Ibn Rajab
Encyclopedia
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 scholar.
in 1335 (736H). His grandfather was a scholar of Islam
with a focus in Hadith
. His father, also born in Baghdad
, studied under a number of scholars. At the age of five ibn Rajab's family moved to Damascus
, then traveled to Jerusalem where he studied under al-Alla'i, then back to Baghdad
and from there to Mecca
. While in Mecca
his father arranged for him to study Islam
as well. He then traveled to Egypt
before returning to Damascus
, where he taught students of his own. Some of the scholars he studied under were ibn an-Naqeeb (d. 769H), as-Subki, al-Iraqi (d. 806H), and Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Khabbaz. He also studied with Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah up to ibn Qayyim's death. Ibn Rajab's commentary on the forty hadith of Nawawi
(Jami' al-Ulum wa al-Hikam) is the largest as well as generally being considered the best commentary available. Near the end of his life, Ibn Rajab began composing a commentary on Sahih Bukhari
, but unfortunately only reached the chapter on the funeral prayers before he died. He had named his work Fath al-Bari and what he did write has been published by Dar Ibn al-Jawzi in seven volumes. This amounts to less than a sixth of Sahih Bukhari
. Twenty years after Ibn Rajab's death, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
began his commentary on Sahih Bukhari
and gave his own work the same title in honour of Ibn Rajab.
. His funeral prayer was performed the next day and he was buried in the Baab as-Sagheer graveyard.
"He read and became proficient in the various fields of science. He engrossed himself with the issues of the (Hanbali
) maddhab until he mastered it. He devoted himself to the occupation of knowledge of the texts, defects and meanings of the Hadith. And he withdrew himself in seclusion in order to write."
Al-Hafidh ibn Hajr al-Asqalani said of him:
"He was highly proficient in the scientific disciplines of Hadith in terms of the names of reporters, their biographies, their paths of narration and awareness of their meanings."
Imaam ibn Muflih al-Hanbali said of him:
"He was the Shaikh, the great scholar, the Hafidh, the one who abstained from the worldly life. He was the Shaikh of the Hanbali
maddhab and he wrote many beneficial books."
Biography
Imam ibn Rajab was born in BaghdadBaghdad
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 1335 (736H). His grandfather was a scholar of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
with a focus in Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
. His father, also born in 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...
, studied under a number of scholars. At the age of five ibn Rajab's 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...
, then traveled to Jerusalem where he studied under al-Alla'i, then back to 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...
and from there to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
. While in Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
his father arranged for him to study Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
as well. He then traveled 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...
before returning 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 taught students of his own. Some of the scholars he studied under were ibn an-Naqeeb (d. 769H), as-Subki, al-Iraqi (d. 806H), and Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Khabbaz. He also studied with Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah up to ibn Qayyim's death. Ibn Rajab's commentary on the forty hadith of Nawawi
Nawawi
The Arabic nisbah Al-Nawawi denotes an origin from Nawa, Syria.Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi was a Sunni Muslim author on Fiqh and hadith.Nawawi may also refer to:* Aznil Nawawi, Malaysian actor...
(Jami' al-Ulum wa al-Hikam) is the largest as well as generally being considered the best commentary available. Near the end of his life, Ibn Rajab began composing a commentary on Sahih Bukhari
Sahih Bukhari
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī , as it is commonly referred to, is one of the six canonical hadith collections of Islam. These prophetic traditions, or hadith, were collected by the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, after being transmitted orally for generations. Muslims view this as one of...
, but unfortunately only reached the chapter on the funeral prayers before he died. He had named his work Fath al-Bari and what he did write has been published by Dar Ibn al-Jawzi in seven volumes. This amounts to less than a sixth of Sahih Bukhari
Sahih Bukhari
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī , as it is commonly referred to, is one of the six canonical hadith collections of Islam. These prophetic traditions, or hadith, were collected by the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, after being transmitted orally for generations. Muslims view this as one of...
. Twenty years after Ibn Rajab's death, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
Al-Haafidh Shihabuddin Abu'l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad, better known as Ibn Hajar due to the fame of his forefathers, al-Asqalani due to his family origin , was a medieval Shafiite Sunni scholar of Islam who represents the entire realm of the Sunni world in the field of Hadith...
began his commentary on Sahih Bukhari
Sahih Bukhari
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī , as it is commonly referred to, is one of the six canonical hadith collections of Islam. These prophetic traditions, or hadith, were collected by the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, after being transmitted orally for generations. Muslims view this as one of...
and gave his own work the same title in honour of Ibn Rajab.
Death
Ibn Rajab died on a Monday night 4th of Ramadhan 795AH (1393), at the age of fifty-nine, in a garden area he had rented in DamascusDamascus
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...
. His funeral prayer was performed the next day and he was buried in the Baab as-Sagheer graveyard.
Comments from other Muslim scholars
Ibn Qadi Shuhbah said of him in his biography:"He read and became proficient in the various fields of science. He engrossed himself with the issues 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...
) maddhab until he mastered it. He devoted himself to the occupation of knowledge of the texts, defects and meanings of the Hadith. And he withdrew himself in seclusion in order to write."
Al-Hafidh ibn Hajr al-Asqalani said of him:
"He was highly proficient in the scientific disciplines of Hadith in terms of the names of reporters, their biographies, their paths of narration and awareness of their meanings."
Imaam ibn Muflih al-Hanbali said of him:
"He was the Shaikh, the great scholar, the Hafidh, the one who abstained from the worldly life. He was the Shaikh 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...
maddhab and he wrote many beneficial books."
Tafsir and Qur'anic studies
- Tafsir Surah al-Ikhlaas
- Tafsir Surah al-Faatihah
- Tafsir Surah an-Nasr
- I'raab al-Bismillah
- Al-Istighnaa bil-Qur'an
Hadith studies and explanations
- Sharh Jaami' al-TirmidhiSunan al-TirmidhiJāmi` al-Tirmidhi , popularly and mistakenly Sunan al-Tirmidhi , is one of the Sunni Six major Hadith collections. It was collected by Abu 'Eesa Muhammad ibn 'Eesa al-Tirmidhi.-Title:...
of which only the last portion of remains - Sharh 'Ilal at-Tirmidhi - Fath al-Bari bi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari
- Jami' al-'Uloom wal-Hikam fi Sharh khamsina Hadithan min Jawami al-Kalim (published in English translation as The Compendium of Knowledge and Wisdom by Turath Publishing Ltd., London, July 2007)
- Maa Dhi'bani Ja'iaan ursilaa fi Ghanam
- Ikhtiyaar al-Awlaa fi Sharh Hadith Ikhtisaam al-Mala al-A'alaa
- Noor al-Iqtibas fi Mishkaat Wasiyyat an-Nabi Libn Abbas
- Ghayat an-Nafa fi Sharh Hadith Tamthil al-Mu'min bi Khamat az-Zara
- Kashf al-Kurbah fi Wasfi Hali Ahl al-Ghurbah
Fiqh
- Al-Istikhraj fi Ahkam al-Kharaj
- Al-Qawa'id al-Fiqhiyyah
- Kitab Ahkam al-Khawatim wa ma yat'alaqu biha
Biographical and historical accounts
- Adh-Dhayl 'alaa Tabaqat al-Hanabilah
- Mukhtasar Sirah Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz
- Sirah 'Abd al-Malik ibn Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz
Other
- Lata'if al-Ma'arif fima li Mawasim al-Aam min al-Wadha'if
- At-Takhweef min an-Naar wat-Ta'reef bi Hali Dar al-Bawar
- Al-Farq bayna an-Nasihah wat-Ta'yir
- Ahwal Ahl al-Quboor