| Religion: | Islam |
| Occupation: | Muhaddith, Scholar, Muslim Jurist, Historian |
| Era: | Early modern period |
| Al-Munawi | |
| Zain al-Din Al-Ḥāfiẓ | |
| Birth Date: | (952 AH/1545 AD) |
| Birth Place: | Cairo, Ottoman Empire |
| Death Date: | (1031 AH/1621 AD) |
| Death Place: | Cairo, Ottoman Empire |
| Region: | Egypt |
| Alma Mater: | Al-Azhar University |
| Denomination: | Sunni |
| Creed: | Ash'ari[1] |
| Main Interests: | Fiqh, Hadith, History, Tasawwuf |
| Works: | Fayd al-Qadir |
| Influences: | Al-Shafi'i Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari Al-Suyuti Al-Sha'rani Shams al-Din al-Ramli |
Muhammad 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-Munāwi (also Al-Manāwi) (Arabic: محمد عبد الرؤوف المناوي), was a renowned Egyptian Islamic scholar of the Ottoman period. He was a prominent Shafi'i jurist, hadith specialist, historian, and mystic.[2] [3] [4] He is considered one of the most greatest Sunni scholars and prolific writers of his time.[5] [6] He authored a celebrated and classical work titled Fayd al-Qadir.[7] He was the paternal great grandson of Shaykh al-Islam Sharaf al-Din al-Munawi and was a famous disciple of Al-Sha'rani.[8] [9]
The title "Al-Munawi" originated from the village of Munayt or Munāw, an area of Egypt where his ancestors settled around the 7th or 12th century after their departure from Tunisia.”
Al-Munawī was born in the city of Cairo in the year of 952 AH/1545 CE and was a member of was a member of prestigious family well-known for their knowledge and piety. His family members were all scholars, and he was raised in a home full of information. He first started learning under his father Tajul 'Arifin. Before entering puberty, he memorised the Qur'an as well as other valuable texts in Shafi'i Fiqh, Hadith, Arabic syntax, and Seerah. He was made a very young hafiz and Al-Sha'rani inducted him into Tasawwuf. Following his passing, he made contact with several groups, including the brotherhood of Halwatiyya. After a few religious services, he withdrew from society to compose. Then he went back to the outside world to teach at the University of Aliyya, where his extremely high calibre of instruction attracted the most illustrious academics of the day and caused some to make him so envious that he was certainly poisoned. He managed to get away, but he soon gave up teaching and began dictating his works to one of his sons, Taj al-Din Muhammad, who was now too frail to write them down. He died in the year 1031 AH/1621 CE.[10]
He studied some of the greatest scholars of his day:
Among his students were the following:
Al-Munawi was a prolific writer who wrote over 100 works including:
. Hanif . N. . Nelly Hanna. In Praise of Books A Cultural History of Cairo's Middle Class, Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century. Sarup & Sons. 2002. 9788176252676. 113.
. Brown . Jonathan . Jonathan A. C. Brown. American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 34:3. International Institute of Islamic Thought. 2017. 13.