Islamic University of Minnesota Mourns Passing of Dr. El-Mahrasawi

The Islamic University of Minnesota, represented by Dr. Omar Ahmed Al-Maqrami, Vice President and Head of the Main Center, along with all university staff, extends its condolences to the Islamic community in general and to scholars and students of knowledge in particular on the passing of Dr. Mohammed El-Mahrasawi, former President of Al-Azhar University and former Dean of the Faculty of Arabic Language. He passed away on Thursday, Ramadan 27, 1446 AH, corresponding to March 27, 2025, at the age of sixty-four.

The obituary stated: "Today, the Islamic community lost one of its great scholars and a prominent figure in the fields of Arabic and Islamic studies. He dedicated his life to serving knowledge and its students, contributing his expertise and intellect to the advancement of academic institutions, particularly within the esteemed halls of Al-Azhar University. We ask Allah to envelop him in His vast mercy, grant him a place in His paradise, and inspire his family, students, and loved ones with patience and solace. Indeed, we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return."

Dr. Mohammed Hussein El-Mahrasawi, according to the encyclopedia, was an eminent Arab scholar and researcher from Egypt. He served as the President of Al-Azhar University from May 2017 to August 2022, and was a professor in the Department of Linguistics and a former Dean of the Faculty of Arabic Language at Al-Azhar University in Cairo.

He was born on Saturday, Rabi' al-Awwal 11, 1382 AH, corresponding to August 11, 1962, in Cairo. He received his education at the Faculty of Arabic Language at Al-Azhar University, earning a Bachelor’s degree with honors in 1985. He obtained a Master’s degree in Linguistics, specializing in syntax, morphology, and prosody, in 1992 with excellent distinction, with a thesis titled "A Study of Grammatical and Morphological Issues from the Book 'Sharh Qasidat Banat Su'ad' by Ka'b ibn Zuhair." He continued his studies and received a PhD in Linguistics in 1996 with first-class honors, with his dissertation titled "The Second Part of the Book 'Al-Nabil ila Nahw al-Tashil' by Sheikh Khalid Al-Azhari - A Study and Verification."

It is noteworthy that the encyclopedia (Wikipedia) published an article about his life, covering his birth, education, work, activities, lectures, and contributions to academic committees, as well as his books and research published and still in progress.