Muhibb al-Din al-Khatib
Muhibb al-Din al-Khatib (1886-1969) was a prominent Syrian Arab nationalist, journalist, and a leading Sunni polemicist against Shia Islam and the taqrib movement. A staunch defender of a Salafi-oriented orthodoxy, he used his editorial control over publications like the journal al-Fath and the al-Matba’a al-Salafiyya in Cairo to disseminate anti-Shia literature [1].
Opposition to the Taqrib Movement
Al-Khatib actively republished medieval polemical texts like Ibn Taymiyya’s Minhaj al-Sunna and commissioned refutations of modern Shia apologetics [2]. He was a fierce critic of the Jamāʿat al-Taqrīb, viewing its activities as a conduit for Shia proselytization and an attempt to undermine Sunni doctrinal purity through theological compromise.
Legacy
His legacy is that of a chief ideological adversary to the taqrib project. By providing an intellectual arsenal for opponents of Sunni-Shia reconciliation, al-Khatib significantly hardened resistance from conservative Sunni circles [3]. His efforts ensured the ecumenical debate remained a heated public controversy, highlighting the deep-seated suspicions the movement sought to overcome.
References+
- ↑ Commins, D. (1990). Islamic Reform: Politics and Social Change in Late Ottoman Syria. Oxford University Press.
- ↑ Brunner, R. (2004). Islamic Ecumenism in the 20th Century: The Azhar and Shiism Between Rapprochement and Restraint. Brill.
- ↑ Commins, D. (1990). Islamic Reform: Politics and Social Change in Late Ottoman Syria. Oxford University Press.