Shaykh Muhammad Tahir Jalaluddin al-Azhari

An early Sumatran religious teacher who was attached to the al-Mashhur school in Penang was Shaykh Muhammad Tahir Jalaluddin al-Azhari. 

BIOGRAPHY: SHAYKH MUHAMMAD TAHIR JALALUDDIN AL-AZHARI

He was born in 1869, near Bukit Tinggi in Sumatra. In 1881 (aged 12), he went to study in Makkah for 12 years (1881-93) and came to Penang. In 1897 (aged 28), he went to Egypt to study astronomy (Ilmu Falaq) at al-Azhar University for three years (1897-99). Upon completing his degree, he returned to Penang, Malaya in 1899 (aged 30). 

Shaykh Muhammad Tahir Jalaluddin, together with Sheikh Mohamed Salim al-Kalili, Haji Abbas Mohamed Tahar and Syed Shaykh al-Hady, founded the magazine Majalah al-Imam on 23 July 1906. Later, he contributed writings to Syed Shaykh al-Hady’s magazine al-Ikhwan (1926) and initially weekly and later biweekly newspaper Saudara (29 September 1928). 

A photograph of the young Shaykh Muhammad Tahir (undated) was probably taken in 1893 or 1899. 

Shaykh Muhammad Tahir circa 1893-99, aged 24-30.

Shaykh Muhammad Tahir Jalaluddin was photographed in Singapore on 13 October 1956, less than two weeks (13 days) before he passed away, at age 87. 

Shaykh Muhammad Tahir on 13 October 1956, aged 87.

Both photographs appear in Alijah Gordon’s book, The Real Cry of Syed Shaykh al-Hady (1999:172). His son is Tun Tan Sri Datuk Dr Haji Mohd Hamdan Sheikh Tahir.

BIOGRAPHY: TUN TAN SRI DATUK DR HAJI MOHD HAMDAN BIN SHEIKH TAHIR

He was born in Penang (b.27 April 1921–d.21 January 2005). He was the second Vice-Chancellor of USM (1976–82), and the USM medical library was named in his honour. He was also the 6th Yang di-Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang (1 May 1989-1 May 2001), who succeeded Tun Dr Awang Hassan, an early Malay doctor.