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 Jumu`ah, 14 Sha`ban 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.GÖKKIR, Bilal, and Necmettin GÖKKIR. "Sufi or Salafi? Alusi’s Struggle For His Reputation Against Ottoman Bureaucracy With His Tafsir, Ruh al-Maani." 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.GÖKKIR, Bilal, and Necmettin GÖKKIR. "Sufi or Salafi? Alusi’s Struggle For His Reputation Against Ottoman Bureaucracy With His Tafsir, Ruh al-Maani." ʿĀrif Hikmet Bey was impressed by al-Alusi's 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 Mirjan 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:
Rūḥ al-Ma‘ānī fī Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-‘Aẓīm wa-al-Sab‘ al-Mathānī () Nashwat al-Shamūl fī al-Safar ilā Islāmbūl () Nashwat al-Mudām fī al-‘Awd ilá Madīnat al-Salām () al-Ajwibah al-‘Irāqīyah ‘alá al-As’ilah al-Lāhūrīyah () al-Ajwibah al-‘Irāqīyah ‘an al-As’ilah al-Īrānīyah () Ghra'b al-'Ightirab () Daqaiq al-Tafsir () Sharh Sullam al-Mantiq () al-Tiraz al-Mudh-hab Fi Sharh Qasydat al-Baz al-Ash-hab () al-Maqamat al-Alousiya ()
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.GÖKKIR, Bilal, and Necmettin GÖKKIR. "Sufi or Salafi? Alusi’s Struggle For His Reputation Against Ottoman Bureaucracy With His Tafsir, Ruh al-Maani." 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.
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