Ibn Qudamah
Encyclopedia
Imam Mawaffaq ad-Din Abdullah Ibn Ahmad Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi (Arabic
ابن قدامة Ibn Qudamah) was a noted Islamic scholar of the Hanbali
madhhab
, author of many treatises of Hanbali jurisprudence and doctrine, including al-Mughni (the most widely known textbook of Hanbali fiqh
) as well as Tahrim an-Nazar (Censure of Speculative Theology, criticism of Ibn Aqil
's rationalist views.) He was born in Palestine
, and died in Damascus
.
in Sha'aban
1147AD/541AH. He memorized the Qur'an
at an early age, studying its sciences and was known to have nice handwriting. At the age of ten his family moved to Damascus
, where he memorized the Qur'an in addition to an abridged form of Al-Kharqi (a Hanbali book of Fiqh).
He left with his cousin, 'Abd al-Ghani, for Baghdad
in 561AH and met Abdul-Qadir Gilani shortly before he died. They stayed at his school, learning from him as well as from other scholars and students of knowledge of that time such as Abu-al-Faraj ibn Al-Jawzi, Hibat-ullaah Ibn Al-Hasan Ad-Daqaq, Abi'l Fath Ibn Al-Battee, Abi Zur'ah Ibn Tahir, Yahya Ibn Thabit, Khadeejah An-Nahrawaniyah and others.
He also studied with the following scholars of his time:
"The Imaam of Al-Hanabilah (Hanbalis) in Damascus Mosque, he was a trust worthy, noble figure, extremely generous, of a clean character, a cautious worshipper, follower of the Salaf in methodology, emitting light (of knowledge and piety) and respectful. One may benefit from his sighting before even hearing his speech!
Shaikh al-Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah said about him, "No one possessing more understanding of the religion entered Shaam, after Al-Awzaa'ee, other than Shaykh al Muwaffaq (Ibn Qudamah)"
Ibn Kathir
said about him , "He was the Shaikh ul Islam, an Imaam, a Scholar, outstandingly proficient. there was not found in his time nor before it by a long span of time, anyone possessing more Fiqh than him."
Ibn Rajab
said about his books "He generated benefit to all the Muslims on a general level, and to the scholars of the (Hanbali) Madhab on a specific level. These books spread widely and grew very popular, according to the nobility of his intention and sincerity when writing them."
school of Aqidah during his time, and was famous not only for his opposition to Kalam
but also his opposition to the Ash'ari
school of thought. He was reported to have been greeted by Ibn Asakir with As-Salamu Alaykum
and did not reply; when asked the reason why, his explanation was:
On Fiqh:
On 'Aqeedah:
On Usool-ul-Fiqh:
Zuhd:
On Hadith:
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
ابن قدامة Ibn Qudamah) was a noted Islamic scholar of the Hanbali
Hanbali
The Hanbali school is one the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. The jurisprudence school traces back to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal but was institutionalized by his students. Hanbali jurisprudence is considered very strict and conservative, especially regarding questions of dogma...
madhhab
Madhhab
is a Muslim school of law or fiqh . In the first 150 years of Islam, there were many such "schools". In fact, several of the Sahābah, or contemporary "companions" of Muhammad, are credited with founding their own...
, author of many treatises of Hanbali jurisprudence and doctrine, including al-Mughni (the most widely known textbook of Hanbali fiqh
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....
) as well as Tahrim an-Nazar (Censure of Speculative Theology, criticism of Ibn Aqil
Ibn Aqil
Abu al-Wafa Ali Ibn Aqil ibn Ahmad al-Baghdadi was an Islamic theologian from Baghdad, Iraq. He was trained in the tenets of the Hanbali school ., Among his works of jurisprudence that have survived are Wadih fi usul al-fiqh and Kitab al-funun.-Notes:...
's rationalist views.) He was born in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, and died in 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...
.
Full name
He was Muwaffaq ad-Deen Abu Muhammad 'Abd Allaah Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Qudaamah Ibn Miqdaam Ibn Nasr Ibn 'Abdillaah al-Maqdisee, who later became ad-Dimashqi, as-Saalihee.Early life
He was born in PalestinePalestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
in Sha'aban
Sha'aban
Sha'aban is the eighth month of the Islamic calendar.This is the month of ‘separation’, so called because the pagan Arabs used to disperse in search of water...
1147AD/541AH. He memorized the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
at an early age, studying its sciences and was known to have nice handwriting. At the age of ten his family moved to 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...
, where he memorized the Qur'an in addition to an abridged form of Al-Kharqi (a Hanbali book of Fiqh).
He left with his cousin, 'Abd al-Ghani, for Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
in 561AH and met Abdul-Qadir Gilani shortly before he died. They stayed at his school, learning from him as well as from other scholars and students of knowledge of that time such as Abu-al-Faraj ibn Al-Jawzi, Hibat-ullaah Ibn Al-Hasan Ad-Daqaq, Abi'l Fath Ibn Al-Battee, Abi Zur'ah Ibn Tahir, Yahya Ibn Thabit, Khadeejah An-Nahrawaniyah and others.
He also studied with the following scholars of his time:
- Abi al-Makarim ibn Hilal (Syria)
- Abi al-Fadl at-Tusi (Iraq)
- Al-Mubarak ibn at-Tabbakh (Mecca)
Death
In later life, Ibn Qudamah left Damascus to join Saladin in his expedition against the Franks in 1187AD / 573AH, participating particularly in Saladin's conquest of Jerusalem. He died on Saturday, the Day of Eed-ul Fitr on 7 July 1223 AD / 620 AH.Legacy
Some of the Scholars that were influenced by him are:- al-Bahaa'
- Ibn Taymiyya (hanbali school, a century later)
- 'AbdurRahman
- al-Jamal Abu Musa ibn al-Hafidh
- Ibn Khaleel
- Ibn an-Najjaar
- Ash-Shams ibn Kamal
- Zaynab bint al-Wasitee
Comments from other Muslim scholars
Ibn an-Najjaar describes him as:"The Imaam of Al-Hanabilah (Hanbalis) in Damascus Mosque, he was a trust worthy, noble figure, extremely generous, of a clean character, a cautious worshipper, follower of the Salaf in methodology, emitting light (of knowledge and piety) and respectful. One may benefit from his sighting before even hearing his speech!
Shaikh al-Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah said about him, "No one possessing more understanding of the religion entered Shaam, after Al-Awzaa'ee, other than Shaykh al Muwaffaq (Ibn Qudamah)"
Ibn Kathir
Ibn Kathir
Ismail ibn Kathir was a Muslim muhaddith, Faqih, historian, and commentator.-Biography:His full name was Abu Al-Fida, 'Imad Ad-Din, Isma'il bin 'Umar bin Kathir, Al-Qurashi, Al-Busrawi...
said about him , "He was the Shaikh ul Islam, an Imaam, a Scholar, outstandingly proficient. there was not found in his time nor before it by a long span of time, anyone possessing more Fiqh than him."
Ibn Rajab
Ibn Rajab
Zain ad-Din, Abu al-Faraj, 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Ahmad ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Abi al-Barakat Mas'ud as-Sulami, al-Baghdadi, al-Hanbali, also known as Ibn Rajab, which was a nickname he inherited from his grandfather who was born the month of Rajab, was a Muslim...
said about his books "He generated benefit to all the Muslims on a general level, and to the scholars of the (Hanbali) Madhab on a specific level. These books spread widely and grew very popular, according to the nobility of his intention and sincerity when writing them."
Views
Ibn Qudamah was considered one of the primary proponents of the AthariAthari
Athari , or "textualism" is derived from the Arabic word athar, literally meaning "remnant", and also referring to "narrations". Their disciples are called the Atharis...
school of Aqidah during his time, and was famous not only for his opposition to Kalam
Kalam
ʿIlm al-Kalām is the Islamic philosophical discipline of seeking theological principles through dialectic. Kalām in Islamic practice relates to the discipline of seeking theological knowledge through debate and argument. A scholar of kalām is referred to as a mutakallim...
but also his opposition to the Ash'ari
Ash'ari
The Ashʿari theology is a school of early Muslim speculative theology founded by the theologian Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari...
school of thought. He was reported to have been greeted by Ibn Asakir with As-Salamu Alaykum
As-Salamu Alaykum
As-Salāmu `Alaykum is a traditional Muslim greeting, often translated as Peace be upon you.-Usage:*In Arabia, the greeting is associated with shaking right hands and then possibly two or three light cheek to cheek kisses....
and did not reply; when asked the reason why, his explanation was:
- "He believes in "kalam nafsi" (an Ash'ari belief that actions such as speech oppose Allah’s special quality of being eternal, therefore Allah is eternally speaking within Himself) so I too also reply with the salams bi nafsi (saying the salams within myself)."
Works
His works are thought to number more than a few dozen. Amongst his printed works are:On Fiqh:
- Al-'Umdah
- Al-Muqni'
- Al-'Uddah
- Al-KaafiAl-KaafiAl-Kaafi fi fiqh al-Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal is a book of Hanbali Fiqh written by Imaam Ibn Qudamah.-Description:Al-Kaafi is one of the marvels of Islamic literature. It is from the series of literally accomplishments offered by the author, al-Imaam Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi...
- Al-Mughnee
On 'Aqeedah:
- Lum'at-ul-'Itiqaad: translated by Saladin Publishing ISBN 978-0956421401
- Al-Qadar
- Dhamm-ut-Ta'weel
- al-Uloow
On Usool-ul-Fiqh:
- Raudat-un-Naadhir On Raqaa'iq
Zuhd:
- Al-Ruqqah wal-Bukaa
- At-Tawwaabeen
On Hadith:
- Mukhtasar 'Ilal-ul-Hadith Lil-Khilaal