Abd al-Aziz al-Maymani

Abd al-Aziz al-Maymani (1306–1398 AH / 1888–1978 CE) was an Indian and Pakistani scholar of Arabic language and literature, manuscript specialist, and philologist Tatimmat al-Aalam - Muham…+1.

Early life and education

Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd al-Karim al-Maymani al-Rajkoti al-Athari al-Salafi was born in 1306 AH (1888 CE) in the town of Rajkot, in the Kathiawar region of Gujarat on the western coast of India, into a well-established merchant family al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya+1. He attended a traditional elementary school (kuttāb), where he learned reading and writing and memorized the Quran al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya+1. He pursued higher Islamic and linguistic studies in Lucknow, Rampur, and Delhi al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya+1.

Among his primary teachers was Husayn ibn Muhsin al-Ansari al-Yamani, who granted him a formal license (ijāzah) in hadith transmission in 1326 AH Tatimmat al-Aalam - Muham…. He also studied under Nadhir Ahmad al-Dihlawi and Muhammad Tayyib al-Makki Tatimmat al-Aalam - Muham…. Al-Maymani dedicated himself to the Arabic language, memorizing more than 70,000 verses of classical Arabic poetry as well as the complete poetry collection (dīwān) of al-Mutanabbi al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya+1.

Career

Al-Maymani began his teaching career at Islamia College in Peshawar, teaching Arabic and Persian al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya+1. He subsequently moved to the Oriental College in Lahore before taking up a position at Aligarh Muslim University al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya+1. At Aligarh, he advanced through academic ranks from lecturer (muqriʾ) to assistant professor, professor, and chair of the Arabic Department, remaining there until his retirement al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya+1.

Following his retirement from Aligarh, he accepted an invitation from the University of Karachi in Pakistan to head its Department of Arabic al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya. He also directed the Institute of Islamic Studies of Ma'arif Pakistan and continued his academic activities in Karachi for the remainder of his life al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya.

Throughout his career, al-Maymani searched Indian libraries holding thousands of manuscripts, uncovering rare philological and literary treatises al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya. During a journey to Rabat in 1377 AH, he met the biographer Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli and shared with him part of his manuscript diary (al-Mudhakkirāt), in which he recorded rare works encountered during his travels Buhuth wa Tahqiqat Abd al…+1.

Scholarly standing and death

Al-Maymani gained broad recognition among Arab and Islamic scholars for his rigorous textual criticism and mastery of classical philology Jamharat Maqalat Ahmad Sh…. The Egyptian hadith scholar Ahmad Muhammad Shakir commended his deep erudition and mastery of Arabic expression after reading his study Abu al-Ala wa-Ma Ilayh Jamharat Maqalat Ahmad Sh…. Among his most prominent editions of classical texts was his edition of Abu Ubayd al-Bakri's Simt al-La'ali fi Sharh Amali al-Qali Jamharat Maqalat Ahmad Sh….

Al-Maymani died in 1398 AH (1978 CE) Jamharat Maqalat Ahmad Sh…+1, though another report places his death in Dhu al-Qi'da 1396 AH (1976 CE) al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya.