Imaamul Haramain Imaam Juwaini رضي الله عنه – By Mufti Omar Dawood

NAME – Abdul Malik s/o Abdullah s/o Yusuf s/o Abdullah s/o Yusuf s/o Muhammed s/o Hayawayh Juwaini. We can conclude from this that Juwaini was actually the epithet of an ancestor of the Imaam.

APPELLATION – Imamul Haramain (leader  of the two Harams) , Shaikhush Shafi’yah (the Shaikh of Shaf’ees), Al-Imaam Al-Kabeer (the grand leader), Zia-ud -Deen (lustre of the Deen)

DATE OF BIRTH – 418 A.H.

PLACE OF BIRTH – Nishapur (Iran)

AREA OF SERVICE – Hijaaz (modern day Saudi Arabia) and Persia (modern day Iran)

SHUYOOKH AND TEACHERS – Imaam Abu Muhammed Abdullah (his father), Abu Sa’ad Nasrawi, Abu Hassan Muhammed Muzzaki etc. رضي الله عنهم أجمعين

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY – Imaam Juwaini learnt Islamic sciences from a tender age primarily at the feet of his father. When he was 20 years old however, his father passed away and he took up the seat of his teaching. He would also frequent the Madrassah of Imaam Baihaqi. Imam Juwaini was considered amongst scholars to be the leader in Islamic sciences. 300 Fuqahaa (jusrists) would frequent his gatherings to acquire Ilm of Fiqh in the Shaf’ee Mazhab. He travelled from Nishapur to the Hijaaz and along his travel and stay, he rained down prophetic wisdom[1] in the form of Islamic sciences like Tafseer, Aqaaid, Hadeeth, Fiqh etc.

Besides being an acclaimed authority in Islamic sciences, he was also an accomplished saint of Islam. It is reported that when Imaamul Haramain would begin speaking about the Auliya and the Uloom of the Sufiya, people would begin to cry.

DEMISE – 478 A.H.

FAMOUS STUDENTS AND DISCIPLES – Imaam Ghazali, Abu Abdullah Furaawi, Zaahir Shahaami, Ahmed ibn Sahl Masjidi etc.

رضي الله عنهم أجمعين

LOCATION OF HIS BLESSED GRAVE – Nishapur (Iran)

Extracted from Siyaru A’laamin Nubuwah by Allamah Zahabi رضي الله عنه

And Al-Bidaayay Wan-Nihaayah by Allamah ibn Kathir رضي الله عنه

[1] The prophetic narrations indicate that the Ulama are the heirs of the Prophets. Hence, here the intent is that the knowledge and wisdom passed down by the Prophet peace be upon him was probably veiled from the people’s intellect, and was unveiled by the Imaam’s dissemination of the Islamic sciences.