Al-Kiya al-Harrasi

al-Kiyā al-Harrāsī, S̲h̲ams al-Islām ʿImād ad-Dīn Abû ’l-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad b. ʿAlī aṭ-Ṭabarī (Arabic: إلكيا الهراسي), commonly known as al-Kiya al-Harrasi was a prominent Shafi'i jurisconsult, legal theoretician, traditionist, scriptural exegete, preacher, orator, judge, and Ash'ari theologian, a dialectician who was once regarded as among the foremost practitioners of disputation.^[2][3][4] He was the famous pupil of Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni and the class-mate of Al-Ghazali.^[5]

al-Kiyā al-Harrāsī
Title	S̲h̲ams al-Islām Imad al-Din Al-Ḥāfiẓ
Personal
Born	1058 Tabaristan
Died	1110 (aged 51–52) Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate
Religion	Islam
Era	Islamic golden age
Denomination	Sunni
Jurisprudence	Shafi'i
Creed	Ash'ari[1]
Main interest(s)	Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Hadith, Tafsir, Kalam (Islamic theology)
Muslim leader
Influenced by Al-Shafi'i Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari Al-Juwayni
Influenced Abu Tahir al-Silafi Ibn Tumart Abu Mansur Muhammad Ibn Al-Saad Al Khair Al Balancy

Early life

He was born in the year 450 AH/1058 CE in the region of Tabaristan and studied under the ulama. He departed from his native land to seek knowledge at the age of eighteen years to Nishapur and studied jurisprudence under the direction of Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni until he excelled in Islamic law. He was handsome, his voice was clear and loud, his manner was elegant, and his language was appealing.^[6]

Career

He then proceeded to the town of Bayhaq, where he spent several years teaching the doctrine of the Shafi'i school. Eventually, he reached to Baghdad where he came in contact with Sultan Berkyaruq. It was through the Sultan's favour where al-Kiya al-Harrasi status rose to wealth and prestige. He served under the dynasty as the chief judge of Baghdad and fulfilled his duties. Al-Kiya al-Harrasi became a popular lecturer and was appointed as the professor of Al-Nizamiyya of Baghdad. He was a famous preacher and his gatherings would be described by visitors as being huge.^[6]

He was a scholar of Shafi'i-Ash'ari background, but unlike his contemporary Al-Ghazzali, he specialized in hadith as a separate subject and would frequently use hadith to cite evidence in his theological debates and preaching discourses. Some of the notable hadith scholars of Baghdad and elsewhere are stated to have been taught under him. The quote attributed to him: "When the horsemen of the traditions gallop about in the battlefield, the heads of analogical deductions are struck and carried off by the wind," amply illustrates his position that hadith should be prioritised over individual reason.^[7] Al-Kiya al-Harrasi and Ibn Aqil, the head of the Hanbalis in Baghdad were close sparring-partners in disputation.^[8]

Students

He had numerous students with some becoming renown of their age; amongst them:^[9][3][7]

• Abu Tahir al-Silafi
• Ibn Tumart
• Abu Mansur Muhammad
• Ibn Al-Saad Al Khair Al Balancy

Death

He passed away in Baghdad during the time of afternoon on the specific date of Thursday, 1st of Muharram at the year of 504 AH corresponding to July, 1110 AD. He was buried next to the grave of the Amir al-Muʾminin Fī al-Fiqh because of his excellent scholastic standing among Shafi'i ulama. Large crowds attended his funeral, and leaders from various Sunni schools would recite poetry. Some praised him, referring to him as "Shams al-Islam" (the Sun of Islam), while others expressed sorrow over the tragic loss.^[6]

Reception

Al-Hafiz Abd al-Ghafir al-Farsi said in his book, Continuation of the History of Nishapur on page 170 about Al-Kiya al-Harrasi: "He was one of the Imām al-Haramain's principal under-tutors (1); a second Abú Hāmid al-Ghazāli; nay, more profound in learning, more holy in life, more pleasing in voice, and more agreeable in countenance."^[6]

Works

• Ahkam al-Qu'ran ("Rulings of the Qu'ran"), it is a book on jurisprudential interpretation of the Qur’an.
• Sharh Usul al-Fiqh ("Commentary on the principles of jurisprudence")
• Tawdih al-Ahkami ("Illustrate judgments")
• Ard al-Ahkami ("View the provisions")
• Shifa' al-Mawjudin Fi al-Tahqiqat al-Dawwba ("Healing those who are guided in the diligent investigations")
• Shawahid Mudiyat Fi Zawaya al-Qadaya ("Luminous evidence in the corners of the issues")

See also

• List of Ash'aris

References

1. Shihadeh, Ayman (2006). The Teleological Ethics of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi. Brill. p. 52. ISBN 9785872504658.
2. G, Makdisi (2012). "al-Kiyā al-Harrāsī, S̲h̲ams al-Islām ʿImād ad-Dīn Abu 'l-Ḥasan ʿAlī". Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_4412. ISBN 9789004161214.
3. Sharīf, Wilyam (2010). The Dearest Quest: A Biography of Ibn Tumart. Lulu Press. p. 66-67. ISBN 9781445278254.
4. Abdullah, Abdul-Samad (22 September 2008). American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 25:4. International Institute of Islamic Thought. p. 35.
5. Meri, Josef W. (2006). Medieval Islamic Civilization An Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Routledge. p. 428. ISBN 9780415966900.
6. Ibn Khallikan (9 June 2008). Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary. Vol. 2. Translated by William McGuckin de Slane. Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. p. 229-232.
7. Ephrat, Daphna (3 August 2000). A Learned Society in a Period of Transition The Sunni 'Ulama' of Eleventh-Century Baghdad. Vol. 1. State University of New York Press. p. 53-62. ISBN 9780791446454.
8. Makdisi, George (21 January 2015). Ibn'Aqil - Religion and Culture in Classical Islam. Edinburgh University Press. p. 141. ISBN 9789670526133.
9. Ibn Khallikan (5 August 2019). Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary. Translated by William McGuckin de Slane. Cosimo Classics. p. 306. ISBN 9781474470636.