Abd Allah ibn Umar al-Hadrami
- Died
- 1265 AH
- Born in
- -
Abd Allah ibn Umar al-Hadrami (1209–1265 AH / 1794–1849 CE) was a Shafi'i jurist and scholar from Hadramawt, best known for his legal manual Safinat al-Salat and his treatise on prayer times, al-Suyuf al-Bawatir.
Lineage and Background
His full lineage is Abd Allah ibn Umar ibn Abi Bakr ibn Umar ibn Yahya al-Alawi al-Hadrami, frequently referred to in regional sources as Ibn Yahya. He lived in a village near the city of Tarim in Hadramawt during a period celebrated in local intellectual history as the era of the "Seven Abd Allahs" (العبادلة السبعة), among whom he was counted as a leading figure.
Scholarly Life and Controversy
Al-Hadrami was actively engaged in teaching, issuing legal rulings, and guiding religious practice in Hadramawt. A major event of his scholarly career was his involvement in a legal and astronomical controversy in Hadramawt regarding the precise time of the dawn prayer (Fajr). In response to contemporary practices and a treatise by his contemporary Abd Allah ibn Husayn Balfaqih, al-Hadrami authored al-Suyuf al-Bawatir liman yuqaddim Salat al-Subh ala al-Fajr al-Akhar ("The Sharp Swords Against Those Who Advance the Morning Prayer Before the True Dawn"). In this work, he integrated Quranic interpretation, Hadith, Shafi'i jurisprudence, and timekeeping principles to argue that prayers performed before the appearance of the true dawn were legally invalid and sinful.
In addition to this treatise, he authored Safinat al-Salat ("The Ship of Prayer"), a concise handbook on ritual prayer, and his legal responsa were later gathered by his son Uqayl under the title al-Fatawa al-Shar'iyyah.
Students and Standing
Al-Hadrami educated numerous students who became prominent authorities in southern Arabia, including Aydarus ibn Umar al-Habashi and Ibn Shihab. Aydarus al-Habashi praised him as the leading authority and imam of the Sacred Law in his time, defending the religion and upholding the traditions of the Ba'Alawi order. Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Mashhur similarly commended his extensive erudition, sound discernment, and firm conviction.
Al-Hadrami died in 1265 AH (1849 CE).
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Suyuf al-Bawatir liman yuqaddim Salat al-Subh ala al-Fajr al-Akhar is a legal and astronomical treatise on determining the correct time for the dawn prayer, completed on Sunday, 1 Jumada al-Akhira 1261 AH (1845 CE). Composed in response to a contemporary dispute in Hadramawt over identifying the true dawn, the work addresses the topic from both juristic and astronomical perspectives, analyzing textual sources, timekeeping calculations, and the legal validity of prayers performed prematurely.