Mohammed Abu Zaid al-Damanhury

Mohammed Abu Zaid Al Damanhury was a 20th century Quranist scholar and Al-Azhar University graduate from Damanhur, Egypt who wrote a controversial commentary on the Quran.

In 1930, al-Damanhury published a rationalist commentary of the Quran titled Guidance and Wisdom from Interpretation of the Quran using the Quran (Al-hidaya wal-‘irfan fi tafsir al-Qur’an bil-Qur’an)^[1] In it, al-Damanhury used the Quran to interpret the Quran instead of using hadith-based commentaries.^[2][3] According to Ali Gomaa, he differed in opinion from traditional Sunni beliefs regarding the miracles of the prophets, inheritance in islam, the banning of alcohol, and the hijab.^[4]

The publication of his commentary caused a major controversy with traditionalist Al-Azhar scholars, and led to its confiscation by the police.^[5][6][7][8] Shaykh al-Azhar, Muhammad al-Ahmadi al-Zawahiri, noticed that other Azhari shaykhs were distributing al-Damahury's commentary among their students.^[9] Alarmed, he proceeded to have the book suppressed. In a 75-page report by senior Al-Azhar scholars, al-Damanhury and his commentary was criticized in the severest of tones.^[9] He was also severely criticized by Rashid Rida, who accused al-Damanhury of being a kafir and a mulhid.^[9] A group of Sunni shaykhs from his native city, Damanhur, also took him to court to have him declared an apostate and have his marriage annulled.^[9] However, the Cairo Court of Appeals ruled in al-Damanhury's favor. After his successful appeal, nothing more was heard from al-Damanhury.^[9]