This
biography of Imam Ibn Áabidin Shami based on
the preface of Radd al-Muhtar, the Dar Ihya at-Turath
edition. Original Arabic by Shaykh Ábd al-Jalil
Áta of Damascus.
---
Sayyid Muhammad Amin ibn Sayyid Úmar ibn Sayyid
Ábd al-Áziz ibn Sayyid Ahmed ibn Sayyid
Ábd ar-Rahim ibn Sayyid Najmuddin ibn Sayyid
Muhammad Salahuddin widely known as Ibn Áabidin
is praised in these words: the prominent, praiseworthy
and noble scholar; an ocean of knowledge; the master
scholar [jahbadh]; the great jurist [faqih]; the genius;
the finest among the later scholars and the last of
the research scholars; one with an exalted ancestry
[hasib,nasib]; the erudite Imam; the litterateur.
The
Imam was born - Rahimahullah - in Damascus (Syria),
in an family of scholars and high ancestry in the year
1198 AH. His lineage reaches Sayyid Sharif Zayn al-Áabidin
and from him to Sayyidah Fatimah, the daughter of the
Master of all creation, sallAllahu álayhi wa
sallam. Ibn Áabidins father Sayyid Úmar
and his mother were both famed for their righteousness
and taqwa [being fearful of Allah]. May Allah have mercy
on them.
He
grew up in his fathers care in the Qanawat area
in Damascus. He memorized the Quran at a very
young age and was a frequent visitor at his fathers
shop where he learnt the skills of the trade [to enable
him earn an honest livelihood]. Sometimes, he would
recite the Quran in the shop. On one such occasion,
a passerby objected to his recitation in a public place,
since people neither listen to the Quran nor pay
heed to what is being recited. He also pointed out a
few minor mistakes in his recitation. Immediately, he
set out seeking good reciters to correct his mistakes.
He
was referred to the master reciter of his time, [shaykh
al-qurraa, államah] Muhammad Saýid
ibn Ibrahim al-Hamawi (d.1236 AH). He perfected his
tajwid under him and memorized Shatibiyyah, Maydaniyyah
and Jazariyyah. He also learnt Shafiýi fiqh from
him and memorized Az-Zabd. He learnt Arabic grammar
and morphology [nahw, sarf] before finally completing
his studies and obtaining a general degree of authorization
from him [ijazatun áammah].
Allah
táala had destined him to meet the greatest scholar
of his age, Shaykh Shakir al-Áqqad, famously
known as Ibn al-Miqdam Saád. Under him, he read
books of Quranic exegesis, juristic principles,
inheritance, tasawwuf, mathematics [tafsir, hadith,
usul, farayid, tasawwuf, hisab] and the rational sciences.
Áqqad
was instrumental in changing his madhhab to that
of Imam al-Aáam [Ibn Áabidin was
a Shafiýi earlier]. He read major books of Hanafi
fiqh under him like Multaqa al-Abhur, Kanz ad-Daqayiq,
its exegesis Bahr ar-Rayiq, Dirayah and Hidayah.
He
began reading Durr al-Mukhtar under well-known scholars,
the most famous among whom was Shaykh Saýid al-Halabi.
Ibn Áabidins meeting with Shaykh Shakir
was a giant stride in his career as a scholar and a
pilgrim upon the spiritual path. No wonder then, he
remained in his company for seven years, after which
Shaykh Shakir would present him to his own teachers
and recommend them to grant him authorizations. His
chain of transmissions [sanad] became more elevated
and shorter than earlier ones. He also became a member
[murid] of the Qadiri order to which he kept forever.
[Tariqah of Ghawth al-Aáam Shaykh Ábd
al-Qadir Jilani Radiyallahu ánhu]
After
the death of Shaykh Shakir Rahimahullah, he continued
studying under his deputy, Shaykh Saýid al-Halabi.
Al-Halabi was the most learned man in Shaykh Shakirs
circle and was also the foremost Hanafi scholar of his
time. He loved Ibn Áabidin so much that he did
not start his lessons until Ibn Áabidin was present.
The lessons of Durr al-Mukhtar were held next to the
Umawi mosque after morning prayers.
----
Ibn Áabidin was very handsome and charismatic;
he was tall and had a good physique. He was mild mannered,
kind and always cheerful; yet, he was always dignified
and poised. He had a certain awe about him which commanded
respect. His speech was full of wisdom and foresight.
An
Indian shaykh once said to his teacher Al Áqqad,
when he left Ibn Áabidin behind waiting at the
door: Bring along the young man, for I see the
light of Prophethood shine between his eyes.
----
He received degrees of authorization from major scholars
of his time, from his shaykhs, and their shaykhs. This
was on account of his shaykh Áqqad, who introduced
him to his own shaykhs and grand-shaykhs when he noticed
the extraordinary intelligence, sincerety and talent
of the young man. Given below are the degrees of the
authorization he obtained:
A
general degree of authorization from the famous shaykh,
Muhammad al-Kazburi al-Kabir, the muhaddith of his time
who passed away in 1221 AH. He signed the certificate
of authorization in the year, 1210 AH when Ibn Áabidin
was only a little over twelve years old.
Another general degree from the great scholar and famous
muhaddith shaykh, Ahmed al-Áttar who passed away
in 1218 AH. He granted him this ijazah in 1216 when
he was about eighteen years old.
Another general degree of authorization from the great
scholar, Al-Amir al-Kabir (d.1232 AH), which he had
it sent to him in 1228 AH.
An ijazah to narrate from the reciters of Damascus,
through his first teacher Muhammad Saýid al-Hamawi
(d.1236 AH) which includes many prominent scholars of
that time.
And the degree from his own shaykh, Muhammad Shakir
al-Áqqad, famously known as Ibn Miqdam Saád.
---
Ibn Áabidin began writing when he was barely
seventeen. Among his earliest writings were annotations
on books that he read from his shaykh, Áqqad,
especially on Bahr ar-Rayiq and Durr al-Mukhtar.
He
worked very hard and kept a steady progress until eventually,
he become the foremost authority on Hanafi fiqh in his
time. In the times of Shaykh Husayn al-Muradi, he was
made the chief mufti of Damascus. He received questions
through mail from all over the world on various matters
to which he replied, sometimes in a very detailed manner.
The
Hashiyah or the Marginalia on Durr al-Mukhtar, is his
magnum opus in which he compiled the preferred rulings
[of Hanafi fiqh], thereby making it an authority in
the Hanafi madhhab. Durr al-Mukhtar is a concise
work; thus, many matters have been omitted to keep it
concise. Sometimes, descriptions are cryptic for anyone
but a trained eye and an experienced master. Ibn Áabidin
saw the need for its exegesis, and inclusion of many
matters omitted therein.
Incidentally,
earlier authors who attempted such a comprehensive work,
passed away before they could complete their work. Usually
these books did not progress beyond the section on ijarah
[hiring, renting] like Fath al-Qadir [Kamal ibn
Humam] for example. Therefore, Ibn Áabidin started
his marginalia from the part on ijarah saying If
death takes me sooner, this should serve as the completion
of the unfinished earlier ones. But if I live long enough,
I shall return to make it a whole, complete work
He
began writing the Marginalia under the auspices of his
shaykh, Saýid al-Halabi after he finished reading
Durr al-Mukhtar the first time and from the notes he
had made for the same. Thereafter, he read it once more
with the annotations of Ibrahim al-Halabi. In the meantime
he would show his drafts to the shaykh who would be
pleased and say: The time has come for this huge
collection to be finally ordered and the giant task
to be completed.
As
mentioned earlier, he started from the part on ijarah
and went on till the end. He then started it from the
beginning and finished at ijarah. Once it was completed,
he began ordering the manuscript, but death didnt
spare him time to complete the fair copy of his manuscript.
His
son Álauddin, later completed the fair copy and
appended his own notes spanning two separate volumes,
and named it Qurrat al-Úyun al-Akhyar, bi Takmalati
Radd al-Muhtar.
---
A pious life spent in earning the pleasure of his parents,
and duteous to Allah; a life spent in amassing knowledge
and good deeds extinguished on Wednesday, the 21st of
Rabiý ath-Thani, 1252 AH. He was only 54 when
he died.
His
funeral prayer was led by his own teacher Saýid
al-Halabi who broke down, weeping and clutching his
his own beard said: I was treasuring you, for
what comes after my old age. Prayers were held
in the Sinaniyyah mosque and he was buried in
accordance with his will near the grave of Shaykh
Álauddin al-Haskafi, the author of Durr al-Mukhtar
and next to the great muhaddith Salih al-Jaynini in
Damascus.
May
Allah be pleased with him and grant him the most extensive
of paradises.
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