Al-Munawi
15th-century Islamic scholar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Muhammad 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-MunÄwi (Arabic: Ù Ø٠د عبد اÙرؤÙ٠اÙÙ ÙاÙÙ), also known as Al-MunÄwi (Arabic: اÙÙ ÙاÙÙ) was an Egyptian Islamic scholar of the Ottoman period. He was a prominent Shafi'i jurist, hadith specialist, historian, and sufi mystic.[2][3][4] He is considered one of the most greatest Sunni scholars and prolific writers of his time.[5][6] His most celebrated work, Fayd al-Qadir, stands as a cornerstone of classical Islamic scholarship.[7] He was the paternal great-grandson of Sharaf al-Din al-Munawi and was the famous disciple of Al-Sha'rani.[8][9]
Al-MunÄwi | |
|---|---|
اÙÙ
ÙاÙÙ | |
| Title | Zain al-Din Al-ḤÄfiẠ|
| Personal life | |
| Born | (952 AH/1545 AD) |
| Died | (1031 AH/1621 AD) (aged 76) |
| Era | Late Middle ages |
| Region | Egypt |
| Main interest(s) | Islamic jurisprudence, Hadith sciences, History, Tasawwuf |
| Notable work(s) | Fayd al-Qadir |
| Alma mater | Al-Azhar University |
| Occupation | Scholar, Traditionist, Jurist, Historian, Sufi |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Shafi'i |
| Creed | Ash'ari[1] |
| Muslim leader | |
Name and Origin
Life
Al-MunawÄ« was born in the city of Cairo in the year of 952 AH/1545 CE and was a member of was a member of prestigious family well known for their knowledge and piety.[10] Both through his maternal great-grandfather Sharaf al-Din al-MunÄwÄ« and his father TÄj al-Ê¿ÄrifÄ«n. From a young age, he was devoted to the pursuit of knowledge. His first teacher was his father, under whose care he memorized the Quran before reaching puberty and also studied with him certain aspects of Arabic linguistics.[11] Before entering puberty, he memorised the Qur'an as well as other valuable texts in Shafi'i Fiqh, Hadith, Arabic grammar, and Seerah.[12]
Al-MunÄwÄ« did not leave any field of study from the scholars of his time without learning from them. Among his prominent teachers were Shams al-DÄ«n al-RamlÄ« (d. 1004/1596), Naṣīr al-DÄ«n al-ṬablÄwÄ« (d. 1014/1606), NÅ«r al-DÄ«n Ê¿AlÄ« ibn GhÄnim al-MaqdisÄ« (d. 1004/1596), AbÅ«âl-MakÄrim Muḥammad al-BakrÄ« (d. 994/1586), Muḥammad ibn Ê¿AlÄ« al-SamarqandÄ« (d. 981/1573), and Ê¿Abd al-WahhÄb ibn Aḥmad al-ShaÊ¿rÄnÄ« (d. 973/1565).[11]
He made a few religious services until he withdrew from society to compose. Then he went back to the outside world to teach at the University of Aliyya, where his extremely high calibre of instruction attracted the most illustrious academics of the day and caused some to make him so envious that he was certainly poisoned. He managed to get away, but he soon gave up teaching and began dictating his works to one of his sons, Taj al-Din Muhammad, who was now too frail to write them down.[12]
Among his students were his two sons Zayn al-Ê¿ÄbidÄ«n ibn Ê¿Abd al-Raʾūf (d. 1026/1617) and TÄj al-DÄ«n Muḥammad ibn Ê¿Abd al-Raʾūf (d. ?), as well as notable scholars such as SulaymÄn al-BÄbilÄ« (d. 1026/1617), Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-MaqqarÄ« (d. 1041/1632), and Ê¿AlÄ« ibn Muḥammad al-Ê¿UchÅ«rÄ« (d. 1066/1656), all of whom studied under his tutelage.[11]
Al-MunÄwÄ« passed away in Cairo in 1031 AH / 1622 CE. He was buried in the place known today in Egypt as ZÄwiyat al-MunÄwÄ«. Upon his death, it was said: âThe ShÄfiÊ¿Ä« of the age has died.â Elegies were composed in his memory.[13]
Reception
Since his childhood, al-MunÄwÄ« was occupied with the pursuit of knowledge. It was said about him: âThere was no branch of knowledge into which he did not dip his bucket.â Likewise, al-ZiriklÄ« stated that he was among the great scholars in both the religious and scientific fields, while al-MuḥibbÄ« said that he had encompassed within himself the various branches of knowledge, and that no one was like him in this regard.[13]
Works
Al-MunÄwÄ« composed numerous works across various disciplines. Research indicates that he authored more than a hundred works. Among these are those that were completed or left unfinished, those that have survived to the present day, and others known only by name. Some of al-MunÄwÄ«'s writings had already spread to different regions while he was still alive. He was careful, in authoring his works, to consider the needs of the public. Indeed, some of his books were written in response to the insistent requests of those around him.[13]
Al-MunÄwÄ« became famous primarily for the commentaries (shurūḥ) he wrote. One of the greatest features of his commentaries is that he gathered scattered information from various sources and presented it as an integrated whole. His method was so admired that it was said of him: âHe blended the commentary with the text as life is blended with the soul.â It is not possible here to discuss each of al-MunÄwÄ«'s works individually. However, a brief overview of his writings in the field of ḥadÄ«th may be given as follows:[13][14]
- Fayd al-Qadir Sharh al-Jami` al-Saghir â Considered his magnum opus, it is one of the best commentaries on Al-Jami' al-Saghir by al-Suyuti.
- Bughyat al-ṬÄlibÄ«n li-MaÊ¿rifat Iá¹£á¹ilÄḥ al-MuḥaddithÄ«n â A work on the principles of ḥadÄ«th (Ê¿ilm al-ḥadÄ«th), consisting of an introduction and four sections.
- Al-JÄmiÊ¿ al-Azhar min ḤadÄ«th al-Nabiyy al-Anwar â Al-MunÄwÄ« authored this book to include the ḥadÄ«ths that are not found in al-SuyÅ«á¹Ä«'s al-JÄmiÊ¿ al-KabÄ«r.
- Al-AdÊ¿iyat al-MabrÅ«ra biâl-AḥÄdÄ«th al-MaʾthÅ«ra â A work written by al-MunÄwÄ« on transmitted (maʾthÅ«r) supplications.
- Al-YawÄqÄ«t waâl-Durar Sharḥ Sharḥ Nukhbat al-Fikar â A gloss (ḥÄshiya) on Nuzhat al-Naáºar, the commentary authored by Ibn Ḥajar (d. 852/1449) on his own Nukhbat al-Fikar.
- Sharh al-Tirmidhi â A commentary of Sunan al-Tirmidhi by Al-Tirmidhi
- Futuhat Subhaniyyah fi Sharh al-Alfiyyah al-Iraqi â A commentary of Alfiyya of al-Iraqi by Zain al-Din al-'Iraqi.
- 'Al-MajmÅ«Ê¿ al-FÄʾiq min ḤadÄ«th KhÄtimat Rusul al-KhalÄʾiq â A compilation of brief prophetic traditions (ḥadÄ«ths) selected by al-MunÄwÄ« from various sources.
- Al-Fatḥ al-SamÄwÄ« bi-TakhrÄ«j AḥÄdÄ«th TafsÄ«r al-QÄá¸Ä« al-Bayá¸ÄwÄ« â Written as a study of al-Bayá¸ÄwÄ«'s (d. 685/1286) QurʾÄnic commentary AnwÄr al-TanzÄ«l, in which al-MunÄwÄ« traced and authenticated the ḥadÄ«ths cited therein.
- Al-IthÄfÄt al-Saniyya biâl-AḥÄdÄ«th al-Qudsiyya â A collection of ḥadÄ«ths qudsiyya (divine sayings), arranged alphabetically, containing a total of 272 narrations.
- Sharḥ al-ArbaÊ¿Ä«n â A commentary on al-NawawÄ«'s ArbaÊ¿Ä«n (Forty ḤadÄ«ths). The manuscript is preserved in the Süleymaniye Library under the title Sharḥ al-AḥÄdÄ«th al-Nabawiyya liâl-NawawÄ«.
- Sharḥ RisÄlat al-BakrÄ« fÄ« Faá¸l Laylat al-Niá¹£f min ShaÊ¿bÄn â As the title indicates, this is a commentary on a treatise by his teacher AbÅ«âl-MakÄrim Muḥammad al-BakrÄ«, titled al-Nubdha, concerning the merits of the night of mid-ShaÊ¿bÄn (the Night of BarÄʾa).
- Al-Maá¹Älib al-Ê¿Aliyya â Another work by al-MunÄwÄ« concerning supplications (duÊ¿Äʾ).
- RafÊ¿ al-NiqÄb Ê¿an KitÄb al-ShihÄb â A commentary on ShihÄb al-AkhbÄr, a collection of concise ḥadÄ«ths compiled by al-QudÄÊ¿Ä« (d. 454/1062).
- IsÊ¿Äf al-ṬullÄb bi-Sharḥ TartÄ«b al-ShihÄb â Another commentary written on ShihÄb al-AkhbÄr.
- KunÅ«z al-ḤaqÄʾiq min ḤadÄ«th Khayr al-KhalÄʾiq â A compilation of short prophetic traditions selected by al-MunÄwÄ«, arranged so that each page of the book contains one hundred ḥadÄ«ths.
His other known works include:
- Al-Kawakib al-Durriyya fi Tarajim al-Sufiyya ("The Glittering Stars in the Biographies of the Sufis"), a biographical dictionary on Sufis.[15]
- Al-Nukhbat fi Fadayil Ahl al-Bayt ("The Elite in the Virtues of Ahl al-Bayt")
- Al-Lali al-Jawhariat fi Sharh Hikam al-'Ata'iyah, an explanation of Hikam al-'Ata'iyah by Ibn Ata Allah al-Iskandari
