رفاعة الطهطاوي
رفاعة الطهطاوي
1801 CE · 1216 AH† – 1873 CE · 1290 AH† †
† Hijri date derived by computation from the Gregorian/Julian date; it may differ from the transmitted date by a day or two.
Rifa'a al-Tahtawi (1801–1873 CE) — 'one of the pillars of Egypt's modern renaissance'; al-Azhar scholar sent as imam with the student mission to France, then head of translation and founder of al-Waqa'i' al-Misriyya 1.
At a glance
- Roles
- Scholar · Translator
- Era
- The Modern Era
- Region
- Egypt & Nile
- Review
- Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it
Life in time
Overview
Rifa'a ibn Badawi al-Tahtawi (around 1801–1873 CE), an Egyptian scholar whom al-Zirikli counts among the pillars of Egypt's modern renaissance 1.
His life and education
He was born in Tahta and went to Cairo in 1223 AH, where he studied at al-Azhar. According to al-Zirikli, his lineage connects him to al-Husayn the grandson 1.
The mission and translation
The Egyptian government sent him as imam for prayer and preacher with the mission of young men to Europe. He studied French and translated works on geography and history. When he returned he was made head of translation at the medical school, and he founded the newspaper "al-Waqai' al-Misriyya" 1.
His works
al-Zirikli names among his books, as translator, "Qala'id al-Mafakhir fi Gharib Awa'id al-Awa'il wa al-Awakhir"; "al-Murshid al-Amin fi Tarbiyat al-Banat wa al-Banin"; "Ghayat al-Ijaz" on the prophetic biography; "Anwar Tawfiq al-Jalil" on the history of Egypt; and an Arabic version of the French civil code 1.
Sources
- al-Alam — al-Zirikli, tarjama
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “رفاعة الطهطاوي”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/rifaa-al-tahtawi/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.