al-Khazin
- Died
- 741 AH
- Born in
- Baghdad
'Ala' al-Din al-Khazin (678–741 AH / 1280–1341 CE) was a Shafi'i jurist, hadith scholar, and exegete of Baghdad origin, best known for his Quranic commentary Lubab al-Tawil fi Maani al-Tanzil.
Life and career
Abu al-Hasan 'Ala' al-Din 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn 'Umar ibn Khalil al-Shihi al-Baghdadi was born in Baghdad in 678 AH / 1280 CE. His nisba al-Shihi traces back to Shiha, a locality in the district of Aleppo. In Baghdad, he studied hadith under scholars including Ibn al-Dawalibi (also recorded as Ibn al-Tha'alibi).
He later moved to Damascus, where he continued his transmission under al-Qasim ibn al-Muzaffar and others. In Damascus, he was appointed librarian (khazin al-kutub) at the al-Sumaysatiyya school and Sufi convent, the post from which he derived his widely known title al-Khazin. He remained active in teaching and scholarship until his death in Aleppo in 741 AH / 1341 CE.
Character and scholarship
Al-Khazin was affiliated with the Shafi'i legal school and practiced Sufism. Biographers characterized him as virtuous, affable, and of upright demeanor, noting his cheerful disposition.
His primary scholarly contribution was in Quranic exegesis and hadith studies. His major exegetical work, Lubab al-Ta'wil fi Ma'ani al-Tanzil, was conceived primarily as an abridgment and refinement of al-Baghawi's Maalim al-Tanzil, stripping long chains of transmission (isnad) while integrating legal discussions, historical narratives, and earlier transmitted reports. In jurisprudence, he authored 'Uddat al-Afham fi Sharh 'Umdat al-Ahkam, and in hadith, he compiled the extensive collection Maqbul al-Manqul.
Answer updated
List of Works
Lubab al-Taʾwil fi Maʿani al-Tanzil, commonly known as Tafsir al-Khazin, is a comprehensive Sunni Quranic commentary completed in 725 AH / 1325 CE. Conceived primarily as an abridgment and refinement of al-Baghawi's Maʿalim al-Tanzil, the work integrates tradition-based reports, legal rulings, historical accounts, and prophetic narratives, supplemented by material from earlier hadith and exegetical compilations.