al-Zurqani, Abd al-Baqi
- Died
- 1099 AH
- Born in
- Egypt
Abd al-Baqi al-Zurqani (1020–1099 AH / 1611–1688 CE) was an Egyptian Maliki jurist and scholar based at al-Azhar Mosque, widely recognized for his authoritative commentary on Mukhtasar Khalil.
Early Life and Education
Abu Muhammad Abd al-Baqi ibn Yusuf ibn Ahmad Shihab al-Din ibn Muhammad ibn Alwan al-Zurqani traced his lineage and nisba to Zurqan, a village in the Menoufia province of Egypt. He was born in Egypt in 1020 AH (1611 CE), where he was raised and undertook his studies. Al-Zurqani closely studied under the leading Maliki jurist Nur al-Din al-Ujhuri for many years, receiving his teacher's formal praise and affirmation of his competence. He acquired Arabic linguistic sciences under Yasin al-Himsi and Nur al-Din al-Shabramallisi, and attended the hadith lectures of Shams al-Din al-Babili. The majority of his teachers granted him scholarly licenses (ijazas).
Teaching and Scholarship
Al-Zurqani held a teaching post at al-Azhar Mosque, where he instructed students in Maliki jurisprudence and other religious sciences. Biographers noted him for his gentle character, pleasant conversational manners, and clarity of expression, and he came to be regarded as a central reference point for Maliki scholars in Cairo. Among his most prominent students was his son, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Baqi al-Zurqani, who studied under him and later became a noted hadith commentator.
In legal commentary, al-Zurqani completed in 1090 AH his extensive commentary on Mukhtasar Khalil, which gained broad acceptance and prompted later supercommentaries. He also finished in 1082 AH an explanatory commentary on Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili's legal primer al-Muqaddima al-Izziyya.
Death
Al-Zurqani died in Cairo in the forenoon of Thursday, 24 Ramadan 1099 AH (1688 CE). He was buried in the cemetery of Turbat al-Mujawirin.
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List of Works
This composite work of Maliki jurisprudence combines a commentary on the legal manual Mukhtasar Khalil with a critical supercommentary titled al-Fath al-rabbani fima dhahala 'anhu al-Zurqani. The base commentary condenses material from earlier standard references to assemble derivative legal branch issues with extreme brevity, while the accompanying supercommentary addresses oversights, corrects misplaced citations, and resolves difficult legal problems.