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The work titled “Sharh Ḥanīn al-Mutafajji’ wa Anīn al-Mutawajji’” (شرح حنين المتفجع وأنين المتوجع — The Commentary on the Yearning of the Griever and the Groan of the Pain-Stricken) is one of the most poignant literary and historical artifacts reflecting the profound grief felt by traditional Islamic scholarship during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the catastrophic aftermath of World War I.

Historical Context and Background of the Poem

Imam Muḥammad Zāhid al-Kawtharī (d. 1371 AH / 1952 CE) served as the Nā’ib Muftī al-Salṭanah al-ʿUthmāniyyah (Deputy Grand Mufti of the Ottoman Empire) and was one of the last towering scholars of classical Hanfi jurisprudence, kalām (theology), and ḥadīth criticism under the Caliphate.

Following World War I and the subsequent fall of the Ottoman State, Imam al-Kawtharī was forced into exile to Egypt, fleeing political persecution by the secularizing authorities of the newly formed Turkish Republic.

The Poem: Ḥanīn al-Mutafajji’ wa Anīn al-Mutawajji’ is a deeply moving elegiac poem (rithā’) written in response to:

The tragic dismemberment of the Ottoman Caliphate, the devastation, occupation, and partition of the Muslim heartlands by colonial powers following WWI, and the exile of scholars and the decline of traditional Islamic institutions (madāris and awqāf).

Themes of the Work

1. Grief for the Unity of the Ummah: Imam al-Kawtharī mourns the fragmentation of the unified political and spiritual umbrella of the Ummah, contrasting the former dignity of the Islamic lands with the humiliation and division that followed the war.

2. The Tragedies of World War I: The poem captures the horrific toll of the war—famine, exile, loss of life, and the fall of major Islamic capitals into foreign occupation.

3. Concern for Sacred Knowledge (ʿIlm) and Scholars: Imam al-Kawtharī laments the marginalization of traditional Islamic scholarship and the loss of religious infrastructure that had sustained the Ummah for centuries.

The Commentary (Sharh) by Dr. Ḥamzah al-Bakrī

Dr. Ḥamzah al-Bakrī’s commentary elevates this historical poem into a vital academic study:

Academic Introduction: Dr. al-Bakrī provides an extensive biographical and context-setting introduction. It details Imam al-Kawtharī’s life, his scholarly pedigree, his intense devotion to the Ummah’s well-being, and his struggle against both foreign hegemony and internal religious decline.

Linguistic and Literary Analysis: The Sharḥ breaks down the complex classical Arabic vocabulary, rhetorical devices (balāghah), and poetic meter utilized by Imam al-Kawtharī.

Historical Annotations: It identifies the specific events, battles, figures, and geographical regions referenced throughout the couplets, rendering the text accessible to contemporary readers and researchers of late Ottoman history.

Summary of Significance

Sharḥ Ḥanīn al-Mutafajji’ wa Anīn al-Mutawajji’ is not merely a piece of poetry; it serves as a primary historical and emotional testimony of a leading scholar who lived through one of the greatest turning points in modern Islamic history. Through Dr. Ḥamzah al-Bakrī’s commentary, the work stands as both a literary masterpiece and an essential historical document illustrating the deep care (himmah) classical scholars held for the affairs and unity of the Muslim Ummah.