Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi (Syria)
Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoubi descends from a scholarly family whose
lineage goes back to the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi sallam, through
his grandson Sayyiduna al-Hasan, radiya Allahu 'anhu. Shaykh Muhammad
was born in Damascus on the 13th of DhulHijja in 1382 H. As a little
boy, he crawled in the Grand Omayyad Mosque and the Darwishiyya Mosque,
where his father was an instructor for 40 years, and sat in the laps
of some of the greatest scholars. Since he was four-years-old, Shaykh
Muhammad accompanied his father in all of his visits, gatherings, and
classes, both public and private, as well as at home and outside. His
father took care of him and was both his teacher and spiritual master.
Under his tutelage, Shaykh Muhammad followed a solid traditional curriculum
since the age of four, studying, step-by-step, the major classical works
on the various disciplines of the Shari'ah as well as the instrumental
disciplines. Shaykh Muhammad dutifully studied with his father over
500 books in the course of 20 years, some of them from cover-to-cover
and others in portions; some are multi-volumes, and others are small
concise works.
Some of the books Shaykh Muhammad studied under his father are as follows:
most of the six books of Hadith, al-Muwatta of Yahya al- Laythi, most
of al-Muwatta of Imam Muhammad with Sharh al-Laknawi, most of al-Muwaafaqaat
of ash-Shaatibi, the first volume and other sections (of the five volumes)
of al-Hashiya of Ibn 'Abideen, Ihya 'Ulum ad-Deen, al-Hidaya of al-Marghinani,
Mughni al-Labeeb of Ibn Hisham, Parts of Kitab Seebawayhi, Miyar al-Ilm
of al-Ghazali, several volumes of Sharh Sahih Muslim of an-Nawawi, several
volumes of Irshad as-Saari of al-Qastallaani, half of Madarik at-Taweel
of an-Nasafi, Hashiyat as-Saawi on Tafseer al-Jalaalayn, three volumes
of Mu'jam Maqaayiis al-Lugha of Ibn Faaris, al-Bayaan wat-Tabyeen of
al-Jaahiz, several volumes of Wafayaat al-Ayaan of Ibn Khallikaan, and
Tabaqat ash-Shafi'iyya al-Kubraa of Ibn as-Subki, Maqamaat al-Hariri.
In fact, Shaykh Muhammad wrote a thabat (detailed list) of the names
of the books he studied under his father entitled, The Concealed Pearls.
This book is a testament to his father's labor of love and of the expenditure
of his energy in passing on his knowledge and experience to his children,
a rarity in our modern times.
Throughout the years of his study, Shaykh Muhammad went through spiritual
training in the Sufi path under his father, who was a great Waliy and
Murshid known for his righteousness and asceticism. Shaykh Muhammad
studied the major works of Tasawwuf under him, accompanied him, and
was his servant, the bearer of his shoes, which he considers the key
to the opening he received. The company of his father exposed him to
a wealth of light, wisdom, and knowledge, an experience that was far
beyond what one may attain from books or from occasional meetings with
teachers.
