Al-Suyuti Explained

Religion:	Islam
Al-Suyuti
Native Name:	السيوطي
Native Name Lang:	ar
Shaykh al-Islām^[1] Jalal al-Din Al-Ḥāfiẓ
Birth Date:	11 October 1445 CE / 1 Rajab 849 AH
Birth Place:	Cairo, Mamluk Sultanate
Death Date:	18 October 1505 CE / 19 Jumadi Ula 911 AH
Death Place:	Cairo, Mamluk Sultanate
Denomination:	Sunni
Maddhab:	Shafi'i^[2] ^[3]
Creed:	Ash'ari^[4] ^[5] ^[6]
Sufi Order:	Shadhiliyya
Region:	Egypt
Main Interests:	Aqidah, Sharia, Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Hadith, Usul al-Hadith, Tafsir, Arabic grammar, Arabic Literature, Rhetoric, Philology, lexicography, Seerah, History, Mathematics, Medicine
Works:	Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Al-Dur al-Manthur, , Al-Jami' al-Saghir, Tanbih al-Ghabi bi-Tabri'at Ibn 'Arabi
Influences:	Al-Shafi'i, Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili, Ibn Arabi, Al-Nawawi, Ibn Kathir, Siraj al-Din al-Bulqini, Ibn al-Mulaqqin, Al-Zarkashi, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Jalāl al-Dīn al Mahallī, Al-Kamal ibn al-Humam, Al-Sakhawi, Sharaf al-Din al-Munawi^[7]
Influenced:	Al-Sha'rani, Al-Dawudi, Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Shihab al-Din al-Ramli
Module:	Embed: yes Ism: 'Abd al-Raḥmān Nasab: ibn Abī Bakr ibn Muḥammad Kunya: Abū al-Faḍl Laqab: Jalāl al-Dīn Nisba: al-Suyūṭī, al-Khuḍayrī, al-Shāfi'ī

Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (Arabic: جلال الدين السيوطي|Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī; 1445–1505),^[8] or al-Suyuti, was an Egyptian Sunni Muslim polymath of Persian descent.^[9] Considered the mujtahid and mujaddid of the Islamic 10th century,^[10] he was a leading muhaddith (hadith master), mufassir (Qu'ran exegete), faqīh (jurist), usuli (legal theorist), sufi (mystic), theologian, grammarian, linguist, rhetorician, philologist, lexicographer and historian, who authored works in virtually every Islamic science.^{[11] [12]} For this reason, he was honoured one of the most prestigious and rarest titles: Shaykh al-Islām.^[13]

He was described as one of the most prolific writers of the Middle Ages and is recognized today as one of the most prolific authors of all Islamic literature. Al-Suyuti wrote approximately one thousand works.^[14] His biographical dictionary Bughyat al-Wuʻāh fī Ṭabaqāt al-Lughawīyīn wa-al-Nuḥāh contains valuable accounts of prominent figures in the early development of Arabic philology. He was also in his time the leading authority of the Shafi'i school of thought (madhhab).^[15]

Biography

Early life

Al-Suyuti was born to a family of Persian descent on 3 October 1445 AD (1 Rajab 849 AH) in Cairo in the Mamluk Sultanate.^[16] According to al-Suyuti his ancestors came from al-Khudayriyya in Baghdad. His family moved to Asyut, hence the nisba "al-Suyuti". His father taught Shafi'i law at the Mosque and Khanqah of Shaykhu in Cairo, but died when al-Suyuti was 5 or 6 years old.

Education

Al-Suyuti grew up in an orphanage in Cairo. He became a Ḥāfiẓ of the Qu'ran at the age of eight years, followed by studying the Shafi'i and Hanafi jurisprudence (fiqh), traditions (hadith), exegesis (tafsir), theology, history, rhetoric, philosophy, philology, arithmetic, timekeeping (miqat) and medicine.

He then dedicated his entire life to master the Sacred Sciences under approximately 150 sheikhs. Among them were renowned scholars who were the leading scholars of each sacred Islamic science of their time.

• Shaykh al-Islam Al-Kamal ibn al-Humam, a leading Hanafi faqih and polymath of his era.
• Shaykh al-Islam Alam al-Din al-Bulqini, a leading Shafi'i faqih of his era and the son of the highly celebrated scholar, Siraj al-Din al-Bulqini.
• Shaykh al-Islam Sharaf al-Din al-Munawi, a renowned muhaddith (whose great-grandson 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-Munawi would write a famous commentary on Al-Suyuti's Al-Jami' as-Saghir entitled Fayd al-Qadir).
• Taqi al-Din al-Shamani, a hadith expert and a leading professor of the Arabic sciences.
• Jalal al-Din Al-Mahalli, a leading mufassir and a leading specialist in the principles of the law of his time who authored along with Al-Suyuti, one of the most famous tafsirs entitled Tafsir al-Jalalayn.
• Shams al-Din Al-Sakhawi, a leading muhaddith of his era and foremost student of Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani
• Shihab al-Din As-Sharmisahi, a famous Hanafi scholar of his time.
• Sayf al-Din Qasim ibn Qatlubagha, a famous Hadith master of his time.
• Muhyi al-Din Al-Kafayji

In his thirst for quest for knowledge, Al-Suyuti travelled to Syria, Hejaz (Mecca & Medina), Yemen, Iraq, India, Tunisia, Morocco, and Mali as well as to educational hubs in Egypt such as Mahalla, Dumyat, and Fayyum.

Teaching

He started teaching Shafi'i jurisprudence at the age of 18, at the same mosque as his father did.

Al-Suyuti became the head master of Hadith at the Shaykhuniyya school in Cairo, at the suggestion of Imam Kamal al-Din ibn al-Humam. In 1486, Sultan Qaitbay appointed him shaykh at the Khanqah of Baybars II, a Sufi lodge, but was sacked due to protests from other scholars whom he had replaced. After this incident, he gave up teaching and was fed up of others being jealous of him.

Avoiding Public Life

In his late forties, al-Suyuti began avoiding the public when he argued with the Sufis in the Baybarsiyyah lodge, he disagreed their claim to be Sufis and were not following the path of saints in terms of manners and ethics, he was thus dismissed.

Ibn Iyas, in his book called Tarikh Misr, said that when al-Suyuti became forty years of age, he left the company of men for the solitude of the garden of al-Miqyas, close to the River Nile, where he abandoned his friends and former co-workers as if he had never met them before. It was at this stage of his life where he authored most of his 600 books and treatises.

Rich and Influential Muslims and rulers would visit him with large sums of money and gifts but he rejected their offers and also refused the king many times when he ordered al-Suyuti's to be summoned. He once said to the king's ambassador:

Controversy

Al-Suyuti had some backlash with some of his contemporaries especially by his own teacher Al-Sakhawi and his fellow student Al-Qastallani who were two major renowned muhaddithuns. Al-Suyuti was accused for plagiarism which prolific writers were similarly accused of such as Ibn Al-Jawzi and Ibn Taymiyyah but those accusations were later dropped.

Defending Ibn Arabi

See main article: Tanbih al-Ghabi bi-Tabri'at Ibn 'Arabi. His most famous clash was with one of his teachers, Burhan al-Din al-Biqa'i, who staunchly criticized Ibn Arabi in his book called Tanbih al-Ghabi ila Takfir Ibn 'Arabi translated in English 'Warning to the Dolt That Ibn Arabi is an Apostate', Al-Suyuti responded with a book called Tanbih al-Ghabi fi Takhti'at Ibn 'Arabi translated in English 'Warning to the Dolt That Faults Ibn 'Arabi'. Both epistles have been made widely available. In his writing, Al-Suyuti presented that he considered Ibn 'Arabi a Wali (Friend of Allah) whose books are prohibited to those who read them without first learning the sophisticated terms used by the Sufis. He quotes from Ibn Hajar's list in his book called Anba' al-Gh which mention the trustworthy and respected scholars who kept a positive opinion of Ibn Arabi or even recognized him to be an Wali.

Exegesis

AAl-Suyuti has garnered criticism from Islamic scholars community due to his Islamic eschatology interpretation in one of his book, Al-Kashf An Mujawazah Hadhihi Ummah 'Alf Arabic: الكشف عن مجاوزة هذه الأمة الخمسمائة والألف|lit=Revealing that this nation exceeds five hundred thousand, that he predicted the Judgement Day in Islam will occur 1,500 years after the revelation of Muhammad as Prophet. Several criticism regarding his exegesis circulated around:^[17]

• Ibn Rajab and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani argues al-Suyuti has taken the two Sahih al-Bukhari hadiths which quoted by al-Suyuti were taken out of its original context, where the said traditions are not speaking about eschatology.
• Ibn Rajab further argues the chapter Al-Aḥzāb ns. and Hadith of Gabriel tradition contradicts the interpretation of al-Suyuti.
• Muhammad Al-Munajjid quoted the classical Tafsir Ibn Kathir, where Ibn Kathir's interpretation practically annuled al-Suyuti's opinion regarding the sign of Judgment day.^[18]
• Muhammad ibn Ismail Al-Amir as-San'ani, a 18th AD Imam of Yemen (1687 - 1768); argues the Atharism traditions which based on the opinions of the Companions of the Prophet contradict al-Suyuti opinion regarding this matter.^[19]
• Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya argues the third hadith which al-Suyuti used to form his opinion regarding this matter was a fabricated Hadith.^[20] Similar criticism also voiced by modern Hadith scholar Al-Albani.^{[21] [22]}

Aside from eschatology, the exegesis work of al-Suyuti in Tafsir al-Jalalayn also garnered criticism from Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, as al-Suyuti implemented ta'til method on interpreting Al-Fajr ns. .^[23]

Creed & Spiritual Lineage

In terms of his theological positions, Al-Suyuti had a contempt feeling towards speculative theology (kalam) and pushed for strict submission (tafwid). He opposed the use of logic in the Islamic sciences.^[24] He does, however, agree with Al-Ghazali's conservative view of kalam, which states that the science should be studied by scholars who meet the necessary requirements to administer the appropriate dosages as bitter medicine to people who are in dire need.

Al-Suyuti was Ash'ari in his creed, as presented in many of his works. In Masalik al-Hunafa fi Walidayy al-Mustafa he said:

Al-Suyuti claimed to be a mujtahid (an authority on source interpretation who gives legal statements on jurisprudence, hadith studies, and Arabic language).

Al-Suyuti claimed he reached the same level as the major Imams of Hadith and Fiqh.

Al-Suyuti also claimed there was no scholar on Earth more knowledgeable than him:

This brought huge attention and heavy criticism by scholars of his contemporaries as he was portrayed by them as an arrogant scholar who viewed himself to be superior and wiser than others. However, Al-Suyuti defended himself stating he was only speaking the truth so that people can benefit from his vast knowledge and accept his rulings (fatwas).

Al-Suyuti was a Sufi of the Shadhili order. Al-Suyuti's chain in Tasawwuf goes way back to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani. Al-Suyuti defended Sufis in his book entitled Tashyid al-Haqiqa al-Aliyya:

In his book entitled Tashyid, Al-Suyuti demonstrates a narrative chains of transmission by providing evidence that Hasan al-Basri did in indeed receive narrations directly from Ali ibn Abi Talib. This goes against the mainstream view amongst scholars of Hadith, despite also being a respected opinion of Ahmad Bin Hanbal.

Death

Considered the greatest scholar of his century, he continued publishing books of his scholarly writings until he died on 18 October 1505 at the age of sixty two.

Reception

Ibn al-ʿImād writes: "Most of his works become world famous in his lifetime." Renowned as a prolific writer, his student Dawudi said: "I was with the Shaykh Suyuti once, and he wrote three volumes on that day. He could dictate annotations on ĥadīth, and answer my objections at the same time. In his time he was the foremost scholar of the ĥadīth and associated sciences, of the narrators including the uncommon ones, the hadith matn (text), isnad (chain of narrators), the derivation of hadith rulings. He has himself told me, that he had memorized over two hundred thousand (200,000) hadiths." Adding that there was no scholar at his time who memorized this much.^[25]

His admirers stated that Al-Suyuti writings reached as far as India during his time on Earth. His learning and more importantly his incredible prolific output were widely seen as miraculous signs from God due to his merit.

Works

The Dalil Makhtutat al-Suyuti ("Directory of al-Suyuti's Manuscripts") states that al-Suyuti wrote works on over 700 subjects, while a 1995 survey put the figure between 500 and 981. However, these include short pamphlets, and legal opinions.

He wrote his first book, Sharh Al-Isti'aadha wal-Basmalah, in 866 AH, at the age of seventeen.

In Ḥusn al-Muḥaḍarah al-Suyuti lists 283 of his works on subjects from religion to medicine. As with Abu'l-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi in his medicinal works, he writes almost exclusively on prophetic medicine, rather than the Islamic-Greek synthesis of medicinal tradition found in the works of Al-Dhahabi. He focuses on diet and natural remedies for serious ailments such as rabies and smallpox, and for simple conditions such as headaches and nosebleeds, and mentions the cosmology behind the principles of medical ethics.^[26]

Al-Suyuti also wrote a number of Islamic sexual education manuscripts that represent major works in the genre, which began in the 10th-century in Baghdad. The most significant of these works is Al-Wishāḥ fī Fawāʾid al-Nikāḥ ("The Sash on the Merits of Wedlock"),^[8] but other examples of such manuscripts include Shaqāʾiq al-Utrunj fī Raqāʾiq al-Ghunj, Nawāḍir al-Ayk fī Maʻrifat al-Nayk and Nuzhat al-Mutaʾammil.^[27]

Major works

• Tafsir al-Jalalayn (Arabic: تفسير الجلالين|lit=Commentary of the two Jalals); a Qur'anic exegesis written by Al-Suyuti and his teacher Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli
• Dur al-Manthur (Arabic: درالمنثور) a famous and authoritative narration based tafsir.
• Al-Itqān fi 'Ulum al-Qur'an (translated into English as The Perfect Guide to the Sciences of the Qur'an,)
• Al-Tibb al-Nabawi (Arabic: الطب النبوي|lit=[[Prophetic medicine]])
• Al-Jaami' al-Kabir (Arabic: الجامع الكبير|lit=Large collection)
• Al-Jaami' al-Saghir (Arabic: الجامع الصغير|lit=Little collection)
• Sharh Sunan al-Nasaai, a famous commentary of Sunan al-Nasa'i^[28]
• Annotations Sunan Abi Dawood, a complete annotations of Sunan Abu Dawood written by the Hadith scientist Al-Suyuti^[29]
• Alfiyyah al-Hadith ^[30]
• Tadrib al-Rawi (Arabic: تدريب الراوي) both in hadith terminology
• Al-Ashbaahu Wan-Nadhaair, a famous authoritative book of the Shafi'i madhab^[31]
• History of the Caliphs ()
  • The Khalifas who Took the Right Way, a partial translation of the History of the Caliphs, covering the first four Rashidun caliphs and Hasan ibn Ali
• Tabaqat al-Huffaz, an appendix to al-Dhahabi's Tadhkirat al-Huffaz
• Nuzhat al-Julasāʼ fī Ashʻār al-Nisāʼ (Arabic: نزهة الجلساء في أشعار النساء), "An Anthology of Women's Verse'^[32]
• Al-Khasais-ul-Kubra, which discusses the miracles of Islamic prophet Muhammad
• Al-Muzhir (Arabic Linguistics)^[33]
• Uqud Al Juman (Arabic Rhetoric)
• Al-Faridah (Arabic Grammar)
• The Book of Exposition (credited)

See also

• List of Ash'aris
• List of Sufis

Sources

• Book: Zulfiqar Ayub. THE BIOGRAPHIES OF THE ELITE LIVES OF THE SCHOLARS, IMAMS & HADITH MASTERS Biographies of The Imams & Scholars. 2 May 2015. 81–84.
• Book: Mahdi Tourage, Ovamir Anjum. American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences. 34. 2017. 3 . International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). 13–15.

External links

• Tafsir al-Jalalayn Commentary on the Quran (in English).
• Radiant Cosmography (al Haya al-saniya fi al-haya al-sunniya) in English at archive.org.
• The Dead become Alive by the Grace of the Holy Five (Ihyya al-mayyit) in English at archive.org.

Notes and References

1. Book: Sayyid Rami Al Rifai. The Islamic Journal From Islamic Civilisation To The Heart Of Islam, Ihsan, Human Perfection. Sunnah Muakada. 3 July 2015. 37.
2. Barakat, E. R., & Haneef, M. A. (2006). "Must Money Be Limited to Only Gold and Silver?: A Survey of Fiqhi Opinions and Some Implications". Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics, 19(1).
3. Sookhdeo, Patrick. "Issues of interpreting the Koran and Hadith." Connections 5.3 (2006): 57-82.
4. Web site: Ahl al-Sunna: The Ash'aris - The Testimony and Proofs of the Scholars. Arabic. almostaneer.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20210128040753/https://almostaneer.com/ebooks/أهل-السنة-الأشاعرة-شهادة-علماء-الأمة-و/أكابر-محدثى-الأمة-وحفاظها-وأكابر-فقها. 28 January 2021.
5. Book: Spevack, Aaron . The Archetypal Sunni Scholar: Law, Theology, and Mysticism in the Synthesis of Al-Bajuri . State University of New York Press . 2014 . 978-1-4384-5371-2 . 99, 179.
6. In Masalik al-Hunafa' fi Walidayy al-Mustafa, he says: "The Prophet's parents died before he was sent as a Prophet and there is no punishment for them, since (We never punish until We send a messenger (whom they reject)((17:15). Our Ash`ari Imams among those in kalam, usul, and fiqh agree on the statement that one who dies while da`wa has not reached him, dies saved. This has been defined by Imam al-Shafi`i.. . . Some of the fuqaha' explained that the reason is, such a person follows fitra or Primordial Disposition, and has not stubbornly refused nor rejected any Messenger"
7. Ali, Mufti. "Aristotelianisme Dalam Kacamata Para Tokoh Abad Tengah Penentang Logika." Al Qalam 24.3 (2007): 318-339.
8. Women and Men in al-Suyūṭī's Guides to Sex and Marriage . Myrne . Pernilla . 2018 . The Middle East Documentation Center (MEDOC) at the University of Chicago . 1947-2404 . 10.25846/26hn-gp87 . 47–67 . Mamlūk Studies Review . XXI .
9. Book: Anna Kollatz . The Mamluk-Ottoman Transition Continuity and Change in Egypt and Bilād Al-Shām in the Sixteenth Century, 2 . Miri Shefer-Mossensohn . Yehoshua Frenkel . Bethany J. Walker . Toru Miura . Christian Mauder . 11 July 2022 . . 978-3-8470-1152-1 . 268 . Miri Shefer-Mossensohn.
10. Book: Jaleel . Talib . Notes On Entering Deen Completely Islam as its followers know it . EDC Foundation. 11 July 2015 . 1031.
11. Book: Esposito . John L. . The Oxford Dictionary of Islam . Oxford University Press. 21 October 2004 . 978-0-19-975726-8 . 307.
12. Book: Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi. Muslims in India. Claritas Books. 30 April 2019. 978-1-905837-53-3. 36.
13. Book: Ghersetti, Antonella . Al-Suyūṭī, a Polymath of the Mamlūk Period Proceedings of the Themed Day of the First Conference of the School of Mamlūk Studies (Ca' Foscari University, Venice, June 23, 2014). Brill. 18 October 2016. 978-90-04-33452-6. 44-259.
14. Book: Jere L. Bacharach, Josef W. Meri. Medieval Islamic Civilization An Encyclopedia. Routledge. 31 October 2005 . 978-1-135-45596-5 . 784-5.
15. Book: Fancy, Nahyan . Science and Religion in Mamluk Egypt Ibn Al-Nafis, Pulmonary Transit and Bodily Resurrectio. Taylor & Francis. 3 June 2013. 978-1-136-70361-4. 23.
16. Book: Meri. Josef W.. Medieval Islamic Civilization, Volume 1 An Encyclopedia. January 2006. Routledge. 978-0-415-96691-7. 784. The family of al-Suyuti, of Persian origin, settled during the Mamluk period in Asyut, in Upper Egypt (from where they derive their name)..
17. Web site: Muhammad Abduh Tuasikal . Umur Umat Islam Hanya 1500 Tahun? . The lifespan of Muslims is only lasted to 1500 years? . Rumaysho.Com . 2019 . 10 August 2024 . Id.
18. Web site: Muhammad Al-Munajjid . Muhammad Al-Munajjid . بطلان ما ورد في تحديد عمر الدنيا . . 2003 . 10 August 2024 . Ar.
19. Web site: Sufyan Baswedan . Hadits Umur Umat Islam . the age of Islamic Ummah . bimbinganislam.com . Bimbingan Islam (BIAS) . 10 August 2024 . Id . 2016.
20. Book: Walid al-Mahdi . بغية السائل من أوابد المسائل . The questioner's desire for the most important issues . 2018 . DAR ARRAF . 2207 . 10 August 2024 . Ar.
21. Web site: رأي العلامة ابن جبرين في كتب ومصنفات . The opinion of the scholar Ibn Jibrin on books and publications . 2021 . islamway.net . 10 August 2024 . Ar.
22. Web site: Abu Ubaidah as-Sidawi . Waspadailah Kitab-Kitab Berbahaya Berikut Ini… . Beware of These Dangerous Books… . 2009 . abiubaidah.com . Ustadz Yusuf Abu Ubaidah official . 10 August 2024 . Id.
23. Web site: Muhammad Abduh Tuasikal . Mengenal Tafsir Jalalain . Knowing Tafsir Jalalain . 2020 . rumaysho.com . 10 August 2024 . Id. concise reference from: Book: al-Suyuti . al-Suyuti . Mubarakpuri . Safiur Rahman . Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri . تفسير الجلالين . Interpretation from two Jalals . الدار العالمية Volume 1 . 604 . 10 August 2024 . Ar . Hard Cover.
24. 2008 . A Statistical Portrait of the Resistance to Logic by Sunni Muslim Scholars Based on the Works of Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūtī (849-909/1448-1505) . Islamic Law and Society . 15 . 2 . 250–267 . 10.1163/156851908X290600 . 40377962 . 0928-9380 . Ali . Mufti .
25. Al-Kawākib as-Sāyirah 1/228
26. [Emilie Savage-Smith]
27. Book: Al-Suyūṭī, a Polymath of the Mamlūk Period: Proceedings of the Themed Day of the First Conference of the School of Mamlūk Studies (Ca' Foscari University, Venice, June 23, 2014). Ghersetti . Antonella . 978-90-04-33450-2 . Leiden . 956351174 . 2016.
28. Web site: SHARH SUNAN AN-NASAAI (AS-SUYUTI ET AS-SINDI). sifatusafwa.com.
29. Web site: ANNOTATIONS SUNAN ABI DAWOOD - IMAM AS-SUYUTI . sifatusafwa.com.
30. Web site: USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts. Web Archive. 2 January 2008. 18 March 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20080102023930/http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/scienceofhadith/asa1.html . 2 January 2008.
31. Web site: AL-ASHBAAHU WAN-NADHAAIR - AS-SUYUTI (FIQH & USUL SHAFI'I). sifatusafwa.com.
32. James Mansfield Nichols, 'The Arabic Verses of Qasmūna bint Ismāʿil ibn Bagdālah', International Journal of Middle East Studies, 13 (1981), 155-58.
33. Web site: Ghaffari . Talib . Writings of Imam Jalaluddin al-Suyuti . Maktabah Mujaddidiyah . 23 November 2013 . 7 January 2011.