Abu Ahmad Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad al-Karaji, better known as al-Qassab, was a Muslim warrior-scholar, exegete and specialist in Hadith studies.[1][2] He has, at times, been confused with his son Abu al-Hasan Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad al-Karaji.

Al-Qassab
Personal
Born
Muhammad al-Karaji

Died970
ReligionIslam
EraIslamic Golden Age
RegionIranian plateau
DenominationSunni
JurisprudenceZahiri
CreedAthari
Muslim leader
Influenced

Life edit

Qassab lived in Karaj in Central Iran. He died in the year 360 according to the Islamic calendar, corresponding to 970 on the Gregorian calendar.[3] Having been a soldier under the Abbasid Caliphate, he received the nicknamed Qassab or "the butcher" due to his skill on the battlefield and the large number of opponents he slayed.[4]

Qassab was considered among mainstream dogmatics, and was staunchly opposed to both the Mu'tazila and the Jahmites.[5][6][7] In his exegesis of the Qur'an, he would often refer to linguistic arguments in order to prove his point.[1] Qassab was noted among Muslim theologians as holding the view that the testimony of a convicted criminal could later be accepted in unrelated cases if they performed a public repentance for their own crime.[8] Like Ibn Hazm who would come after him, Qassab did not accept the Hadith regarding rejection of the convict's testimony as authentically linked to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[9] The issue is a much debated one in Islamic law.

Works edit

Qassab authored an exegesis of the Qur'an centered on its applications in Islamic law.[10]

Edited works edit

  • Nukat al-Qur'an al-Dallah 'ala al-Bayan. Eds. Ali al-Tuwaijiri, Ibrahim al-Junaydil and Shayi' al-Asmari. Dammam: Dar Ibn al-Qaiyim; Cairo: Dar Ibn 'Affan, 2003. 4 volumes.[2][11]

Citations edit

  1. ^ a b Hussein Abdul-Raof, Theological Approaches to Qur'anic Exegesis: A Practical Comparative-Contrastive Analysis, pg. 147. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Ahmad Al-Saiid Zaki Hemeidah, Repentance as a Legal Concept, pg. 26. Master's thesis for the University of Arizona's Department of Near Eastern Studies, 2011.
  3. ^ Hemeidah, pg. 117.
  4. ^ Dr. Abdul-Baqi al-Sayyid Abdul-Hadi, Soldiers and Martyrs of the Zahirites. Alhady Alzahry, September 30, 2010.
  5. ^ Um Abdullah al-Misawi, Are Allah's Attributes Real or Figurative?. Beliefs of The Righteous Salaf, February 21, 2012.
  6. ^ Um Abdullah al-Misawi,The Belief In The Throne of Allah. Beliefs of The Righteous Salaf, June 25, 2011.
  7. ^ Um Abdullah al-Misawi, The Belief of the Salaf In Allah's Elevation & Istiwa on the Throne: Scholars After the Salaf, part 3 of 3. Beliefs of The Righteous Salaf, September 19, 2010.
  8. ^ Hemeidah, pg. 121.
  9. ^ Hemeidah, pgs. 127-128.
  10. ^ Hemeidah, pg. 149.
  11. ^ Abdul-Raof, pg. 282.