Ibn Abidin
Hanafi jurist and mufti of Damascus, author of the authoritative Radd al-Muhtar.
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Ibn Abidin was an Islamic scholar and jurist who lived in Damascus during the Ottoman era and served as a state-appointed mufti.[1][2] The Radd al-Muhtar 'ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar, his most celebrated composition, continues to function as the definitive reference for Hanafi jurisprudence.[2] More than fifty writings—including a major fatwa compilation, various treatises, poetic works, and multiple commentaries on others' texts—were produced by him.[2]
Life and work
He studied the Qur'an from a very young age and memorized it before reaching maturity.[2] He received four degrees of authorization after studying under several well-known scholars.[2] He believed that many legal rules change with the change of time and local custom.[3][4] He argued that jurists should not rigidly adhere to authoritative books but should consider the needs of their time.[5]
He considered ijtihad acceptable when no prior ruling existed or when times had changed.[6] The year 1784 saw the birth of Ibn Abidin in Damascus, into a scholarly lineage that commanded respect.[2] As the holder of the Amin al-fatwa position, he served as the Damascus mufti whom residents approached for legal rulings.[2]
What the cited sources add
A 2012 article describes Ibn Abidin as the final verifier of the Hanafi school.[7] The same source notes that his Radd al-Muhtar is considered the final word on most legal issues in the Hanafi school.[7] The Fatawa Hindiyya is less comprehensive than Radd al-Muhtar, according to the source.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Ibn Abidin" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Imam Ibn Abidin Shami - Biography and Works at Sunniport"; Hasan, "Imām Ibn Áābidīn Shāmī - Biography and Works", Sunniport (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ibn Abidin" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: an-Nubala (2011) (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ibn Abidin" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gerber (1999), 88-121 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ibn Abidin" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gerber (1999), 110 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ibn Abidin" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gerber (1999), 114 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ibn Abidin" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gerber (1999), 126 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Hanafi Texts: The Difference Between Primers and Reference Works in Islamic Law", 20 November 2012. facts only, no text reused. seekersguidance.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Ibn Abidin (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Ibn Abidin (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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