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The Famous Iranian Sunni Scholars
Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
The Iranian Sunni Hanafi scholar, Sa'd od-Din Mas'oud ibn Umar Taftazani
On 26th of the Islamic month of Zil-Qa'dah in 722 AH, the Iranian Sunni Hanafi scholar, Sa'd od-Din Mas'oud ibn Umar Taftazani, was born in Taftazan near the northeastern Iranian city of Qochan in Khorasan Province. He studied in Herat, Gulistan, Khwarezm, Samarqand and Sarakhs. He mainly resided in Sarakhs. He was active during the reign of the Turkic conqueror Amir Timur, and was attached to his court.
He died in Samarqand at the age of 70 and was buried in Sarakhs. He wrote books and treaties on grammar, rhetoric, theology, logic, law and the exegesis of the holy Qur'an. His works were used as textbooks for centuries in the Ottoman realm. The bulk of his writing is in Arabic, although he wrote a commentary of the holy Qur'an in his native Persian and translated the poems of the famous Persian poet, Mosleh od-Din Sa'di of Shiraz, into Turkic.
On 22nd of the Islamic month of Moharram in 792 AH, the prominent Iranian Sunni Hanafi scholar, Sa'd ad-Din Mas'oud ibn Omar Taftazaani, passed away in Samarqand at the age of 70 and was buried in Sarakhs. He was born in the northeastern Iranian town of Taftazaan in Khorasan, in what was then the Sarbederaan Shi’ite state. He traveled to Herat, Khwarezm, Samarqand and Sarakhs to acquire sciences from prominent scholars, and mainly resided in Sarakhs – which presently straddles the Iran-Turkmenistan border. He was active during the reign of the fearsome Turkic conqueror, Amir Timur (Tamerlane), who was his patron. Taftazaani was a prolific writer and has left behind a large number of books, mostly in Arabic, on various sciences, such as logic, theology, rhetoric, law, linguistics, etc. He completed “Sharh-e Zanjani” which was his first and one of his most famous works at the age of 16. He also wrote a commentary on the holy Qur'an in his native Persian, and translated into Turkish the poems of the famous Iranian poet, Sa'di Shirazi. His books were taught for centuries in the seminaries of the Ottoman Empire.
The Iranian Sunni scholar at-Tabarani
On 28th of the Islamic month of Zil-Qa’dah in 360 AH, the Iranian Sunni scholar Abu'l-Qassem Sulaiman ibn Ahmad at-Tabarani died in the Iranian city of Isfahan at the age of one hundred years. He was born in the Palestinian city of Tabariyya, or Tiberias as it is called, and traveled widely to record hadith. He groomed a large number of students and wrote three books, titled "al-Mu'jam al-Kabeer" in 25 volumes, as well as "al-Mu'jam al-Awsat", and "al-Mu'jam as-Sagheer". He has recorded several hadith on the unrivalled merits of the Ahl al-Bayt or blessed household of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).
The Iranian Shafei scholar, al-Kiya-Harasi
On 1st of the Islamic month of Zil-Hajjah in 504 AH, the Iranian Shafei scholar, Ali ibn Mohammad Tabari al-Kiya-Harasi, passed away in Baghdad. He was a famous jurisprudent and rejecting the rather dubious views of his renowned contemporary, Abu Hamed Mohammad Ghazali, on the tyrant Yazid, he ruled that it is permissible to curse the killer of the Prophet's grandson, Imam Husain (AS).
The Iranian Sunni Muslim exegete of the holy Qur'an, narrator of hadith, and linguist, Zamakhshari
On 9th of the Islamic month of Zil-Hijjah in 538 AH, the Iranian Sunni Muslim exegete of the holy Qur'an, narrator of hadith, and linguist, Abu'l-Qasim Mohammad bin Omar Zamakhshari, died at the age of 72 in the city of Gurganj in the ancient Iranian land of Khwarezm, which today is divided between the Central Asian republics of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
He was born in the nearby village of Zamakhshar, and studied in Samarqand and Bukhara. He later lived in Baghdad for some years. He followed the Mu'tazali or rational doctrine and was known as Jarallah, which means Neighbour of God, since he stayed for several years in the city of Mecca, spending his time at the holy Ka'ba, the symbolic House of God Almighty. He has acknowledged the merits and position in Islam of the Prophet's Ahl al-Bayt. Zamakhshari wrote both in Persian and Arabic, and is best known for “al-Kashshaaf”, a commentary on the holy Qur'an, famous for its deep linguistic analysis of the ayahs. Another of his books is “Rabi al-Abraar”, a voluminous reference work.
The renowned Iranian Sunni Muslim authority on hadith, Mohammad ibn Eisa Tirmizi
On 11th of the Islamic month of Moharram in 279 AH, the renowned Iranian Sunni Muslim authority on hadith, Mohammad ibn Eisa Tirmizi, passed away. He was born and died in Bagh, near Tirmiz in Greater Khorasan (presently in Uzbekistan). At the age of twenty, he travelled to Kufa, Basra and the Hijaz, in pursuit of knowledge. His teachers included Mohammad al-Bukhari, Muslim Naishaburi and Abu Dawoud Sijistani – all three of whom were renowned Iranian Sunni Muslim compilers of hadith. Tirmizi, who became blind in the last two years of his life, is the author of the "al-Jame' as-Sahih", popularly called "Sunan at-Tirmizi", one of the six canonical hadith compilations of Sunni Muslims.
He has included in his compendium authentic narrations on the unrivalled merits of the blessed household of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), and has said that the term Ahl al-Bayt as used by God in the holy Qur'an and by the Prophet in several hadith, is exclusive for Imam Ali (AS), Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA), Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husain (AS), and does not include the Prophet's wife, as some allege. Tirmizi's grave is in Sherabad, 60 km north of Tirmiz, where he is popularly called Tirmiz Baba.
The Iranian Sunni Muslim collector of Hadith, as-Sakan al-Baghdadi
On 15th of the Islamic month of Moharram in 353 AH, the Iranian Sunni Muslim collector of Hadith, Abu Ali Sa'eed bin Osman ibn as-Sakan al-Baghdadi, passed away at the age of 59 in Egypt, where he had settled after travelling widely over Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, Syria and Arabia, for trade and for recording of hadith from any source available.
He claimed descent from the Sassanid Emperor, Khosrow Anushirvan, and introduced to Egypt the hadith compendium known as "Sahih Bukhari", compiled a century ago by his Iranian compatriot, Mohammad Bukhari – also born in a family of Zoroastrian converts to the Sunni sect. Among the books written by Ibn as-Sakan, mention could be made of "Sunan as-Sihah" on hadith and "al-Horouf fi Sahabah" on the companions of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Ibn as-Sakan has also recorded narrations from the Prophet foretelling the martyrdom of his grandson, Imam Husain (AS).
The Iranian Shafei hadith scholar and historian, Hafez Abu Na'eem al-Isfahani
On 21st of the Islamic month of Moharram in 430 AH, the Iranian Shafei hadith scholar and historian, Ahmad ibn Abdullah, popularly known as Hafez Abu Na'eem al-Isfahani, passed away in his hometown Isfahan. Initially taught by his scholarly grandfather and father, he later studied under leading scholars, including at-Tabarani.
He travelled widely, as far as Islamic Spain. He authored scores of books and treatises including “Dala’el an-Nubuwwa” (Proofs of Prophethood), “The History of Isfahan”, and the 10-volume work “Hilyat al-Awliya”, which is a biography of 650 pious personalities, including six of the 12 Infallible Imams of the Prophet’s Household. Abu Na’eem Isfahani was the ancestor of the famous Imami scholar, Allamah Majlisi.
The famous Iranian Sunni Muslim exegete of the holy Qur'an, Ibn Ibrahim Tha'labi
On 23rd of the Islamic month of Moharram in 437 AH, the famous Iranian Sunni Muslim exegete of the holy Qur'an, Ahmad ibn Mohammad ibn Ibrahim Tha'labi, passed away. He was born in Nishapur, in Khorasan, and lived most of his life in northeastern Iran. His masterpiece is “al-Kashf wa’l-Bayan”, which is also known as “Tafsir Tha'labi”. Another of his famous books is “Ara’es al-Majalis” which is an account of the Prophets, beginning with Adam. In his works, he has admitted the unrivalled position of the progeny of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), and the unsurpassed God-given merits of Imam Ali ibn Taleb (AS) in the holy Qur'an and in hadith.
The Iranian historian, Mirkhwand
On 29th of the Islamic month of Moharram in 903 AH, the Iranian historian, Mohammad bin Khwandshah, popularly known as Mirkhwand, passed away in Herat – the then capital of Khorasan and presently in Afghanistan. He was from a well-known Seyyed family of Bukhara that traced its descent to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Spending most of his life in Herat in the court of the last Timurid sultan, Hussain Bayqarah, he enjoyed the patronage of the renowned minister, Ali Shir Nava’i, a celebrated writer and poet himself.
At the request of his patron, he wrote the general history titled "Rowzat os-Safa" (Garden of Purity). The work is in seven large volumes and a geographic appendix, sometimes considered an 8th volume. The history begins with the pre-Islamic Persian kings and surveys the Muslim rulers of Iran up to his times. Mirkhwand’s daughter’s son, Khwandamir (who migrated to the Mughal court in India), wrote a sequel to it, and in the 19th century the Iranian scholar, Reza Qoli Khan Hedayat, wrote a supplement to this work. Mirkhwand is often criticized for his highly embellished and bombastic style and for his uncritical approach to the sources, but his history has preserved sections from earlier works that have since been lost. Volumes 5 and 6 are particularly reliable, for they utilize the abundant historiographic materials of the Mongol and Timurid periods and furnish independent information on events contemporary or near contemporary to the author’s lifetime.
The prominent Iranian Islamic mathematician, physicist, and astronomer, al-Kouhi
On 8th of the Islamic month of Moharram in 329 AH, the prominent Iranian Islamic mathematician, physicist, and astronomer, Abu Sahl Wayjan ibn Rustam al-Kouhi was born in Mazandaran. He spent most of his life in Baghdad and was the leader of the leader of the astronomers working at the observatory built by the Buwayhid ruler, Sharaf od-Dowla Daylami. For thirty years he studied the stars and their positions. He devoted his attention to those Archimedean and Apollonian problems leading to equations higher than the second degree. He solved some of them and discussed the conditions of solvability.
The Iranian scholar, literary figure, and poet, Hussain ibn Hajjaj Baghdadi
On 14th of the Islamic month of Moharram in 330 AH, the Iranian scholar, literary figure, and poet, Hussain ibn Hajjaj Baghdadi, was born. He wrote delicate poetry using attractive terms. Most of his poems are in praise of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and the Infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt. His verses were compiled in book-form by his famous contemporary, the theologian and literary figure, Seyyed Razi – compiler of the celebrated book “Nahj al-Balagha”, which is a selection of the sermons, letters and maxims of the Prophet's vicegerent, Imam Ali (AS).
The famous Iranian poet and calligrapher, Abdul-Majid Taleqani
On 15th of the Islamic month of Moharram in 1185 AH,the famous Iranian poet and calligrapher, Abdul-Majid Taleqani, passed away. He created works of art which were unique. His calligraphic works include the Divan or collection of poems of the renowned Iranian poet, Shaikh Sa'di of Shiraz. He has left behind his own poems in book-form titled "Divan-e Khosh".
The Iranian Shafe’i scholar, Abdul-Malik al-Juwaini
On 18th of the Islamic month of Moharram in 478 AH, the Iranian Shafe’i scholar, Abdul-Malik Ibn Abdullah Ibn Yusuf al-Juwaini, died in his hometown Nishapur, Khorasan. Known as Imam al-Haramain, because of his four years of teaching in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, he was the teacher of the famous Iranian Sufi theologian, Shaikh Abu Hamed Ghazali
The prominent Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Hakem an-Nishapuri
On 3rd of the Islamic month of Safar in 405 AH, the prominent Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Mohammad Ibn Abdullah, Hakem an-Nishapuri, passed away in his native Khorasan at the age 81. His famous book is "Mustadrek ala as-Sahihayn" in five volumes, which is a supplement to the two principal books of Sunni hadith, the "Sahih Bukhari" and the "Sahih Muslim" – also compiled by Iranians born in families of converts from Zoroastrianism to Islam.
On the basis of the criteria set by the two books, Hakem has collected thousands of hadith that Bukhari and Muslim had failed to locate, including many pertaining to the unparalleled merits of Imam Ali (AS), and the Ahl al-Bayt. He authored several books including on the History of the Ulema of his hometown Nishapur, the Benefits of the People of Khorasan, and “Tarajem al-Musnad ala Shart as-Sahihayn” (Reports of Ibn Hanbal’s Musnad that Match the Criteria of the Two Sahih Books).
The prominent Iranian grammarian of Arabic, Ibrahim bin Mohammad Naftawaih
On 6th of the Islamic month of Safar in 323 AH, the prominent Iranian grammarian of Arabic, Ibrahim bin Mohammad Naftawaih, passed away. He studied under the famous grammarian of Arabic, Sibawaih, who was also an Iranian. Arab scholars still regard these two Iranian grammarians as authorities on Arabic language and the use and meaning of Arabic words.
The famous Iranian philosopher, astronomer, and physician, Qotb od-Din Mahmoud Shirazi
On 6th of the Islamic month of Safar in 634 AH, the famous Iranian philosopher, astronomer, and physician, Qotb od-Din Mahmoud Shirazi, was born in Shiraz. He initially studied medicine and worked at one of Shiraz’s hospital, where for ten year he studied the books of the multi-sided Iranian Islamic genius, Abu Ali Ibn Sina, in addition to other scientific and philosophical works.
With the establishment of the observatory in Maragheh, northwestern Iran, he learned astronomy under the prominent Iranian scientist and theologian, Khwaja Naseer od-Din Tousi. Qotb od-Din Shirazi traveled to numerous cities and countries and met a large number of ulema, developing his experiences and scientific knowledge. He has left behind a large number of books, including “Jam’e al-Osoul”. He passed away in 710 AH.
The Sunni Muslim jurisprudent and exegete of the Holy Qur’an, Abu Sa'ood Mohammad Mustafa Imadi
On 17th of the Islamic month of Safar in 896 AH, the Sunni Muslim jurisprudent and exegete of the Holy Qur’an, Abu Sa'ood Mohammad Mustafa Imadi, was born in the village of Modarres in the vicinity of Istanbul. He was of Kurdish origin, and served as judge in Bursa, Istanbul and Rumelia, where he brought local laws into conformity with the Islamic Shari’a. In the reign of Sultan Suleiman the “Lawgiver” he was promoted as Grand Mufti (Supreme Judge), an office he held until his death. He issued judicial opinions that legitimized Suleiman's persecution of the heretical Yazidi sect. Imadi reorganized Ottoman jurisprudence and brought it under tighter governmental control. He was fluent in Persian and Arabic and composed poems in these two languages.
Among his works is the exegesis of the holy Qur’an titled “Tafsir al-Irshad al-Aql” in which, citing the cause of revelation of ayahs 1-to-3 of Surah al-Ma’arej (70), he has mentioned that when a certain Hareth Ibn Nu'man al-Fahri approached Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), following the historic event of Ghadeer-Khom, saying: "You commanded us to testify that there is no deity but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah. We obeyed you. You ordered us to perform the prayers five times a day and we obeyed. You ordered us to observe fasts during the month of Ramadhan and we obeyed. Then you commanded us to offer pilgrimage to Mecca and we obeyed. But you are not satisfied with all this and you raised your cousin by your hand and imposed him upon us as our master by saying ‘Ali is the Mowla for whomever I am Mowla,’ is this imposition from Allah or from you?" The Prophet said: "By Allah who is the Only God! This is from Allah, the Mighty and the Glorious." On hearing this Hareth turned back and proceeded towards his she-camel saying: "O Allah! If what Mohammad has said is correct then fling on us a stone from the sky and subject us to severe pain and torture." He had not reached his mount when a stone fell on his head from above, penetrated his body and passed out through his lower part, leaving him dead.
The well-known Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of Hadith, Ahmad ibn Sho’aib ibn Ali an-Nasa’i
On 13th of the Islamic month of Safar in 303 AH, on this day in 303 AH, the well-known Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of Hadith, Ahmad ibn Sho’aib ibn Ali an-Nasa’I, passed away at the age of 89. He was born in a village near the ancient Parthian city of Nasa in Khorasan in northeastern Iran (presently in Turkmenistan). When he was 20 years old, he started his journey in pursuit of knowledge and covered Transoxiana, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Hijaz, and Egypt, where he settled. He is the author of "Sunnan an-Nasa’i", one of the six canonical hadith collections of Sunni Muslims. Towards the end of his life he wrote a book on the unrivalled virtues and merits of Prophet Mohammad's (SAWA) divinely-decreed vicegerent, Imam Ali (AS), titled "Khasa’es Amir al-Mominin Ali". When he recited this excellent book from the pulpit of the main mosque of Damascus, he was attacked by enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt and was severely beaten. He left Syria and while on his way to Egypt, succumbed to his wounds in Palestine.
The Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of Hadith, Mohammad Ibn Yazid Ibn Majah al-Qazvini
On 27th of the Islamic month of Safar in 209 AH, the Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of Hadith, Mohammad Ibn Yazid Ibn Majah al-Qazvini, was born in Qazvin – west of modern Tehran. He travelled widely through Iran, Iraq, Syria, Hejaz, and Egypt, to gather hadith and compiled the book known as: "Sunan Ibn Majah", which contains 4000 hadith. It has been criticized for containing a number of weak or defective and discredited narrations, which has prevented it from being accepted by the majority of researchers as a reliable compilation, with many Sunni scholars preferring the "Sunan ad- Darimi" over his work.
Although later Ibn Maja's compilation was included in the "Sihah as-Sitta" or the Six Primary Books of Hadith of Sunni Muslims, it is still regarded as the weakest one. Perhaps for fear of the Abbasid regime, Ibn Majah in his quest for hadith, failed to collect genuine information about the practice and behavior of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) from the main source of all such narrations in his time, that is, Imam Ali al-Hadi (AS) and Imam Hasan al-Askari, the 10th and 11th Infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt respectively. Like his Iranian compatriots before him, such as Bukhari, Muslim Nishapuri, Tirmizi, and Abu Davoud Sijistani, he also did not seek the company of the disciples and companions of the blessed progeny of the Prophet to ascertain whether the hadith he had gathered were really genuine. Ibn Majah died in 273 AH in his hometown Qazvin at the age of 64.
The well-known Iranian scholar, Abu’l-Fazl Mohammad bin Obaydullah Bal’ami
On 15th of the Islamic month of Safar in 329 AH, the well-known Iranian scholar, Abu’l-Fazl Mohammad bin Obaydullah Bal’ami, passed away. His hometown was Bukhara, the capital of the Iranian Samanid dynasty – presently in the modern republic of Uzbekistan. Since one of his ancestors was from Bal’am in Asia Minor, he was known as Bal’ami. He served as a minister to the Samanids, and has left behind a large number of valuable compilations. He undertook the translation into Persian from Arabic of the famous encyclopedic history of the Iranian scholar, Abu Ja’far Mohammad bin Jareer Tabari titled “Tarikh ar-Rusol wa’l-Mulouk” (History of Prophets and Kings). This translation known as “Tarikh-e Bal’ami” is one of the oldest works in Persian from the 4th century AH.
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