Ibn al-Barazi
- Died
- 738 AH
- Born in
- Hama
Ibn al-Barizi (645–738 AH / 1248–1338 CE) was a Syrian Shafi'i jurist, hadith scholar, and chief judge of Hama. Renowned for his legal mastery, he authored numerous treatises across jurisprudence, Quranic sciences, and hadith, including Miftah al-Hawi and Tajrid Jami' al-Usul.
Lineage and Early Life
He was Abu al-Qasim Sharaf al-Din Hibat Allah ibn Abd al-Rahim ibn Ibrahim ibn Hibat Allah ibn al-Muslim ibn Hibat Allah al-Juhani al-Hamawi al-Shafi'i. He belonged to a distinguished family of scholars and judges based in Hama, and the nisba al-Barizi reportedly traces back to Bab Abraz, a quarter in Baghdad. He was born in Hama on 5 Ramadan 645 AH (January 1248 CE).
Education and Teachers
Ibn al-Barizi was raised in an intellectual household, studying jurisprudence under his father, Qadi Najm al-Din Abd al-Rahim, and receiving hadith transmissions from his grandfather, Qadi Shams al-Din Abu al-Tahir Ibrahim ibn Hibat Allah. He studied Arabic grammar, legal theory, and related disciplines, and recited the seven canonical Quranic readings under al-Tadifi. He heard hadith from scholars such as Ibn Hamil, Izz al-Din al-Faruthi, and the grammarian Ibn Malik. In addition, he obtained formal teaching authorizations (ijazas) from prominent authorities, including al-Izz ibn Abd al-Salam, Kamal al-Din Ibn al-Adim, al-Kamal al-Darir, and Najm al-Din al-Badara'i.
Judicial Career and Students
Ibn al-Barizi served as the Chief Judge (Qadi al-Quda) of Hama for an extended period, famously executing his judicial duties without taking any public stipend or compensation. He was repeatedly nominated to assume the chief judgeship of Egypt, but he declined the appointment and sought to be excused. He authorized a circle of scholars in Hama to issue legal responsa (fatwas). In his later years, he lost his eyesight; he continued to adjudicate for a time before stepping down in favor of his grandson, Najm al-Din Abd al-Rahim ibn Ibrahim, while maintaining general oversight of the office.
Among those who transmitted from him and attended his scholarly circles were the historian Alam al-Din al-Birzali and the jurist Ibn al-Wardi, who attended his commentary on al-Hawi al-Saghir in Hama.
Standing
Biographers described Ibn al-Barizi as having attained the undisputed leadership of the Shafi'i school in his region. He was praised for his sharp intellect, extensive knowledge across multiple fields, devotion to worship, humility, and high regard for the pious. Among his specialized contributions was Masa'il Tahlil al-Ha'id min al-Ihram, a legal treatise he dictated addressing the dispensations for female pilgrims who menstruate before completing the obligatory circumambulation.
Death
Ibn al-Barizi died in Hama on the night of Wednesday, 20 Dhu al-Qi'da 738 AH (June 1338 CE)—with another report mentioning 24 Dhu al-Qi'da—shortly after performing the evening (Isha) and Witr prayers. He was ninety-three years old. His funeral was held the following day, during which the city of Hama closed its markets, and he was buried at Aqabat Niqirin.
Answer updated
List of Works
Nasikh al-Quran al-Aziz wa-Mansukhuh is a concise treatise on Quranic abrogation that gathers abrogated and abrogating verses across the Quran. Structured as an abridgment, it aims to provide an essential foundation for Quranic exegesis by distinguishing between lawful and unlawful rulings. The work opens with theoretical definitions and categories of abrogation before conducting a surah-by-surah survey following the standard order of the Quranic text, pairing abrogated passages with their corresponding abrogators.
Masa'il Tahlil al-Ha'id min al-Ihram is a legal treatise addressing the rulings that govern a female pilgrim who begins menstruating before completing the obligatory circumambulation (Tawaf al-Ifadah) and cannot remain in Mecca after her caravan departs. Composed following an occurrence during the 707 AH pilgrimage season, the work provides legal dispensations across four specific categories of affected women, drawing upon multiple Sunni legal schools and the principles of release from ihram.