Abu Shuja
- Died
- 593 AH
- Born in
- Basra
Abu Shuja al-Isfahani (433–593 AH / 1041–1197 CE) was a Shafi'i jurist and judge, best known for his introductory legal primer al-Ghayah wa-al-Taqrib .
Lineage and Early Life
His full name is Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn al-Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Isfahani, and his father's name is also recorded as al-Hasan . His grandfather was from Isfahan and his father was born in Abbadan, whereas Abu Shuja was born in Basra in 433 AH, with another report placing his birth in 434 AH .
Career and Later Life
Abu Shuja was appointed to the judiciary in 447 AH and earned a reputation as a just judge . He taught Shafi'i jurisprudence in Basra for more than forty years . The traditionist Abu Tahir al-Silafi transmitted from him and praised him as one of the unique figures of his age .
Abu Shuja composed al-Ghayah wa-al-Taqrib (also titled Ghayat al-Ikhtisar) in response to requests from colleagues for an accessible, concise legal primer rich in systematic divisions, and he also authored an explanation of al-Mawardi's legal work al-Iqna' . Toward the end of his life, he moved to Medina, where he took up residence and devoted himself to the service of the Prophet's Mosque .
Longevity and Death
Abu Shuja is noted for his exceptional longevity, living to the age of 160 years according to biographers such as al-Dardir . Despite his advanced age, none of his physical senses or limbs deteriorated; when asked about his enduring strength, he remarked that because he had preserved his limbs from sin in his youth, God preserved them for him in his old age .
He died in Medina in 593 AH (1197 CE), though some accounts state he died before 593 AH, and an earlier death date of 488 AH is also recorded .
Answer updated
List of Works
Matn Abi Shuja al-Musamma al-Ghaya wa al-Taqrib, also known as Mukhtasar Abi Shuja, Ghayat al-Ikhtisar, or simply al-Taqrib, is an introductory compendium and elementary legal primer of Shafi'i jurisprudence.