The Letter of ʿAbd al-Laṭīf Abū Samḥ
From ʿAbd al-Laṭīf Abū Samḥ to the eminent professor, Muḥammad Taqī ad-Dīn al-Hilālī (d. 1407 AH/1987 CE), may Allah keep him safe:
وأسأله تعالى أن يجمعنا بكم في أوروبا كما جمعنا في إفريقيا ثم آسيا
I invoke Allah to allow us to meet in Europe as we have met in Africa and Asia…
Al-Hilālī’s Reply
To the noble friend, ʿAbd al-Laṭīf Abū Samḥ, from your brother, Muḥammad Taqī ad-Dīn:
وما رجوته من الاجتماع هو بغيتي وسؤالي إلا أنني أخالفك في موضعه فأتمنى أن يكون في مصر في خير وسلامة فهي أحب إلي من أوروبة ولا أظن أن العاقل يستحب الإقامة في أوروبة إلا للضرورة وبقدرها
I, too, look forward to meeting you, though I disagree with you about the place. I would prefer to see you in good health and safety in Egypt, because I prefer Egypt to Europe. In fact, I do not think a wise man should choose to live in Europe except out of necessity, and only for as long as that necessity requires.
References
Muḥammad Taqī ad-Dīn al-Hilālī and ʿAbd al-Laṭīf Abū Samḥ, correspondence quoted by Aḥmad al-Ḥamzāwī in Hal Kāna al-ʿAllāmah Taqī ad-Dīn al-Hilālī Mutaʾaththiran bi-l-Gharb, p. 3 of the electronic text, citing Al-Fatḥ, no. 811, p. 13.
