Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhī rājiʿūn. Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we are returning.
It is with sorrow that we share the news of the Sunday passing of Dr. Zaghloul al-Najjar. He had reached the age of 92. The geologist, professor, and author had been a major figure in the discussion around miracles documented in the Qur’ān. [1]
“A school unto himself”
Shaykh Dr. Ali al-Qaradaghi, Secretary-General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, said of the influential scientist’s passing,
With hearts content in the decree and destiny of Allah, we mourn to the Muslim Ummah the passing of the scholar, jurist, educator, thinker, and da‘ī, Prof. Dr. Zaghloul al-Najjar, who answered the call of his Lord on the afternoon of Sunday, 9 November 2025, at the age of ninety-two. He spent most of his life in the service of knowledge, da’wah, and reflection upon the cosmic and Qur’ānic signs of Allah.
The venerable Shaykh departed this world after a lifetime spent linking the prayer niche with the laboratory of knowledge, uniting the light of revelation with the illumination of reason, and combining scientific inquiry with profound faith. May Allah have mercy on him — he was a school unto himself, nurturing generations to recognise that contemplating the universe is an act of worship, and that every atom within it glorifies its Creator.” [2]
Dr. al-Qaradaghi further added,
Dr. Zaghloul al-Najjar was among the most eloquent and precise voices on the topic of scientific miracles in the Qur’ān. He stood as living proof that faith does not contradict science, but rather directs it toward a higher moral and intellectual purpose, restoring mankind to its noble role of righteous stewardship.
People knew him for his vast knowledge, his remembrance-filled tongue, his radiant face, and his courage in defending the principles of Islam through a scholarly, balanced approach — free from both extremism and oversimplification.
In an age crowded with those claiming to speak for both science and religion, he was among the rare few who truly united them with the measure of deep understanding and insight.” [2]
Background
Dr. Zaghloul al-Najjar was born on 28 Rajab 1352 (17 November 1933) in Gharbia Governorate, Egypt.
In 1955, he secured his bachelor’s degree in science from the University of Cairo, thereafter enrolling at the University of Wales and completing a doctorate in earth sciences in 1963.
The late professor was fluent in various languages including English, French, and German, not to mention his native Arabic. Dr. al-Najjar spent a good deal of his adult life holding various academic offices in countries such as Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, the US, and the UK.
For well over two decades, Dr. al-Najjar oversaw the department for scientific miracles of the Qur’ān, at the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Egypt.
A member of various national and international organisations, he was instrumental in the creation of a dedicated faculty of geology at King Saud University (1959-67), Kuwait University (1967-78), and King Fahd University (1979-96).
He served on the editorial boards of various scientific publications, including the New York-based Journal of Foraminiferal Research and the Paris-based Journal of African Earth Sciences. [3]
“Condolences to the entire Muslim Ummah”
Shaykh Dr. Haitham al-Haddad, a senior scholar at Islam21c, said of the passing,
I pass on my condolences to the entire Muslim Ummah, and to the family and students of Dr. Zaghloul.
More than 30 years ago in Saudi Arabia, I studied in the same university Dr. Zaghloul taught at. In addition, I had the privilege and honour of meeting him and attending some of his public lectures.
I fondly remember lecturing beside Dr. Zaghloul for the Peace TV television network and having a discussion with him in the presence of another of our recently departed scholars — Shaykh Jaafar Idris — and others about the scientific miracles of the Qur’ān and new tafsīr.
May Allah have mercy upon all of our scholars who have left us, and allow us to extract the maximum benefit from those who remain among us.”
Source: Islam21c
Notes
[1] https://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/3596312
[2] https://x.com/ali_alqaradaghi/status/1987495129226117386
