al-Dalji, Ahmad ibn Ali
- Died
- 838 AH
- Born in
- -
Ahmad ibn Ali al-Dalji (c. 770?–838 AH / 1368?–1435 CE) was an Egyptian Shafi'i jurist and writer active between Cairo and Damascus, best known for his treatise on destitution, al-Falakah wa-al-maflukun (Poverty and the Impoverished).
Life and education
Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Abd Allah al-Dalji was given the honorific title Shihab al-Din. His nisba derives from Daljah, a village in Upper Egypt. He pursued his education in the Egyptian lands and later relocated to Damascus, where he achieved scholarly prominence.
Scholarly career and controversies
Al-Dalji was noted for his engagement with philosophy. Biographers describe him as frequently disparaging and mocking toward people, which contributed to fierce opposition from contemporaries. He was subsequently accused of heresy (zandaqah) and was subjected to a judicial ruling condemning him to death.
In legal studies, al-Dalji synthesized two major Shafi'i legal commentaries—al-Tawassut by Shihab al-Din al-Adhra'i and al-Khadim by Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi—into a single two-volume work with additions. In grammar, he penned a commentary on Tashil al-fawa'id by Ibn Malik. In 821 AH (1418 CE), he composed al-Falakah wa-al-maflukun, an analytical study examining the causes, psychological dimensions, and biographical cases of poverty among scholars and literary figures.
Death
Al-Dalji died in Cairo in 838 AH (1435 CE), reportedly around his seventies.
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Falaka wa al-Maflukun (Poverty and the Impoverished) is an Arabic treatise composed in 821 AH (1418 CE) examining the causes, psychological dimensions, and biographical examples of poverty and destitution.