A Glimpse of the Life of the Eminent Scholar Mohammad Amin Sheikho (His soul has been sanctified by Al’lah)

7- The humane scholar M. A. Sheikho

His honourable birth

His full moon appeared over Damascus in the year 1890 on a blessed night when a Damascene tradesman had a newborn baby. The father loved his son very much because he resembled the full moon in its beauty, and for his good clever presence.

In his childhood, he was active, clever, full of motion and cheerfulness so as to create a serenity and happiness of life in the hearts of those surrounding him. Day by day he grew, and he showed an increase in cleverness and strength of personality, something which made his position greater before his parents. They venerated him and looked after him with love, affection and sympathy. But death soon snatched his affectionate father in his years of youth after an exhausting illness and tiring pain.

The death of the father had a great effect on the heart of everyone who knew him, for he left behind him a widow and two sons. Mr. Mohammad Amin had not reached seven years of age when he took responsibility for his mother’s protection, defending her and keeping her away from the evils which appeared around his family after the departure of his father from this existence, and his older brother Saleem’s travel to Turkey.

Even in his orphanage, Mohammad Amin was distinguished by his patience with the difficulties of life. He bore patience that mighty men could never bear, because he was an individual in a small respectable family that had faced many difficulties.