al-Nakhjawani
- Died
- 920 AH
- Born in
- -
Nimat Allah ibn Mahmud al-Nakhjawani (d. 920 AH / 1514 CE) was a Caucasian-born Hanafi Sufi scholar and Quranic exegete who settled in Anatolia, best known for his mystical Quran commentary al-Fawatih al-Ilahiyya wa al-Mafatih al-Ghaybiyya (The Divine Openings and the Unseen Keys).
Biography
His full name was Nimat Allah ibn Mahmud al-Nakhjawani, with his nisba tracing back to the city of Nakhchivan in the Caucasus. He was also known by the honorifics Baba Nimat Allah, Shaykh 'Alwan, and 'Alwan al-Aqshahri.
Al-Nakhjawani initially pursued formal Islamic disciplines and attained scholarly proficiency before fully committing to the Sufi path, choosing an ascetic lifestyle of voluntary poverty and avoiding personal renown. Following the outbreak of sectarian strife involving the Rafidites in his native region, he left his homeland and migrated to Anatolia, where he settled permanently in Akşehir within the province of Karaman. He remained in Akşehir until his death in 920 AH (1514 CE).
Scholarly Standing
Biographers described al-Nakhjawani as deeply versed in mystical knowledge and spiritual insights. In 902 AH (1496–1497 CE), he completed al-Fawatih al-Ilahiyya wa al-Mafatih al-Ghaybiyya, a two-volume allusive commentary on the Quran; the author of al-Shaqa'iq al-Nu'maniyya noted that he composed the work directly without consulting standard tafsir treatises, infusing it with subtle mystical meanings and eloquent prose. Within Sufi literature, he also authored the treatise Hidayat al-Ikhwan (Guidance for the Brethren) and penned a Persian commentary on the mystic poem Gulshan-i Raz (The Rose Garden of Mystery).
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Fawatih al-Ilahiyya wa al-Mafatih al-Ghaybiyya (The Divine Openings and the Unseen Keys) is a complete Sufi commentary on the Quran completed in 902 AH (1496–1497 CE). Structured around Sufi mystical and allusive interpretation, it opens with a theoretical framework establishing core Sufi doctrines before sequentially interpreting the Quranic text.