Martin Lings

Martin Lings, also known by his Islamic name Abū Bakr Sirāj ad-Dīn, was an English writer, Islamic scholar, and philosopher born in 1909. He was a student of the Swiss metaphysician Frithjof Schuon and developed a deep expertise in the works of William Shakespeare. Lings is widely recognized for his biography of Muhammad, "Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources."

Educated at Clifton College and Magdalen College, Oxford, Lings later taught in Lithuania before discovering the writings of René Guénon and Frithjof Schuon. He met Schuon in 1938, embraced Schuon's spiritual path within the Alawiyya tariqa, and remained his devoted disciple. Lings moved to Cairo in 1939, where he taught English and became involved in producing Shakespeare plays. After being compelled to leave Egypt in 1952, he returned to the UK, earned advanced degrees in Arabic, and worked at the British Museum and later the British Library, curating Eastern manuscripts.

His scholarly output increased significantly in his later years. While his doctoral thesis focused on the Algerian Sufi Ahmad al-Alawi, his biography of Muhammad gained him considerable acclaim, particularly within the Muslim world, receiving awards from Pakistan and Egypt. Lings also explored the esoteric and spiritual dimensions of Shakespeare's plays. He passed away in 2005.

Born in Manchester in 1909, Martin Lings's early life included significant travel. His academic journey led him to Clifton College and then Magdalen College, Oxford, where he studied English Language and Literature and formed a friendship with C. S. Lewis. During his time at Oxford, Lings encountered the metaphysical writings of René Guénon and Frithjof Schuon. This discovery proved pivotal, leading him to meet Schuon in Basel in 1938 and formally embrace the Alawiyya Sufi order under Schuon's guidance. Lings remained a devoted disciple and proponent of Schuon's teachings throughout his life, a connection that deeply influenced his subsequent intellectual and spiritual path.

Lings's career included a decade spent in Cairo, Egypt, beginning in 1939. There, he taught English at the University of Cairo and produced annual Shakespearean plays. Following disturbances in Egypt, he returned to the United Kingdom in 1952. He furthered his education by obtaining degrees in Arabic, including a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies. His doctoral research culminated in a book about the 20th-century Sufi saint Ahmad al-Alawi. Lings then held significant positions at the British Museum and the British Library, overseeing their collections of Eastern manuscripts until 1973. He was also a regular contributor to "Studies in Comparative Religion."

Throughout his life, Martin Lings was a prolific writer, with his literary output accelerating in the latter part of his life. His 1983 biography, "Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources," garnered widespread recognition and awards from Pakistan and Egypt, being hailed as a premier English-language biography of the Prophet. Lings also dedicated considerable attention to the works of William Shakespeare, exploring the deeper esoteric meanings and spiritual dimensions within his plays. His work on Shakespeare was recognized, with later editions of his books featuring introductions by notable figures. Lings passed away in May 2005, leaving behind a substantial body of work that bridged Islamic scholarship, metaphysical philosophy, and literary analysis.