al-Wusabi
- Died
- 786 AH
- Born in
- Yemen
Abu Hamid al-Wusabi (712–786 AH / 1313–1384 CE) was a Yemeni Shafi'i jurist, grammarian, and scholar of Quranic exegesis and recitations, best known for his treatises Nashr Tayy al-Tarif fi Fadl Hamalat al-Ilm al-Sharif ("Unfolding the Exposition on the Virtue of the Bearers of Noble Knowledge") and al-Barakah fi al-Say wa al-Harakah ("The Blessing in Striving and Movement") .
Background and Education
He was Jamal al-Din Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Umar ibn Muhammad al-Hubayshi al-Wusabi (also vocalized as al-Asabi) . He was born in Yemen on 25 Dhu al-Hijjah 712 AH (April 1313 CE) .
Al-Wusabi devoted his entire life to religious learning, mastering the seven canonical Quranic readings, exegesis, hadith and its commentaries, jurisprudence, Arabic language, literature, and wisdom . His primary teachers included his father, Burhan al-Din Ibrahim ibn Umar al-Alawi, and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik al-Daydari .
Scholarly Standing and Contribution
Al-Wusabi was regarded by biographers as a pious, practicing scholar who combined diverse fields of learning . The biographical history Tarikh Wisab praised his sharp intellect, noble character, high ambition, and deep study of proofs, highlighting his analytical examinations of the texts of earlier jurists and his constructive rectifications (istidrakat) of difficult points in legal literature .
He also composed poetry, including panegyrics for the Prophet ﷺ and didactic verses . In a well-known poem addressed to his son Abd al-Rahman, he exhorted him to pursue sacred knowledge, stating that no earthly pleasure compared to the joy of seeking knowledge . Another of his sons, Umar, was also recognized for his eloquence and scholarly participation . Among al-Wusabi's enduring writings on ethics and social guidance is his work al-Nurayn fi Islah al-Darayn ("The Two Lights in Rectifying the Two Abodes") .
Death
Al-Wusabi died in 786 AH (1384 CE) . Other biographical accounts place his death in 782 AH (1380 CE), while another report states that he died in the month of Rajab in 802 AH (March 1400 CE) .
Answer updated
List of Works
Nashr Tayy al-Tarif fi Fadl Hamalat al-Ilm al-Sharif wa al-Radd ala Maqatihim al-Sakhif is a treatise addressing the merits of religious scholars, the virtues of seeking sacred knowledge, and the obligation to honor its bearers.