Ibn Abidin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ibn Abidin, honoured as Allama Ibn Abidin (1198 - 1252 AH.) is a well known Hanafi Sunni Islamic scholar.

Sayyid Muĥammad Amīn ibn Sayyid Úmar ibn Sayyid Ábd al-Ázīz ibn Sayyid Aĥmed ibn Sayyid Ábd ar-Raĥīm ibn Sayyid Najmuddīn ibn Sayyid Muĥammad Şalāĥuddīn widely known as ‘Ibn Áābidīn’ is praised in these words: the prominent, praiseworthy and noble scholar; an ocean of knowledge; the master scholar [jahbadh]; the great jurist [faqīh]; the genius; the finest among the later scholars and the last of the research scholars; one with an exalted ancestry [hasīb,nasīb]; the erudite Imām; the litterateur.

The Imām was born - Raĥimahullāh - in Damascus (Syria), in an family of scholars and high ancestry in the year 1198 AH. His lineage reaches Sayyid Sharīf Zayn al-Áābidīn and from him to Sayyidah Fāţimah, the daughter of the Master of all creation, şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. Ibn Áābidīn’s father Sayyid Úmar and his mother were both famed for their righteousness and taqwā [being fearful of Allāh]. May Allāh have mercy on them.

He grew up in his father’s care in the Qanawāt area in Damascus. He memorized the Qur’ān at a very young age and was a frequent visitor at his father’s shop where he learnt the skills of the trade [to enable him earn an honest livelihood]. Sometimes, he would recite the Qur’ān in the shop. On one such occasion, a passerby objected to his recitation in a public place, since people neither listen to the Qur’ān nor pay heed to what is being recited. He also pointed out a few minor mistakes in his recitation. Immediately, he set out seeking good reciters to correct his mistakes.

He was referred to the master reciter of his time, [shaykh al-qurrā’a, állāmah] Muĥammad Saýīd ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ĥamawī (d.1236 AH). He perfected his tajwīd under him and memorized Shāţibiyyah, Maydāniyyah and Jazariyyah. He also learnt Shafiýī fiqh from him and memorized Az-Zabd. He learnt Arabic grammar and morphology [naĥw, şarf] before finally completing his studies and obtaining a general degree of authorization from him [ijāzatun áāmmah].