Abd al-Rahman al-Jaziri
- Died
- 1360 AH
- Born in
- -
Abd al-Rahman al-Jaziri (1299–1360 AH / 1882–1941 CE) was an Egyptian jurist and al-Azhar scholar, best known for his comparative manual of Islamic jurisprudence, al-Fiqh ala al-Madhahib al-Arbaa (The Jurisprudence According to the Four Schools).
Early Life and Education
Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad 'Iwad al-Jaziri was born on Jazirat Shandawil in the Sohag district of Egypt. He pursued his education at al-Azhar, studying there from 1313 to 1326 AH.
Career and Scholarly Activity
Al-Jaziri taught at al-Azhar before entering administrative and judicial service. In 1330 AH, he was appointed an inspector for the Department of Mosques at the Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf, eventually advancing to chief inspector. He later served as a professor at the Faculty of Theology (Kulliyyat Usul al-Din) and was appointed to the Council of Senior Scholars (Hay'at Kibar al-Ulama).
In legal scholarship, he worked on al-Fiqh ala al-Madhahib al-Arbaa; a committee of scholars collaborated with him on its first volume, after which he authored the remaining volumes on his own. In theological studies, he authored Tawdih al-Aqaid (Clarification of Creeds).
Death
Al-Jaziri died in Helwan in 1360 AH (1941 CE); another report places his death in 1361 AH (1942 CE).
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Fiqh ala al-Madhahib al-Arbaa (The Jurisprudence According to the Four Schools) is a comparative manual of Islamic jurisprudence covering the four Sunni legal schools: the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali madhhabs. It aims to present legal rulings across these traditions in an accessible reference format.