Abu al-Mu'in al-Nasafi

For other persons named al-Nasafi, see Al-Nasafi.

Abu al-Mu'in al-Nasafi أبو المعين النسفي
Title	His Bahr al-Kalam has had considerable popularity, and on the title-page of the printed edition he is called: "Chief of the People of al-Sunna and al-Jama'a, Sword of the truth and of religion".[1]
Personal life
Born	418 A.H. = 1027 A.D. 438 A.H. = 1046 A.D. Nasaf
Died	508 A.H. = 1114-5 A.D. Nasaf
Era	Islamic Golden Age
Region	Uzbekistan
Main interest(s)	Aqidah, Kalam (Islamic theology), Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), Semantics
Notable work(s)	Tabsirat al-Adillah, Bahr al-Kalam
Religious life
Religion	Islam
Denomination	Sunni
Jurisprudence	Hanafi
Creed	Maturidi
Muslim leader
Influenced by Abu Hanifa Abu Mansur al-Maturidi Al-Hakim al-Samarqandi
Influenced Najm al-Din 'Umar al-Nasafi 'Ala' al-Din al-Kasani Abu al-Thana' al-Lamishi Sa'd al-Din al-Taftazani Nur al-Din al-Sabuni

Abu al-Mu'in al-Nasafi (Uzbek: Абул-Муин ан-Насафи; Arabic: أبو المعين النسفي) (c.1027-c.1115 A.D.) was a Central Asian Hanafi scholar who is considered to be the most important theologian in the Maturidi school of Sunni Islam after Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, provided a fairly detailed account of al-Maturidi Central Asian predecessors.^[2][3][4][5]

Name

His name was Abu al-Ma'in Maymun b. Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Mu'tamad b. Muhammad Ibn Mak-hul b. al-Fadhl al-Nasafi al-Mak-huli.^[6]

Birth

He was born in Nasaf (present Karshi) around 438 A.H. (1046 A.D.) and died in the same city in 508 A.H. (1115 A.D.).^[7] It was said that his birth was in 418 A.H. (1027 A.D.) according to Khair al-Din al-Zarkali and Umar Rizo Kahhol, while Qutluwbugha says it was in 438 A.H. (1046 A.D.), based on the age of his death being seventy years in the year of 508 A.H. (1115 A.D.).^[8]

Life

Classical sources give no information about his life, but he lived in an age in which Muslim theology was reaching its peak, and he contributed to this development.

He was born in an educated family. His ancestors were respected by society as great scholars of "fiqh" science. His great-grandfather, Makhul Nasafi, was a disciple of Imam al-Maturidi, and his grandfather, Mu’tamid ibn Makhul Nasafi, was famous as a theologian, Hanafi jurist (Faqih), and mystic (Sufi) who was reported to have written a number of works.^[9] He received his primary education from his father and grandfather.^[10]

Kalam

Main article: Kalam

Abu al-Mu'in al-Nasafi was one of the prominent representatives of "kalam", the science of aqeedah, and played an important role in the wide dissemination of the teachings of Maturidiyya, founded by Abu Mansur al-Maturidi.^[11][12][13]

Students

Some of his popular students are:^[14]

• Najm al-Din 'Umar al-Nasafi (d. 537/1142), the author of al-'Aqa'id al-Nasafiyyah (Arabic: العقائد النسفية).^[15]
• 'Ala' al-Din Samarqandi (d. 539/1144), the author of Tuhfat al-Fuqaha' (Arabic: تحفة الفقهاء).^[16]
• 'Ala' al-Din al-Kasani (d. 578/1191), the author of Bada'i' al-Sana'i' (Arabic: بدائع الصنائع).
• Sadr al-A'imma Abu al-Ma'ali Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Muhammad b. al-Husain al-Bazdawi (d. 542/1147).

Sometimes it's assumed that Abu al-Thana' al-Lamishi was a student of him, though this is not known for sure.^[17]

Books

He wrote many works aimed at clarifying misconceptions about Islam, fighting religious fanaticism.^[18] Some of his popular and widely accepted works are as follows:^[19][20]

• Tabsirat al-Adillah (Instructing the Evidences); is considered as the second major work in the Maturidi curriculum, after Imam al-Maturidi's Kitab al-Tawhid.
• Al-Tamhid li-Qawa'id al-Tawhid (Introduction to the Principles of Monotheism); is a summary of Tabsirat al-Adilla (Instructing the Evidences).
• Bahr al-Kalam fi 'Ilm al-Tawhid (Ocean of Discussions on the Science of Monotheism); is one of the main sources of "kalam" science in Maturidism.

Death

It is widely accepted that he died in 508 A.H. (1114 or 1115 A.D.).

His mausoleum, located in the village of Kovchin in Karshi district, is one of the ancient pilgrimage places.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, during his visit to Kashkadarya region on 24–25 February 2017, gave recommendations on improvement of his mausoleum, creation of necessary conditions for visitors, organization of a library and translation of his works.^[21][22][23]

See also

• Abu al-Mu'in al-Nasafi Memorial Complex
• Abu Hanifa
• Al-Hakim al-Samarqandi
• Abu al-Yusr al-Bazdawi
• Abu Ishaq al-Saffar al-Bukhari
• Nur al-Din al-Sabuni
• List of Hanafis
• List of Ash'aris and Maturidis
• List of Muslim theologians

References

1. Masood Ali Khan and Shaikh Azhar Iqbal (2005). Encyclopaedia of Islam: Religious doctrine of Islam. Commonwealth Publishers, India. p. 128. ISBN 9788131100523.
2. Bernard G. Weiss (2002). Studies in Islamic Legal Theory. Brill Publishers. p. 237. ISBN 9789004120662.
3. Oliver Leaman (2015). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Islamic Philosophy. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 367. ISBN 9781472569455.
4. Sabine Schmidtke (2016). The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Theology. Oxford University Press. p. 291. ISBN 9780199696703.
5. "Abu'l-Mu'in al-Nasafi's understanding of iman and takfir". Academicresearch.net. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
6. "Bahr al-Kalam fi 'ilm al-Tawhid (بَحْرُ الكَلَام في علم التوحيد) by Imam Abi al-Ma'in al-Nasafi". Looh Press; Islamic & African Studies. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
7. Oliver Leaman (2015). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Islamic Philosophy. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 367. ISBN 9781472569455.
8. "Bahr al-Kalam fi 'ilm al-Tawhid (بَحْرُ الكَلَام في علم التوحيد) by Imam Abi al-Ma'in al-Nasafi". Looh Press; Islamic & African Studies. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
9. Oliver Leaman (2015). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Islamic Philosophy. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 367. ISBN 9781472569455.
10. "President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with creative work carried out in Abul-Muin an-Nasafi mausoleum". Embassy of Uzbekistan in India. 30 January 2018.
11. "President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with creative work carried out in Abul-Muin an-Nasafi mausoleum". Uza.uz.
12. "President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with creative work carried out in Abul-Muin an-Nasafi mausoleum". Embassy of Uzbekistan in India. 30 January 2018.
13. "President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visits mausoleum of Abu Mouin Nasafi". UzDaily.
14. "Bahr al-Kalam fi 'ilm al-Tawhid (بَحْرُ الكَلَام في علم التوحيد) by Imam Abi al-Ma'in al-Nasafi". Looh Press; Islamic & African Studies. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
15. Sohaira Siddiqui (2019). Locating the Sharia: Legal Fluidity in Theory, History and Practice. Brill Publishers. p. 99. ISBN 9789004391710.
16. Bernard G. Weiss (2002). Studies in Islamic Legal Theory. Brill Publishers. p. 238. ISBN 9789004120662.
17. "Kitab Fi Usul al-Fiqh by Imam Abu 'l-Thana' Mahmud ibn Zayd al-Lamishi". at-Tahawi.com – Muslim Bibliophilia. 10 July 2009.
18. "President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visits mausoleum of Abu Mouin Nasafi". UzDaily.
19. Oliver Leaman (2015). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Islamic Philosophy. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 367. ISBN 9781472569455.
20. Ulrich Rudolph (2014). Al-Maturidi and the Development of Sunni Theology in Samarqand. Brill Publishers. p. 249. ISBN 9789004261846.
21. "President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with creative work carried out in Abul-Muin an-Nasafi mausoleum". Embassy of Uzbekistan in India. 30 January 2018.
22. "President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visits mausoleum of Abu Mouin Nasafi". UzDaily.
23. "President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with creative work carried out in Abul-Muin an-Nasafi mausoleum". Uza.uz.

External links

• President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visits mausoleum of Abu Mouin Nasafi

v t e Early Islamic scholars

Muhammad, The final Messenger of God(570–632 the Constitution of Medina, taught the Quran, and advised his companions Abdullah ibn Masud (died 653) taught Ali (607–661) fourth caliph taught Aisha, Muhammad's wife and Abu Bakr's daughter taught Abd Allah ibn Abbas (618–687) taught Zayd ibn Thabit (610–660) taught Umar (579–644) second caliph taught Abu Hurairah (603–681) taught Alqama ibn Qays (died 681) taught Husayn ibn Ali (626–680) taught Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr (657–725) taught and raised by Aisha Urwah ibn Zubayr (died 713) taught by Aisha, he then taught Said ibn al-Musayyib (637–715) taught Abdullah ibn Umar (614–693) taught Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr (624–692) taught by Aisha, he then taught Ibrahim al-Nakha’i taught Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin (659–712) taught Hisham ibn Urwah (667–772) taught Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (died 741) taught Salim ibn Abd-Allah ibn Umar taught Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (682–720) raised and taught by Abdullah ibn Umar Hammad bin ibi Sulman taught Muhammad al-Baqir (676–733) taught Farwah bint al-Qasim Jafar's mother Abu Hanifa (699–767) wrote Al Fiqh Al Akbar and Kitab Al-Athar, jurisprudence followed by Sunni, Sunni Sufi, Barelvi, Deobandi, Zaidiyyah and originally by the Fatimid and taught Zayd ibn Ali (695–740) Ja'far bin Muhammad Al-Baqir (702–765) Muhammad and Ali's great great grand son, jurisprudence followed by Shia, he taught Malik ibn Anas (711–795) wrote Muwatta, jurisprudence from early Medina period now mostly followed by Sunni in Africa, Sunni Sufi and taught Al-Waqidi (748–822) wrote history books like Kitab al-Tarikh wa al-Maghazi, student of Malik ibn Anas Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Abdul Hakam (died 829) wrote biographies and history books, student of Malik ibn Anas Abu Yusuf (729–798) wrote Usul al-fiqh Muhammad al-Shaybani (749–805) al-Shafi‘i (767–820) wrote Al-Risala, jurisprudence followed by Sunni, Sunni sufi and taught Ismail ibn Ibrahim Ali ibn al-Madini (778–849) wrote The Book of Knowledge of the Companions Ibn Hisham (died 833) wrote early history and As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyah, Muhammad's biography Isma'il ibn Ja'far (719–775) Musa al-Kadhim (745–799) Ahmad ibn Hanbal (780–855) wrote Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal jurisprudence followed by Sunni, Sunni sufi and hadith books Muhammad al-Bukhari (810–870) wrote Sahih al-Bukhari hadith books Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (815–875) wrote Sahih Muslim hadith books Dawud al-Zahiri (815–883/4) founded the Zahiri school Muhammad ibn Isa at-Tirmidhi (824–892) wrote Jami` at-Tirmidhi hadith books Al-Baladhuri (died 892) wrote early history Futuh al-Buldan, Genealogies of the Nobles Ibn Majah (824–887) wrote Sunan ibn Majah hadith book Abu Dawood (817–889) wrote Sunan Abu Dawood Hadith Book Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni (864- 941) wrote Kitab al-Kafi hadith book followed by Twelver Shia Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (838–923) wrote History of the Prophets and Kings, Tafsir al-Tabari Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari (874–936) wrote Maqālāt al-islāmīyīn, Kitāb al-luma, Kitāb al-ibāna 'an usūl al-diyāna Ibn Babawayh (923–991) wrote Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih jurisprudence followed by Twelver Shia Sharif Razi (930–977) wrote Nahj al-Balagha followed by Twelver Shia Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201–1274) wrote jurisprudence books followed by Ismaili and Twelver Shia Al-Ghazali (1058–1111) wrote The Niche for Lights, The Incoherence of the Philosophers, The Alchemy of Happiness on Sufism Rumi (1207–1273) wrote Masnavi, Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi on Sufism Key: Some of Muhammad's Companions Key: Taught in Medina Key: Taught in Iraq Key: Worked in Syria Key: Travelled extensively collecting the sayings of Muhammad and compiled books of hadith Key: Worked in Persia