7-
The humane scholar M. A. Sheikho
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.