al-Kirmani, Abu al-Ala
- Died
- 564 AH
- Born in
- -
Abu al-Ala al-Kirmani (d. after 563 AH / 1168 CE) was a Hanafi scholar from Kirman, known for his work on Quranic recitations, Mafatih al-Aghani fi al-Qiraat wa al-Maani ("Keys of Melodies on Recitations and Meanings") .
Identity and Life
His full name was Abu al-Ala Muhammad ibn Abi al-Mahasin ibn Abi al-Fath ibn Abi Shuja al-Kirmani . Biographical sources also record his lineage as Muhammad ibn Abi al-Mahasin Mahmud ibn Abi al-Fath Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Kirmani, affiliating him with the Hanafi school of jurisprudence . He resided in the city of Kirman, where he wrote and copied his scholarly text .
Scholarly Contribution
Al-Kirmani's scholarship focused on the linguistic justification and semantic analysis of Quranic recitations (ihtijaj lil-qiraat) . He composed Mafatih al-Aghani fi al-Qiraat wa al-Maani (also titled by him as al-Mafatih al-Aghani murattaban ala al-qiraah wa-al-maani), finishing its manuscript in his own hand during the forenoon of 15 Jumada al-Ula 563 AH in Kirman . The treatise is an abridgment organized according to the sequential order of the Quranic chapters, aimed at elucidating the variant readings transmitted from the seven canonical reciters (al-qurra al-sabah) . In it, he systematized the linguistic proofs, interpretations, and contextual meanings underlying each variant reading to facilitate accurate vocalization, retention, and understanding of their subtleties .
Death
The precise date of al-Kirmani's death is unrecorded in biographical literature; sources date his demise to after the completion of his manuscript in 563 AH (1168 CE) .
Answer updated
List of Works
Mafatih al-Aghani fi al-Qiraat wa al-Maani (Keys of Melodies on Recitations and Meanings) is a treatise on the variant readings of the Quran and their semantic and linguistic justification (tawjih al-qiraat). It clarifies the meanings of variant recitations transmitted from the seven canonical readers, organizing linguistic proofs and interpretations to facilitate the retention, vocalization, and understanding of their subtleties.