Origins & Early Life

Ibn 'Abidin (Arabic: ابن عابدين; full name: Muḥammad Amīn ibn ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Aḥmad in ʿAbd ar-Raḥīm ibn Najmuddīn ibn Muḥammad Ṣalāḥuddīn al-Shāmī, died 1836 CE / AH 1252), known in the Indian subcontinent as al-Shami, was an Islamic scholar and Jurist who lived in the city of Damascus in Syria during the Ottoman era. He was the authority of the fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) of the Hanafi madhhab (school of law). He was a state employee with the title of Amin al-fatwa. This meant that he was the mufti that people would go to when they had legal questions in Damascus.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He composed over 50 works consisting of a major fatwa (legal statement) collection, many treatises, poems, and several commentaries on the works of others. His most famous work was the Radd al-Muhtar 'ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar. This is still considered the authoritative text of Hanafi fiqh today. Ibn Abidin was born in Damascus in 1784. His family came from a long line of scholars and was, therefore, well respected.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He studied the Qur'an starting at a very young age and received his first general degree of authorization from his first teacher, shaykh Muhammad al-Kuzbari al-Kabir, when he was about...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Denis Diderot — Contemporary (Died in 1784) (1784): Enlightenment philosopher, co-founder of the Encyclopédie, and literary giant.
• Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel — Contemporary (Born in 1784) (1784): Pioneering astronomer and mathematician known for stellar parallax measurements.
• Samuel Johnson — Contemporary (Died in 1784) (1784): Polymath and lexicographer, best known for the Dictionary of the English Language.
• André-Marie Ampère — Contemporary (Died in 1836) (1836): Founder of classical electromagnetism; inventor of the solenoid and electrical telegraph.
• Bret Harte — Contemporary (Born in 1836) (1836): Celebrated American writer known for vivid tales of the California Gold Rush.
• Claude-Louis Navier — Contemporary (Died in 1836) (1836): Pioneering French engineer and physicist, renowned for continuum mechanics.
• Adam Yauch — Shared historical date (08-05 · Born) (1964): Founding member of Beastie Boys; influential rapper, filmmaker, and Tibetan activist.
• Alec Guinness — Shared historical date (08-05 · Died) (2000): Iconic English actor celebrated for stage mastery and cinematic versatility.
• Lawrence Alma-Tadema — Historical peer (Born in 1836) (1836): Master painter renowned for opulent depictions of Roman life and classical antiquity.
• Ramakrishna — Historical peer (Born in 1836) (1836): Indian mystic renowned for advocating the essential unity of all world religions.
• 1784 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1784
• 1836 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1836
• August 5 (08-05) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on August 5