The author of Nūr al-Yaqīn fī Sīrat Sayyid al-Mursalīn is the scholar Moḥammad al-Khudarī. It is always enriching to know a little more about the author of any work as it adds a context and background; something which can often shine an extra light on the work itself. Below is the entry of al-Zarkalī in the ‘Encyclopaedia of Names’ for ‘Allama al-Khudari:

Born 1289 AH, he passed away in 1345 AH which corresponds to 1872CE – 1927CE.

Moḥammad son of ‘Afīfī al-Bājūrī more famously known as Shaykh al-Khudarī: He was a researcher, orator, and scholar of the Sharī’ah, humanities and Islamic history. He was Egyptian and lived in az-Zaytūn district in the suburbs of Cairo. He died in Cairo and is buried there. He was a graduate of the Dār ul-‘Ulūm School and was appointed as the Sharī’ah Judge in Khartoum. He was employed at the School of Sharī’ah in Cairo for 12 years and a lecturer in Islamic History at the Egyptian University. He then became the authorised representative for the School of Sharī’ah and finally a supervisor at the Ministry of Education.

Amongst his notable works are the following:

• Usūl al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)
• Tārīkh at-Tashrī’ al-Islāmī (History of Islamic Sharī’ah)
• Itmām al-Wafā fī Sīrat al-Khulafā (Absolute Loyalty – as seen in the lives of the Caliphs)
• Muḥādarāt fī Tārīkh al-Umam al-Islāmīa (Lectures on the History of Islamic Nations – two volumes)
• Nūr al-Yaqīn fī Sīrat Sayyid al-Mursalīn (Beacon of Certainty in the life of the Best of Humanity)
• Muhadhab al-Aghanī (The Discipline of Songs – nine volumes)
• Muḥādrāt (Lectures critiquing Taha Husain’s book Kitāb ash-Sh’r al-Jahilī)
• al-Ghazāli wa Ta’līmuhu wa ārāuhu (The works and opinions of Algazel – serially published in 34 issues of al-Muqtaṭaf maqazine.
• Durūs Tārīkhīa (Lessons in History).

He was the brother of Shaykh ‘Abdullah ‘Afīfī.