Shaykh-ul-Islam Burhanuddin Abul Hasan Ali ibn Abdul Jaleel Abu Bakr Marghinani
by Mufti Moin Moeeni
Name/ Titles: Shaykh-ul-Islam Burhanuddin Abul Hasan Ali ibn Abdul Jaleel Abu Bakr ibn Al-Khaleel Abu Bakr Habib Al-Marghinani Ar-Rashdani
D.O.B: born on the 8th of Rajab 511 A.H. after the Asr Salah.
D.O.D: passed away on the 14th of Zul Hijjah 593 or 596 A.H.
Region: He was born in a Marghinan near Farghana which is a town in current day Uzbekistan. The author of Miftaahus Sa’aadah has written that he was from a village known as Rashdan which was near the town of Marghinan.
Synopsis: He studied under some of the greatest scholars of his time. He had compiled a list of his illustrious teachers by the name of “Masheekha”. He was one of the greatest scholars of his time and an authority in the Hanafi school of thought. Ibn Kamal Pasha 6 has mentioned him from amongst the ‘As’haab e Tarjeeh’[1]. Qadhi Khan 6 has said that Allamah Burhanuddin Marghinani t surpassed his teachers when in sciences of jurisprudence. Burhan-ul-Islam Zarnuji 6 states that, ‘our teacher would begin teaching books on a Wednesday and he would narrate this Hadith to us stating, ‘everything that is started on Wednesday reaches completion’. Shaykh-ul-Islam was blessed with three sons who were nurtured by him and became great scholars in their own right. Jalaluddin Muhammad was renowned for expertise in the field of Fiqh and rhetoric, Imaduddin authored a book ‘Adab-ul-Qadhi’ and Nizamuddin Omar wrote books such as ‘Jawahir-ul-Fiqh’ and ‘Al-Fawaaid’. Shaykh-ul-Islam authored many books; the most famous amongst them is his ‘Al-Hidayah’ which is amongst the most authentic and renowned books of the Hanafi School of thought. The author of Miftahus Sa’aadah writes, Shaykh-ul-Islam authored Hidayat-ul-Mubtadi and wrote a commentary of this book in 80 volumes known as Kifayat-ul-Muntahi. Thereafter, he wrote a synopsis of these 80 volumes and named it Al-Hidayah. He started writing Hidayah in 573 A.H. and completed this monumental work after thirteen years. He would write on daily basis whilst in the state of fasting and made sure that no one knew that he was fasting. Approximately 36 commentaries have been written on Al-Hidayah.
Teachers:
- Abul Laith Ahmad ibn Hafs Omar An-Nasafi (author of Aqaaidun Nasafiyah)
- Abul Fatah Muhammad ibn Abdur Rahman (studied Bukhari by him)
- Ziyauddin Muhammad ibn Husain (studied Fiqh by him)
- Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn Masood
- Shaykh-ul-Islam Ziyauddin Abu Muhammad Saa’id ibn As’ad Al-Marghinani
Books Authored:
- Hidayah
- Kifayah
- Muntaqa
- Mazeed
- Manasik-ul-Hajj
- Nashr-ul-Mazhab
- Mukhtaaraat-un-Nawaazil
Mazar Location: He lies buried in the city of Samarkan, Uzbekistan. [2]
[1] Someone possessing the ability to give preference to one Islamic ruling over the other.
[2] The brief biography of Shaykh-ul-Islam has been extracted from the book Zafr-ul-Muhassileen bi Ahwaalil Musannifeen Pg. 155 Published by Daar-ul-Ishaa’at Karachi