Abd al-Ghani al-Maydani
- Died
- 1298 AH
- Born in
- Damascus
Abd al-Ghani al-Maydani (1222–1298 AH / 1807–1881 CE) was a Syrian Hanafi jurist and legal scholar from Damascus, best known for his legal commentary al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab.
Early Life and Education
Abd al-Ghani ibn Talib ibn Hamadah ibn Ibrahim ibn Sulayman al-Ghunaymi al-Dimashqi was born in 1222 AH (1807 CE) in the al-Maydan quarter of Damascus, from which he derived his customary nisba. He was raised under the guidance of his father, learned the Quran after reaching the age of discernment, and subsequently devoted himself to religious education.
He studied Hanafi jurisprudence, legal theory, and allied disciplines under prominent Damascene scholars, including Ibn Abidin, Umar al-Mujtahid, Sa'id al-Halabi, Abd al-Ghani al-Saqati, Abd al-Rahman al-Kuzbari, and Ahmad Baybars. He was particularly attached to Hasan al-Bitar, whom he accompanied closely and later credited as the teacher from whom he had derived the greatest scholarly benefit.
Scholarly Career and Public Life
Al-Maydani taught religious sciences in Damascus and instructed several students who became prominent scholars, among them Tahir al-Jaza'iri, Abd al-Ghani al-Bitar, and his own son Isma'il al-Maydani. Alongside his teaching, he engaged in public affairs during the civil unrest in Damascus in 1860 CE, where he helped calm local tensions and restore stability.
He authored several influential theological and legal treatises, completing his widely studied legal commentary al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab on al-Quduri's manual on 13 Ramadan 1266 AH. He also wrote Sharh al-Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah on creed and Kashf al-Iltibas on Sahih al-Bukhari.
Death
Al-Maydani died in Damascus in 1298 AH (1881 CE), though a variant report dates his death to 1289 AH.
Answer updated
List of Works
Al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab ("The Essence in Explaining the Book") is a commentary on Hanafi jurisprudence. It serves as an elucidation of al-Mukhtasar, the foundational legal manual widely known as al-Kitab by Abu al-Husayn Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Quduri.