By Sadiq Abdulfatah

Algeria has lost one of its prominent Islamic scholars and educators, Sheikh Tayeb, the first person to translate the Holy Qur’an into the Amazigh language, who has died at the age of 92 in Tizi Ouzou Province.

According to Al-Shorouk, the late scholar was widely respected for his lifelong service to Islam, education, and Quranic scholarship.

Algerian Minister of Religious Affairs Youssef Belmehdi described Sheikh Tayeb as an imam, teacher, and mentor who dedicated his life to spreading the teachings and meanings of the Holy Qur’an.

He noted that the scholar’s most notable achievement was the complete translation of the Qur’an into Amazigh (Berber), a work that was later approved by the King Fahd Qur’an Printing Complex in Madinah.

The minister said Algeria had lost a major intellectual figure whose work contributed significantly to Islamic scholarship and the preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity within the Muslim world.

Sheikh Tayeb reportedly spent seven years completing the translation, presenting it in Arabic script and arguing for its suitability for writing the Amazigh language.

Born in 1934 in Ifrahounen, Tizi Ouzou, he memorised the Qur’an at a young age and pursued Islamic and Arabic studies across Algeria. He later became a teacher, education inspector, and university lecturer.

He also participated in the Algerian war of independence and was imprisoned in 1958 during the struggle against French colonial rule.

The late scholar continued his academic work after independence, serving in various educational and administrative roles, including at the University of Tizi Ouzou and later as an inspector of Muslim affairs in France.

Source: IQHA