Ibn Abu al-Iz
Encyclopedia
ʻAlī ibn ʻAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn ʻAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī al-ʻIzz , (1331 CE/731 AH—1390/792) commonly known as Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz. He was a jurist of the Hanafi
school and was nicknamed Qāḍī al-Quḍāh (the Judge of Judges).
school of jurisprudence
. He was originally from Damascus
, moved to Egypt
and then returned to Damascus. Like most of his family members, Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz served for much of his life as a judge
.
Having been educated by his family at an early age, he then commenced teaching aged seventeen at the Qimaziyyah school (built by Ṣārim ad-Dīn Qaimāz قيماز (sometimes: Qaʾimāz قأيماز), a descendent of the warrior Salah ad-Dīn al-Ayyūbi
) which specialised in Hanafi jurisprudence. He also gave sermons in Husban for an unspecified period of time. In 1369/771, Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz started teaching at the Rukniyyah school. In June 1377/Muharram
779, he was appointed as judge of Damascus
in place of his cousin (Najm ad-Dīn) who had been transferred to Egypt
. This was short-lived, however, as Najm ad-Dīn resigned from his new post three months later and returned to his old position in Damascus. As too was Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz's subsequent tenure as judge in Egypt, which lasted only a month. He then returned to his previously held positions in Damascus. By 1382, he was teaching at the ʿIzziyyah school, which had been founded by Abu'l Faḍl ʿIzz ad-Dīn Aybak
.
Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz became embroiled in a controversy due to his censure of Ibn Aybuk's qaṣĩdah (poem) due to its contents which he held constituted disbelief. Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz was subsequently removed from his position as judge until an individual named al-Nāṣirī raised the issue to the authorities resulting in Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz's position being returned. He remained at his position until his death in Damascus in 1390/792.
Hanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
school and was nicknamed Qāḍī al-Quḍāh (the Judge of Judges).
Biography
Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz was born in the year 1331 CE/731 AH. He came from a family that had been strong supporters of the HanafiHanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
school of jurisprudence
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
. He was originally from Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, moved to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and then returned to Damascus. Like most of his family members, Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz served for much of his life as a judge
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...
.
Having been educated by his family at an early age, he then commenced teaching aged seventeen at the Qimaziyyah school (built by Ṣārim ad-Dīn Qaimāz قيماز (sometimes: Qaʾimāz قأيماز), a descendent of the warrior Salah ad-Dīn al-Ayyūbi
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
) which specialised in Hanafi jurisprudence. He also gave sermons in Husban for an unspecified period of time. In 1369/771, Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz started teaching at the Rukniyyah school. In June 1377/Muharram
Muharram
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...
779, he was appointed as judge of Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
in place of his cousin (Najm ad-Dīn) who had been transferred to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. This was short-lived, however, as Najm ad-Dīn resigned from his new post three months later and returned to his old position in Damascus. As too was Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz's subsequent tenure as judge in Egypt, which lasted only a month. He then returned to his previously held positions in Damascus. By 1382, he was teaching at the ʿIzziyyah school, which had been founded by Abu'l Faḍl ʿIzz ad-Dīn Aybak
Aybak
Izz al-Din AybakThe name Aybeg or Aybak is a combination of two Turkic words, "Ay" = Moon and "Beg" or variant "Bak" = Emir in Arabic. - Izz al-Din AybakThe name Aybeg or Aybak is a combination of two Turkic words, "Ay" = Moon and "Beg" or variant "Bak" = Emir in Arabic. -(Al-Maqrizi, Note...
.
Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz became embroiled in a controversy due to his censure of Ibn Aybuk's qaṣĩdah (poem) due to its contents which he held constituted disbelief. Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz was subsequently removed from his position as judge until an individual named al-Nāṣirī raised the issue to the authorities resulting in Ibn Abī al-ʻIzz's position being returned. He remained at his position until his death in Damascus in 1390/792.
Works
- Sharḥ al-ʻAqīdah at-Ṭaḥāwiyyah a commentary of the theological work of ImamImamAn imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
at-Taḥāwī This work has been translated into EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as Commentary of at-Tahawi by Ibn Abi al-ʿIzz by Muhammad Abdul-Haqq Ansari at the Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America .