmad b. Đdris’s order al-Idrisiyya. On the other side we see that as a spiritual leader and community teacher he always worked to establish good relationships with the Turku-Egyptian government which was the predominant ruling force in the region. So we think that a detailed study of al-Mirgani’s life, his missionary activities, his works and his successes and outcomes that he managed to achieve, will help us to find out the impact and role of Sufi orders as structural social movements symbolizing the mysticism and challenging the rigid materialism and positivism which had already surrounded the West and began to impact the East in XIXth century, on formation and conduct of the socio-cultural life of Islamic societies in Africa and Hicaz. The article consists of three main chapters, in the first of which we will study in general the life of al-Mirgani and his Sufi personality. In the second chapter we will examine his scholarship and his scientific works and lastly in the third we will study and analyze in detail his exegesis of the Quran. His capacities of scholarship as a exegete will be examined through detailed critical study and analysis of his only commentary Taj al-Tafaseer, which as Mirgani said in his preface, was written in an understandable and enjoyable method replying to the requests of his friends and fellows with whom he spent long time and applying on the tradition and the works of those inspired by the tradition.