In contemporary academic literature, the name of the Syrian publisher and journalist Muḥibb al-Dīn al-Khaṭīb often appears in connection with the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood during the interwar years. Although his role in the transition of Ḥasan al-Bannā's movement from a marginal to a significant socio-political player in Egyptian affairs has been mentioned in numerous works, no comprehensive study has yet been undertaken to determine how and by what means exactly al-Khaṭīb supported al-Bannā's organization in its early years. The following article is an attempt to answer these questions by showing the strategic importance of al-Khaṭīb and his network in helping al-Bannā develop from being an Arabic teacher in a primary school to one of the main leaders of the Islamist movement in Egypt.

The tradition of taṣliya texts and practices in Sufism constitute an important source of Muslim intellectual and religious history. Previous studies have argued that these texts were more than mere cultural expressions of devotion to Prophet Muḥammad. Following this line of thought, this article seeks to deepen our grasp of the significance of taṣliya formulae in Sufi contexts. Emphasis will be placed on their role in popularizing various mystical-philosophical teachings and prophetical doctrines that shaped Muslims’ imaginations of the Prophet throughout the centuries.