Adud al-Din al-Iji
- Died
- 756 AH
- Born in
- -
Adud al-Din al-Iji (c. 680–756 AH / c. 1281–1355 CE) was a Persian Shafi'i jurist, theologian, and legal theorist from Fars, celebrated for his scholastic works including Kitab al-Mawaqif (The Book of Stations) and his commentary on Ibn al-Hajib's legal theory manual.
Lineage and education
He was Abu al-Fadl Abd al-Rahman ibn Ahmad ibn Abd al-Ghaffar ibn Ahmad al-Iji al-Shirazi, commonly known as al-Qadi al-Adud. Biographers report that he traced his descent to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. He was born in Ij (locally pronounced "Ik"), a town in the region of Shiraz in southern Persia, after 680 AH (c. 1281 CE), though other accounts place his birth after 700 AH or specifically in 708 AH (1308 CE).
He began his education under local scholars before traveling to al-Sultaniyya, where he resided for a prolonged period. He studied under Zayn al-Din al-Hanki (also referred to as Taj al-Din), a disciple of Nasir al-Din al-Baydawi, as well as Fakhr al-Din al-Jarbardi.
Career, scholarly standing, and students
During the reign of the Ilkhanid ruler Abu Sa'id, he was appointed Chief Judge of the realm (qadi al-mamalik). He was recognized as an authority across both rational and transmitted disciplines, excelling in scholastic theology (kalam), legal theory (usul al-fiqh), rhetoric, Arabic grammar, and Shafi'i jurisprudence. Known for his considerable personal wealth, high social standing, and forceful dialectical skill, he was widely noted for his extensive patronage and generosity toward students of knowledge.
In scholastic theology, he authored Kitab al-Mawaqif, which became one of the standard textbooks of late Sunni theology. He also wrote an influential commentary on Ibn al-Hajib's Mukhtasar in legal theory and authored al-Fawa'id al-Ghiyathiyya in rhetoric.
A circle of prominent scholars studied under him, including Shams al-Din al-Kirmani, Sa'd al-Din al-Taftazani, and Diya' al-Din al-Afifi. In his praise, Taftazani remarked that later scholars could only strive to follow in his footsteps and draw illumination from his teachings.
Imprisonment and death
In his later years, he returned to his native region of Ij. A conflict arose between him and the ruler of Kirman, who subsequently ordered his arrest and confinement in the fortress of Dirimiyan, located adjacent to Ij. He remained imprisoned in the fortress until his death in 756 AH (1355 CE), though an alternative report records the year as 753 AH (1352 CE).
Answer updated
List of Works
This work is a composite corpus of Islamic legal theory centered on a classical commentary on Mukhtasar al-Muntaha (also known as Mukhtasar Ibn al-Hajib), published alongside major supercommentaries and marginal glosses. Completed on 26 Sha'ban 734 AH (1334 CE), the central commentary provides a systematic, analytical exposition of legal theory, complemented by secondary glosses that expand on its arguments and theoretical debates.