Abu Muhammad Abd Al-Haqq ibn Ghalib ibn Abd Al-Rahman, who was better known as Ibn 'Atiyya (Arabic: ابن عطية) was a Sunni Andalusian scholar of the 5th Islamic century. He was a prominent Maliki jurist, traditionist, grammarian, linguist, poet, litterateur, and a bibliographer.[4] He was considered the foremost Quran commentator of his time.[4] His fame largely derives from his highly celebrated commentary on the Quran entitled Al-Muharrar al-Wajiz fi Tafsir al-Kitāb al-'Aziz or shortly named al-Muharrar al-Wajiz, better known as Tafsir Ibn Atiyya.[5]
Ibn 'Atiyya | |
|---|---|
ابن عطية | |
| Title | Al-Ḥāfiẓ |
| Personal | |
| Born | 1088 |
| Died | 1141 (aged 52–53) |
| Religion | Islam |
| Era | Islamic golden age |
| Region | Iberian Peninsula |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Maliki[1] |
| Creed | Ash'ari[2][3] |
| Main interest(s) | Islamic jurisprudence, Hadith, Tafsir, Grammar, Linguistic, Poetry, Arab literature, Bibliography |
| Notable work(s) | Al-Muharrar al-Wajiz fi Tafsir al-Kitāb al-'Aziz |
| Occupation | Scholar, mujahid, jurist, traditionist, mufassir, grammarian, linguist, poet, litterateur, bibliographer |
| Muslim leader | |
Biography
editIbn 'Atiyya was born in Granada, Islamic Spain, in 481 AH/1088 CE.[6] He was raised in a family of scholars. His father was a well-known Hadith scholar and jurist who studied under numerous eminent scholars while travelling throughout the Muslim world's eastern regions. He then became a judge in Granada, demonstrating his great reputation as a scholar.[7]
As a result, Ibn 'Atiyya thus grew up in a household visited by scholars who studied under his father. This inspired him to continue in his father's path, and before long he was learning under him and other scholars, getting regular support from the man who knew his son was highly intelligent. Ibn 'Atiyya was, in fact, an extremely conscientious student who enjoyed reading and was eager to learn in order to become well-versed in all fields. He felt that reading widely would help him comprehend the Qur'an, so he did not limit his studies to Islamic studies. Additionally, he visited all of the Andalus's centres and cities, where he met and learned from a great deal of scholars. As a result, he became a highly regarded scholar who was well known throughout the region. Later on, he rose to the position of judge in Murcia, where he was well known for his zeal for upholding the law. He was also a prominent teacher and this is further evidenced by the fact that a number of his students went on to become highly regarded scholars in their own right.[7]
There was a lot of turbulence in Andalusia during this time, with Christendom's attempting to attack Muslim areas and occasionally succeeding. He enlisted in the army and engaged in combat with disbelievers on multiple occasions. In addition, he urged all Muslims in Andalusia to take on a firm stance, writing to kings and governors to remind them of their obligations to Islam and to support God's cause. He was at the forefront in advocating for unity and jihad. All of this guaranteed him a solid reputation as an accomplished scholar and devoted Muslim.[7]
Even though Ibn Atiyyah was a famed scholar, there is disagreement on when exactly he passed away, even if all of the biographies agree on the year of his birth. He is so reported to have passed away in the small Spanish city of Lorca in the year of 541/1141, 542/1142, and 545/1145, however the first may be the most accurate.[7][6]
Reception
editAl-Dhahabi said in Siyar: “The scholarly Imam, the chief of the (Quran) commentators, was an Imam in jurisprudence, interpretation, and Arabic, strong in participation, intelligent, discerning, and aware of the sources of knowledge.”[4]
Ibn Farhun said: “He was a jurist who knew interpretations, rulings, hadith, jurisprudence, grammar, language, and literature.”[4]
Works
editIbn 'Attiya left many valuable scientific works, the most important of which is his Al-Muharrar al-Wajiz fi Tafsir al-Kitāb al-'Aziz which scholars unanimously agree is the most rigorous, accurate, and comprehensive.[8]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Gustave E. von Grunebaum (1986). Jusūr. Vol. 2. University of California. p. 76.
- ^ Yassin Ghanem Jassim al-Aridi (2024). Classes of Ash'aris, notables of the people of the Sunnah and the community. Dar al-Kotob al-'Ilmiyya. p. 176-177. ISBN 9786144962350.
- ^ 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Tahir. "دور أبي ذر الهروي في نشر الأشعرية بالمغرب" [The role of Abu Dharr al-Harawi in the spread of Ash'ari theology in Morocco] (in Arabic). Muhammadiya Association of Scholars (al-Rabita al-Muhammadiyya lil-'Ulamā' in Morocco). Archived from the original on 13 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d Hafsa Al-Baqali. "Ibn Attiya Al-Andalusi d. 546 AH". Muhammadiya Association of Scholars (al-Rabita al-Muhammadiyya lil-'Ulamā' in Morocco). Archived from the original on 11 June 2024.
- ^ Elisa Ruiz García, Luis F. Bernabé Pons (26 February 2024). Joan Martí de Figuerola. Brill. p. 252. ISBN 9789004679832.
- ^ a b Andrew Rippin, Jawid Mojaddedi, Norman Calder (2013). Classical Islam: A Sourcebook of Religious Literature. Routledge. p. 121. ISBN 9780415505079.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d Adil Salahi. "Scholar Of Renown: Ibn Atiyyah". Arab News. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024.
- ^ Muhammad A. S. Abdel Haleem, Dr Mustafa Shah (2020). The Oxford Handbook of Qur'anic Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 667. ISBN 9780199698646.