Birth and Upbringing
Prof. Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad At-Tayyeb Al-Hassāni was born in the village of Al-Qurna, Luxor, on Safar 3, 1365 A.H. (January 6, 1946) to a Sufi family known for their uprightness and erudition that descends from our master Al-Hassan Ibn ˤAli Ibn Abī Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with him and his father). He grew up in Al-Qurna under his father’s care, memorized the Qur’an and read canonical texts in the genuine Azharite way. Next, he joined the Esna Religious Institute, then the Qena Religious Institute. After high school, he joined the Department of Creed and Philosophy at the Faculty of Theology (ˀUṣuluddīn) in Cairo, where he graduated with Distinction in 1969. In all educational stages at Al-Azhar, he received knowledge from top scholars as he was notably driven by his earlier keenness to attend classes of scholars and righteous people, and to learn the principles of education, conduct and ascetic wisdom. At an early age, he attended reconciliation councils and customary courts that were led by his grandfather, Sheikh Ahmad At-Tayyeb, and his father, Sheikh Muhammad At-Tayyeb, at the “Tayyeb Courtyard”. When he reached the age of 25, he became a participant and investigator in reconciliation and dispute resolution councils, with his father, his uncles, and his older brother. He still joins his older brother, Sheikh Muhammad, in carrying such noble tasks.