Sheikh `Abdul-Fattah Imam (died in 1384 AH)

Sheikh `Abdul-Fattah ibn Salih ibn Mahmoud ibn Salih Ash-Shafi`y Ad-Dimashqy who was known as "the Imam." He was a Syrian researcher and commentator.

He was born in Damascus in 1294 AH, and memorized the Glorious Qur'an in young age, and received knowledge in the known schools at his time, then he graduated from the Military Academy in Istanbul and received the rank of an officer and attended the First World War in Balkans.

Then he returned to Damascus to head the Secretariat of the Zhahiri Library. He participated in founding the society of Islamic civilization, and the Society of the supporters of Virtue, and headed the committee of young Muslims, then he secluded for writing and distributing books. He lived as single and was vegetarian, at the end of his life, he inhabited a small room in the `Adliyah school. He was a salafi, fought heresies, and was serious in calling to Allah.

He (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said about the cause of Muslims' delay and the loss of their glory: "The main cause for this weakness is heresies which distorted the beauties of this religion and turned its features upside down. These heresies and myths had the worst effect in morals, actions, and beliefs."

The sincere scholars paid attention to these delusions, therefore they wrote books to warn the people against them, and whenever a devout scholar warned the common from heresies, one hundred charlatans came up to interpret and distort.

Of his books:

At-Tafsir Al `Asry [modern Tafsir], Sawt At-Tabi`ah Yunady Bi`azhamtillah [the sound of nature glorifies with the greatness of Allah], Muhammad (peace be upon him) the model example in the human perfection, knowledge and reason are witnesses to the greatness of Allah, Islam and Christianity, rights in Islam, women in Islam, slavery and Islam, and the future is for Islam.

After his death another book was published which was Islamic civilization.

Sheikh `Abdul-Fattah Al Imam (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) died on 09/20/1384 AH.

Sources:
1- The history of Damascus scholars in the fourteenth century AH, Muhammad Muti` Hafiz and Nizar Abaza, vol. 2, p. 779-781.

2- Celebrities of Damascus in the fourteenth century AH, Muhammad `Abdul-Latif Al Farfur, p 181.