Abd al-Ghani al-Ghunaymi al-Maydani
Jurist and legal theorist in the Hanafi school
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Ê¿Abd al-GhanÄ« ibn ṬÄlib bin ḤamÄda ibn IbrÄhÄ«m al-GhunaymÄ« al-DimashqÄ« al-MaydÄnÄ« (عبد اÙغÙ٠اÙغÙÙ٠٠اÙÙ ÙداÙ٠اÙØÙÙÙ) was a jurist (faqÄ«h) and legal theorist (uṣūlÄ«) adhering to the Hanafi school as well as a traditionalist (muḥaddith) and grammarian (naḥwÄ«). Born in 1222 AH in the MaydÄn neighborhood in southern Damascus, he was known for his vast knowledge and his eagerness to apply it. Just as the neighborhood of his birth still bears this name to this day, he too has become known popularly as al-MaydÄnÄ«.
Teachers and students
After memorizing the QurʾÄn, he studied with the greatest of the scholars in Damascus during that era. These included:
- Shaykh ʿUmar al-Mujtahid al-Dimashqī
- Hanafi jurist Saʿīd al-Ḥalabī (subsequently al-Dimashqī)
- the traditionalist and best known jurist of the Levant Shaykh ImÄm Ê¿AlÄ al-DÄ«n Ibn Ê¿AbidÄ«n
- ShafiÊ¿Ä« jurist Ê¿Abd al-GhanÄ« al-Saqaá¹Ä«
- Hanafi jurist and author of Radd al-MuḥtÄr Ê¿alÄ al-Durar al-MukhtÄr Muḥammad AmÄ«n ibn Ê¿ÄbidÄ«n
- Ê¿Abd al-RaḥmÄn bin Muḥammad al-KuzbarÄ« al-ShafiÊ¿Ä«, author of al-Thabat
- Aḥmad Bībars
- Ḥasan ibn IbrÄhÄ«m al-Bayá¹Är, the ShafiÊ¿Ä« jurist of his era
Qualities
There were many poetic verses written in praise of him, which can be found in Ḥilya al-Bashar fÄ« TÄrikh al-Qarn al-ThÄlith Ê¿Ashar by Shaykh Ê¿Abd al-RazzÄq al-Bayá¹Är. (See volume 2, pp. 867â870)
When riots between Muslims and Christians in 1277 AH/1860 AD broke out, he played a significant role in extinguishing the chaos and restoring order. He was described as being far from antagonism and tribalism due to his distance from the material world and his piety.
Many from the region of ShÄm and beyond studied with him, including Ê¿AllÄma ImÄm Shaykh ṬÄhir al-JazÄʾiriÄ« and UstÄdh SaÊ¿Ä«d al-ShartÅ«nÄ« al-LubnÄnÄ« al-Naá¹£rÄnÄ«.
He was one of the advisors to Isma'il Pasha of Egypt after 1862 and attended its opening ceremony from Damascus in the presence of Emir Abdelkader.[1]
Works
Shaykh al-Mayá¸Äni was not prolific in his writings, but he was certainly amongst the best in the works he did author. These include al-LubÄb fÄ« Sharḥ al-KitÄb in Hanafi fiqh.
When al-KitÄb is mentioned amongst the Hanafis, the Mukhtaá¹£ar of al-QudurÄ« is intended. Imam al-QudÅ«rÄ« was the Hanafi jurist and traditionist, AbÅ« al-Ḥusayn Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-QudÅ«rÄ« al-BaghdÄdÄ«. It is with him the leadership of the Hanafis in Iraq comes to an end. He was born in 362 AH and died in 428 AH. He was also one of the teachers of al-ḤÄfiẠal-Khaá¹Ä«b al-BaghdÄdÄ«, the author of TÄrÄ«kh BaghdÄd.
This Mukhtaá¹£ar is considered to be one of the reliable books within the Hanafi school, used by adherents of the school into the present day. For this reason Shaykh al-Mayá¸anÄ« undertook the task of writing a commentary on it and elucidating its contents. He sought to relate the chosen and established legal positions. This book was widely accepted during his lifetime and after his death. He finished writing it on the 13th of Ramadan in 1266 AH according to the most sound report. However, IsmaÊ¿Ä«l BÄshÄ al-BaghdÄdÄ« in Hadiyya al-Ê¿ÄrifÄ«n and SarkÄ«s in MuÊ¿jam al-Maá¹bÅ«Ê¿Ät opine that the year was 1267 AH.
This book's first edition was first published during the lifetime of the author in Qasá¹aná¹aniya/AsÄtina, modern-day Istanbul, in the year 1274â1275. Thereafter, numerous editions were printed. Unfortunately, many of those printed in Egypt are filled with errors except those proofread by UstÄdh Muḥammad MuḥyÄ« al-DÄ«n Ê¿Abd al-ḤamÄ«d.
Shaykh Ê¿Abdul FattÄh notes that he spent time in Damascus on 20 Muharram 1378 to review all of the manuscripts of Shaykh al-MaydÄnÄ«. These included:
- Sharḥ al-MarÄh fÄ« al-á¹¢arf, 133 pages.
- Sharḥ Ê¿AqÄ«da al-ImÄm al-ṬaḥÄwÄ«, 100 pages.
- Kashf al-IltibÄs Ê¿AmmÄ AwradahÅ« al-ImÄm al-BukhÄrÄ« Ê¿alÄ BaʿḠal-NÄs, 35 pages. Edited and published by Shaykh Abdul FattÄh AbÅ« Ghudda.