Nu'man al-Alusi
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1836
Nu'man al-Alusi | |
|---|---|
 A manuscript written and signed by Nu'man al-Alusi, which he dedicated to his teacher Mullah Qasim Effendi. | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Abu al-Barakat Khayr al-Din Nu'man bin Mahmud al-Alusi 1836 |
| Died | 1899 (aged 62–63) Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq |
| Resting place | Murjan Mosque, Baghdad, Iraq |
| Occupation | Islamic scholar, jurist and calligrapher |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni Islam |
| Jurisprudence | Independent (with influence from the Hanafi and Shafi'i schools) |
| Creed | Athari |
| Movement | Salafism |
| Muslim leader | |
Influenced by | |
Influenced | |
Nu'man al-Alusi (Arabic: نعمان الآلوسي; 1836–1899), full name Khayr al-Din Nu'man bin Mahmud al-Alusi, was a 19th-century Iraqi Muslim scholar, jurist and calligrapher.[1][2][3][4] The son of the widely acclaimed Hanafi jurist, Mahmud al-Alusi, Nu'man was born in Baghdad.[1][2][3][4] He later rose to prominence himself as an early supporter of the Salafi movement, which was slowly spreading at the time.[1][2][3][4][5]
Muhammad Bahjat Athari described Nu'man al-Alusi as “Generous, loyal, ascetic, sweet as a fruit, and a forgiving person.”[1][2][3][4] He was also praised by Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi, while he was also credited by Al-Albani in the introduction of his book Sharh al-Ayat al-Bayinat fi Iyadam Sama'i al-Amwat.[3]
Nu'man al-Alusi was one of Mahmud al-Alusi's scholarly sons.[1][2][3][4][6] At first, he took knowledge from his own father, but later on as he grew up he became a student of Mullah Qasim Effendi.[2][3][4][6] He served as a qadi (Islamic judge) in several towns, including Hillah.[3][5][6] In the year 1878, Nu'man al-Alusi travelled to Egypt where he studied the works of Siddiq Hasan Khan, a prominent Indian Muslim scholar of the Ahl-i-Hadith movement.[1][3][7][6] Siddiq Hassan Khan's works were one of those which influenced the thinking of Nu'man.[7][6][8] Later in 1882, he migrated to Istanbul, Turkey, but he stayed for two years only.[1][3][4][6] After his stay, he returned to his hometown with the title of Muda'ir al-Madrasa (head teacher).[1][3][4][6]
Nu'man al-Alusi was one of the famous calligraphers of his time, and he took up the hobby of calligraphy from his father.[1][3][4][6] He was fluent in the Rayhani script, and he wrote letters and books in this form.[1][4][3][6] Some of his work is preserved in the archives of the public libraries in Baghdad.[1][3][4][6]
Nu'man al-Alusi died in Baghdad at the age of 63, and he was buried in the grounds of the Murjan Mosque.[1][4][6]
Views and teachings
Nu'man al-Alusi was one of the early advocates of the Salafi movement.[1][2][4][5][9] However, he also became affiliated with Naqshbandi order of Sufism. His book Jala' al-'Aynayn was intended to serve as a guidebook or manual to the Athari creed, which was conflated with Salafism at the time.[10][11][12] It featured quotes from the Hanbali theologian Ibn Taymiyyah.[13][10][11][12] Siddiq Hasan Khan mistakenly considered Nu'man al-Alusi a Maturidi but his verdict was not well-known or widespread.[13]