Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani
His name is Ahmad Ibn ‘Ali Ibn Muhammad Ibn Muhammad ‘Ali Al-Kinaani Al-Asqalaani. His great grandparents lived in Asqalaan where they entered it in the year 583 Hijri. The word Hajar is the name of one of his grandfathers. His Kunya is Abul-Fadl and his Laqab is Shihaabuddin.
This city Asqalaan is found in Palestine in Ghazza. Ibn Hajar was born on the 12th of Sha’baan, 773 Hijri. Ibn Hajar was an orphan. His father who was a great scholar and merchant died in the year 777 Hijri (making Ibn Hajar only four years old). His mother passed away before that and so he was an orphan from both of his parents. Ibn Hajar had an older brother who was very learned, but died before Ibn Hajar and due to this his father became very upset and saddened. One of the pious people saw a dream and he gave glad tidings to the father of Ibn Hajar, and told him that he would be succeeded by a person who would be better than him and have a long life. Ibn Hajar himself then says that, “I was born and Allâh subhanahu wa ta’ala opened my hands for me.”
Meaning that Allâh subhanahu wa ta’ala gave him good knowledge and a sound memory.
Ibn Hajar is regarded to be one of the rare people in our beautiful history, as the scholars state, “Ibn Hajar was the strongest of those ‘Ulammaa who had memorised hadith” and so there was no one really the same as him in regards to what he memorised and to the precision that he done it.
When he was only five years, Ibn Hajar went to school where he began the memorization of the Qur’ân. He completed the memorisation of the Qur’ân when he was nine years old. He lead the people in Taraweeh prayer in Makkah in the year 785 Hijri (when he was just twelve years old).
The fact that Ibn Hajar was able to memorise the Qur’ân at such a tender age shows the precision and strength of his memory. Ibn Hajar first heard Sahih Al-Bukhaari from one of his earliest scholars Affef-ud-Deen Al-Nashawari.
In the year 786 Hijri, Ibn Hajar moved from Makkah to Egypt where he memorised a number of small summarised books like Al-‘Umda al-hadith and also Al-Haawee which is a book in Shaafi’ee Fiqh and also Mukhtasir Al-Haajib which is a book on Usool-ul-Fiqh and other books like in grammar. Then for a short period of time for certain reasons, he stopped seeking knowledge and then in the year 790 Hijri, he again returned in seeking the knowledge of the different sciences of Islam. Such as Tafseer and Kiraa-aat, but something that he was very fond of and what he started doing more often was reading History. History of battles and wars and he also had a great love for reading Arabic literature. Some of the scholars would encourage him to read about History and Literature. One of these scholars was Al-Badr Al-Bushtaki who encouraged him to read Al-Ghaani, which was one of the greatest books written in Arabic literature. It’s almost 30 volumes long and Ibn Hajar read this, such that he would hear poetry and know who mentioned it as well as understanding the meaning of the poetry (This is very important for one who wants to understand the Qur’ân and the Sunnah), this reading and understanding of literature.
Ibn Hajar would even write poetry himself. He started to read more into the sciences of hadith and Allâh subhanahu wa ta’ala gave him the love and inspired him to learn the sciences of hadith and its memorisation and in doing so he benefited himself and the Ummah greatly.
In 796 Hijri, Ibn Hajar started to turn to knowledge with great enthusiasm and hard-work. He himself says that, “The veil between him and knowledge was removed for him and the doors were opened for him to learn with great and strong resolve”. He was able to acquire much knowledge and was blessed by Allâh subhanahu wa ta’ala in this regard. He would travel much in the days of learning in the morning and in the evening trying to learn from the scholars of his time. Amongst the most famous of scholars that he learnt from were Al-Haafidh Al-Iraaqi and Ibn Al-Mulaqqin, who were two famous scholars of hadith and he learnt from these two scholars and other scholars like them. He traveled to Alexandria, to Ash-Shaam, Syria, to Egypt and to other places as well, where he would get benefit and also benefit others. One of the times when Ibn Hajar went to Shaam, he was 60 years old and at this time he had already become a great scholar (he had become high in his knowledge and learning), but this didn’t prevent him from learning and traveling to seek knowledge. This showed the keenness and steadfastness of this great Imam in learning the knowledge from the people. During this visit to Yemen he said that he met some of the scholars such as Firauz-uddin Al-Abbaadi, the great grammarian and scholar who wrote one of the dictionaries of the Arabic Language and he also met the King of Yemen. When he came back from Yemen, the boat that he was coming back on capsized and many of the books that he had written were lost. All of this shows the great lengths that Ibn Hajar went to, to learn and write about Islâm.
Ibn Hajar took a number of posts and different positions in his life, despite the fact that he did not want these positions, but because the people asked him to take these positions, he did so. One such position was teaching the different Islâmic Sciences such as Tafseer, Kiraa-aat, etc. He was also the Mufti, so he would give fataawa (he would give legal rulings). He was also a judge, and took the position of the person who would give the Khutbah on the days of Jumu’ah. These positions in those times were only given to the scholars, or those who could fulfill the criteria of these positions.
As for the teachers of Ibn Hajar, he has more than eight hundred. He wrote a book talking about his various different teachers who he learnt from. Also his students were very many, such that a student would come and learn from him and then the son of the student would also come and learn from him. So a father and son would take priding in having learned from Ibn Hajar owing to the rank that Ibn Hajar held in his lifetime.
Also the different Muftis in the land were students of Ibn Hajar himself. He had many books and these books spread out amongst the Muslims world in his lifetime. Even the teachers and contemporaries of Ibn Hajar would request his books. Even more so than his students, so that they may learn from them. This showed the level that Allâh subhanahu wa ta’ala had placed Ibn Hajar that he was above most of the contemporaries of his time.
Ibn Hajar was well known for his piety, being detached from the world (his Zuhud). Al Buqaa’ee mentions about Ibn Hajar that he would fast continuously and eat very little. He would also be careful of eating the food of other people and if he was travelling then he would eat whatever he wish to, and if his money were to run out, then he would eat things (lowly things) that normal people wouldn’t like to eat. People would eat meat, those who took salaries from the government for example the army, etc. But he would never take any of the food from these people because of his piety and his cautiousness of where his food would come from.
The scholars of Islâm would give Ibn Hajar precedence and they would honor him whether they be the scholars of his time or those who came after him. Al Buqaa’ee said about him that he is the leader of the people, the imam of the Muslims. Ash-Shawkaanee said about him, that he is the great famous haafidh well knowledgeable about hadith. So if the word al-Haafidh is given to anyone, then by ijmaa’ or after him is given to Ibn Hajar and Ibn Hajar alone. So if the word al-Haafidh is said, then it indicated Ibn Hajar, unless the word al-Haafidh is qualified by someone else. This shows the great level and rank that Ibn Hajar reached.
Another scholar said about him, that he is one of the great scholars of the scholars of our past he is the Leader of The Believers in regards to hadith, he is the most knowledgeable scholar of his time. About his great book Fath Al-Bari, the Shaykh said, it is like a dictionary of the Sunnah. Rather it is a dictionary of all the Islâmic Sciences. This book would be said to be beneficial in the sense that if you were to ask a question, then Ibn Hajar would provide such as answer in this great book, that the questioners thirst would be quenched.
Concerning his books, then Ibn Hajar has a great number of books, his most famous book is Fath Al-Bari, which is the explanation of Sahih Al-Bukhari and also his book Tahdheeb at-tahdheeb, which is a book concerning the different narrators in the Kutub-us-Sitta. Another one of his famous and great books is Bulugh al-Maram min Adilatil Ahkaam, in which he states: “I have gathered the most concise collection of ahadith that summarize the rulings of the Shariah. The one who learns it will excel over his peers.”
He has books in all the various Islâmic Sciences such as Hadith, Tafseer, Uloom-ul-Qur’ân. On Tuesday 14th of Dhul-Hijjah the year 852 Hijri, he became ill, such that Saturday 18th of the same month, he passed away in Cairo (may Allâh have mercy on his soul).
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Shaykh al-Qurraa, Imaam ibn al-Jazari (rh)
He is ash-Shaykh al-Qurraa’ wa al-Muhadditheen, wa al-Imaam Ahl al-Adaa’ wa al-Mujawwideen, Shaykh ad-Dunyaa fee al-Qiraa’at wa al-Tajweed, al-‘Allaamah al-Haafidh Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Yusuf ibn al-Jazari; Shams al-Deen Abu al-Khayr al-Dimishqi ash-Shaafi’i (rahimahullaah).
He was born in Damascus (Syria) in a place called Khatt al-Qassaa’een, on the night of al-Jumu’ah, 25th Ramadhaan 751AH, after Salaat at-Taraweeh.
The Imaam describes himself in his famous nadhm (poem) in ‘Ilm at-Tajweed (Science of Tajweed), al-Muqaddimah al-Jazariyyah (al-Muqaddimah feemaa yajibu ‘alaa qaari’ al-Qur’aan an-ya’lamah) as ‘Imaam al-Jazari’. ‘Jazari’ is a location in the Kurdistan/Turkmenistan/Iraq region. He belongs to a place called Ibn -‘Umar and the ‘ulamaa say that he has Kurdiy asl (Kurdish origins).
Imaam al-Jazari’s father was a taajir (a businessman) and Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa) had not granted him any children for a period of 40 years. So his father decided to go and perform al-Hajj, where he went and drank from the water of Zam-Zam and made du’aa to Allah to give him a child who would become an ‘Aalim. And so Allaah accepted this du’aa and granted him with a son, who became the great Imaam ibn al-Jazari.
He grew up in Damascus, where he completed memorising the Qur’aan by the age of 13 years, and he began leading as-Salaat at-Taraweeh at the age of 14 years. He was from a wealthy family. He was described as being very light in his complexion and very eloquent in his language.
He acquired his knowledge from various places including Shaam (Syria), Misr (Egypt) and Hijaaz (Makkah/Madinah). The Imaam studied the Qiraa’aat ifraadan (which means he recited one khatmah for each Qiraa’ah e.g. one khatmah for Warsh, one khatmah for Hafs etc) and also jam’an (which means he completed a khatmah, combining the Qiraa’aat). He studied many books including the famous at-Tayseer of Abu ‘Amar ad-Daani and also ash-Shaatibiyyah of Imaam ash-Shaatibi. He was not just a scholar in Qiraa’aat but also other ‘uloom (Islamic Sciences) such as Hadeeth, Fiqh etc.
His teachers include:
Shaykh ‘Abdul-Wahhaab ibn as-Sallaar
Shaykh Ahmad ibn Ibraahim at-Tahhaan
Shaykh Ahmad ibn Rajab
Shaykh Abu al-Ma’aalee ibn al-Labbaan
Imaam al-Jundi
Imaam as-Saa’igh
Imaam al-Baghdaadi
Imaam al-Qarawee
Imaam al-Jazari was appointed as a Qaadhi (Judge) of Damascus and also Shiraaz in Iran. He built two schools called Madrassah al-Qurra’ in these places. He then sat in Masjid Bani Umayyah, al-Jami’ al-Amawee underneath al-qubbat an-nasr (the Dome of the Eagle), and after his teacher ash-Shaykh as-Sallaar passed away, he took the position of teaching the people from that place.
He passed away in the year 833AH and is buried in Shiraaz (Iran).
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Shaikh al-‘Allamah ‘Atiyyah Muhammad Salam
Atiyya bin Muhammad Salam was born in the town of Mahdiyya, in the Eastern part of Egypt in the year 1346 AH. His early encounter with knowledge began in the small Quranic schools here, where he memorized some sections of the Noble Quran as well as the essential principles of knowledge. In the year 1364 AH, he traveled to Madinah al Munawwara, where he began to acquire knowledge in the Halaqas of the honored Masjid of the Prophet. Here he studied the Muwatta of Imam Malik, as well as Nayl al Awtar, Subul as Salam, and other texts from the sciences of Hadith, Arabic Language, Inheritance, under the tutelage of noble scholars such as Abdurahman al-Afriqi, Hamad al-Ansaari, Muhammad at-Turki, Muhammad al-Hurkaan, and others.
He then enrolled in the Institute of Learning in Riyadh in the year 1371 AH where he received his secondary education, and then he enrolled in the Institute of Higher Learning in Riyadh were he obtained two degrees in Shari’ah and Arabic Language, and some of his instructors included Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Baz, Shaikh ‘Abdur Razaq al ‘Afeefi, Shaikh Abdur Razaq Hamza, and others.
Without a doubt, Shaikh Muhammad Amin Ash-Shinqeeti had a major impact on his life, for he studied with him and accompanied him both locally and during his travels for over twenty years, years filled with giving, knowledge, good manners, noble company, devotion, and much more. Shaikh ‘Atiyya began teaching at the University level at the Institute of Higher Learning in Ahsaa’, in the Colleges of Shariah and Arabic in Riyadh.
In the year 1381 AH, when the Islamic University of Madinah was founded, he traveled there and began teaching in some of its colleges at the graduate level, as well as at the High Institute for Dawah in Madinah. In 1384 AH, he began his work in the Judiciary by the appointment of the Grand Mufti, who was also the Head of the Judiciary and Courts, as Judge and later Special Judge, until he retired in 1414 AH.
The Shaikh had special Halaqas in Masjid an Nabawi, in which he taught many advanced sciences in Shariah, and many students of knowledge from every corner of the earth would gather around him. He authored a number of books and articles that have been published on various Islamic sciences, including history and language.
The Shaikh was very active in the field of dawah in the media, on radio, television, and in the newspapers. He presented a number of television and radio programs, as well as interviews, and published a number of articles in many magazines and papers. He also gave a number of public lectures both inside and outside of the Kingdom.
In everything he presented, he had vast understanding and comprehension of the subject, and a simple style. He understood the subjects he spoke on from every unique angle. The Shaikh continued to teach in Masjid an-Nabawi until he passed away, and he has many devoted students and those who admire his legacy. He passed away in Madinah on the 6th of Rabi’a thani, 1420 AH, and was buried in the Baqi’. May Allah have mercy upon him.
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Shaikh Abdurahman bin Nasir bin Sa’adi
‘Allamah Shaikh Abd ar-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa’di at-Tamimi (1889–1956) was a prominent Islamic scholar, jurist, exegete, and Arabic grammarian with a great interest in poetry who contributed many works on a variety of subjects, including his famous Tafsir. May Allah benefit us from his works.
Early life
Shaikh Abd ar-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa’di was born in the city of Unayzah in the Qasim Province of Saudi Arabia on September 8, 1889 (12th of Muharram 1307 H). His mother died when he was four years old and his father when he was seven. He was raised by his stepmother until he became old enough to live with his brother.
As a child, he was known for his intelligence and memorized the Quran by the age of eleven. Even after memorizing the Qur’an, he continued to seek knowledge from the scholars of his town as well as those who passed through it, giving him experience in many Islamic disciplines.
Career
By the age of twenty-three, he was teaching students of his own. He was considered an expert in fiqh and usool al-fiqh. Initially, he adhered to the Hanbali school of Islamic law (madhab), as did his early teachers. He went on to study the works of Ibn Taymiyyah (d.1328) and Ibn al-Qayyim (d.1350) extensively, and, as he progressed in his studies, he no longer restricted himself to the Hanbali school, but rather followed the course he believed to be proven by the strongest evidences. He was also an expert in tafsir (Quranic exegesis or commentary), having read many books of tafsir and studied it under his teachers; he later authored a tafsir himself.
His Teachers and Students
His teachers included:
Muhammad Amin as-Shanqiti
Ali Nasir Abu Wadaye
Salih ibn Uthman al-Qadi
Muhammad ibn Abdul Kareem as-Shibil
His students include:
Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen
Abdullah ibn Abd al-Aziz ibn Aqeel
Ali ibn Zamal Aslaim
Aludin Kujab Qadaas
Ruzbehan Nurbakhsh
Abdullah Albassam
His Works
Books and treatise written by Shaikh as-Sa’di include:
Taysir al-Karim ar-Rahman fee Tafsir al-Qur’an’ – Tafsir of the Quran and his most famous work
Manhaj al-Salikin
al-Qawaa’id wal-Usool al-Jaami’ah wal-Furooq wat -Taqaaseem al-Badee’ah an-Naafi’ah – Explanation of the principles in Usool al-Fiqh
Haashiyah Fiqhiyyah
Deewaan Khutab
al-Qawaa’id al-Hisaan
Tanzeeh ad-Deen
Radd alaa al-Qaseemee
al-Braansi Waaghir va-Jinna
al-Haqq al-Waadhih al-Mubayyin
Bahjatu Quloob al-Abraar
ar-Riyaadh an-Naadhirah
al-Durrat al-Fakhira (The Exquisite Pearl)
Death
Shaikh as-Sa’di passed away at the age of 69 on a Thursday in the year 1956 C.E. of complications arising from an unidentified illness that he suffered from for approximately five years. He was buried in the city of Unayzah; his funeral prayer took place after the Dhuhur prayer in the grand mosque of that city, with numerous people attending. May Allah continue to benefit us with his knowledge and cause it to propogate through us until the Day of Judgement.