The Author of this book is one of the most renowned and respected personalities in the Muslim world today. Shaykh Muhammad Mitwalli al-Sharawi was born in 1911 in the village of Daqadus, Daqahliyyah province, Egypt. He studied the traditional Islamic sciences at the University of al-Azhar, Cairo, graduating in 1941. During his long career, al-Sharawi has held numerous important positions, including those of President of al-Azhar; Head of Graduate Studies at King Abdal-Aziz University, Jeddah; and Minister of Awqaf of Egypt. Currently he is a member of the Islamic Research Academy of al-Azhar.

At the same time, Shaykh al-Sharawi is known by millions of people in Egypt and elsewhere for his teachings on Islam in regular television broadcasts. The immense popularity of these programmes is chiefly due to their presenter’s rare combination of talents. He employs a language and a style of exposition that are informal, even colloquial, yet dignified as befits the subject. Moreover, his erudition, allied with a highly penetrating intellect, enable Shaykh al-Sharawi to bring fresh and cogent arguments to supplement those traditionally applied to the exposition and defence of the doctrines of Islam.