al-Maqdisi, Muhammad ibn Ahmad

Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Maqdisi (771–855 AH / 1369–1451 CE) was a Palestinian-born Hanbali jurist, judge, and preacher who served as the Hanbali chief judge of Mecca and authored legal treatises, including al-Masail al-Muhimma fima Yahtaj Ilayh al-Aqid Inda al-Khutub al-Mudlahimma Sharh Ilal al-Tirmidhi+1.

Lineage and early life

He was Shams al-Din Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Sa'id ibn al-Izz al-Maqdisi al-Nabulusiy, later associated with Damascus, Aleppo, and Mecca; he was also referred to by the title Izz al-Din and known as Ibn Sa'id or Ibn al-Izz Sharh Ilal al-Tirmidhi+2. He was born in 771 AH in the village of Kufr Labad in the mountains of Nablus, where he grew up and memorized the Quran Sharh Ilal al-Tirmidhi+1.

Education and travels

In 789 AH, al-Maqdisi moved to the Salihiyya quarter of Damascus, where he studied Hanbali jurisprudence under Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Ibn Muflih, and Ibn al-Lahham Sharh Ilal al-Tirmidhi+1. He relocated to Aleppo in 791 AH and studied hadith under Ibn Siddiq Sharh Ilal al-Tirmidhi. In 812 AH, he traveled to Jerusalem and resided there until 818 AH, before returning to Damascus Sharh Ilal al-Tirmidhi. He performed the pilgrimage and resided as a scholar in Mecca multiple times, where he heard hadith from al-Jamal ibn Zuhayra, and he stayed in Medina for half of the year 827 AH Sharh Ilal al-Tirmidhi+1.

Public offices and scholarly activity

During his stay in Aleppo, al-Maqdisi served as a deputy judge and as the preacher (khatib) of the Great Mosque of Aleppo Sharh Ilal al-Tirmidhi. He settled permanently in Mecca from 852 AH and was appointed its Hanbali judge in 854 AH Sharh Ilal al-Tirmidhi+1.

As a legal author, he compiled specialized jurisprudence treatises, notably al-Masail al-Muhimma fima Yahtaj Ilayh al-Aqid Inda al-Khutub al-Mudlahimma on the rulings of marriage contracts, which he extracted primarily from Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni and al-Kafi al-Masail al-Muhimma fima…. He also authored Kashf al-Ghumma bi-Taysir al-Khul' li-Hadhihi al-Umma, a compact volume addressing issues of no-fault divorce (khul'), and a three-volume work on homiletics and ethics entitled Safinat al-Abrar al-Jami'a lil-Athar wal-Akhbar al-Suhub al-Wabila ala Da…+1. Among those who transmitted from him or received his authorization (ijazah) were al-Sakhawi, al-Wafa'i, and Badr al-Din al-Baghdadi al-Suhub al-Wabila ala Da….

Standing

Al-Sakhawi characterized him as a leading scholar with exceptional recall of the branch rulings (furu') of the Hanbali madhhab, noting his fine calligraphy, piety, modesty, good character, chastity, and commendable conduct as a judge, as well as his dedication to continuous reading despite his advanced age Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali wa A…. It was also reported that he transmitted hadith in the Prophet's Mosque in Medina and that he was the last surviving student to transmit from Ibn Rajab through direct audition (sama'), though al-Sakhawi noted caution regarding this claim al-Suhub al-Wabila ala Da….

Death

Al-Maqdisi died in Mecca on the night of Thursday, 14 Safar 855 AH (1451 CE), at the age of 84 al-Suhub al-Wabila ala Da…. His funeral prayer was held the following day, and he was buried in the cemetery of al-Ma'lah al-Suhub al-Wabila ala Da….