Encyclopedia of Islam

Further reading: Sarah Gauch, “Fasting Days, Fes-

tive Nights: Ramadan in Cairo,” Saudi Aramco World

53 (January–February 2002): 60–65; S. D. Goitein, 

“Ramadan: The Muslim Month of Fasting.” In Studies in 

Islamic History and Institutions, edited by S. D. Goitein, 

90–100 (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1966); Angelika Neuwirth, 

“Three Religious Feasts between Narratives of Violence 

and Liturgies of Reconciliation.” In Religion between 

Violence and Reconciliation, edited by Th. Sheffler, 

49–82 (Beirut/Würzburg: Erbon Verlag in Kommission, 

2002).

Rashid Rida, Muhammad

 

(1865–1935)  

Islamic reformer and modernist

Muhammad Rashid Rida was born in Tripoli, s

yria

(present-day l

ebanon

), on September 23, 1865, to 

a family that claimed descent from m

Uhammad

. He 

was educated first in a traditional religious school 

and then at the National Islamic School in Tripoli. 

The curriculum at this school combined instruc-

tion in Islamic doctrine and law with European 

languages and the natural sciences. Here Rida 

learned to view 

science

, technology, and some 

European political ideas positively. During the 

same period Rida became convinced, through 

study of the medieval theologians 

al

-g

hazzali

(1058–1111) and 

ibn

 t

aymiyya

 (1263–1328), that 

many contemporary Muslim religious practices 

and orders were unacceptable corruptions (sing. 

bidaa

) of i

slam

. He condemned Sufi rituals and 

popular saints festivals in particular. He was a pro-

lific writer, producing several books, and worked 

most of his life as editor of the magazine Al-Manar

(The beacon), which he founded in 1898. Rida is 

one of the most important and influential intel-

lectuals who, through his writings, strove to rec-

oncile Islam with modernity.

As a young man, Rida was deeply impressed 

by the Salafi reform movement founded in c

airo

by  J

amal

 

al

-d

in

 

al

-a

Fghani

 (1838–97) and his 

student  m

Uhammad

  a

bdUh

 (1849–1905). Both 

men argued that Muslims needed to unify against 

external threats and internally reinvigorate Islam