Ibn al-Kayyal
- Died
- 929 AH
- Born in
- -
Ibn al-Kayyal (d. 929 AH / 1523 CE) was a Syrian Shafi'i jurist, hadith scholar, and preacher based in Damascus, known for his biographical treatise on hadith narrators, al-Kawakib al-Nayyirat fi Marifat man Ikhtalata min al-Ruwat al-Thiqat.
Biography
His full name was Zayn al-Din Abu al-Barakat Barakat ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Dimashqi al-Shafi'i, commonly known as Ibn al-Kayyal and al-Khatib. In some later references, his given name is alternatively recorded as Muhammad ibn Ahmad. He grew up engaged in trade as a merchant before leaving commerce to dedicate himself entirely to religious learning and public preaching.
His son, Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Barakat (d. 938 AH / 1531–1532 CE), also became a prominent preacher and orator at the Sabuniyya Madrasa and the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus after studying hadith under Burhan al-Din al-Naji. Ibn al-Kayyal died in Damascus in 929 AH (1523 CE), though a death date of 939 AH is given in some modern editions.
Scholarly Contribution and Reception
Ibn al-Kayyal focused primarily on hadith criticism, legal exhortation, and homiletics. His most recognized contribution to hadith studies is al-Kawakib al-Nayyirat fi Ma'rifat man Ikhtalata min al-Ruwat al-Thiqat (also titled in some bibliographies as al-Kawakib al-Zahirat), a specialized biographical reference compiling trustworthy transmitters who suffered mental deterioration or confusion (ikhtilat) in their later years. In homiletics, he composed Hayat al-Qulub wa-Nayl al-Matlub on preaching and admonition. The Damascene biographer Najm al-Din al-Ghazzi noted a degree of stylistic and grammatical weakness in Ibn al-Kayyal's written language.
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Kawakib al-Nayyirat fi Marifat man Ikhtalata min al-Ruwat al-Thiqat (The Luminous Stars on Knowing Those Trustworthy Transmitters Who Suffered Confusion) is a specialized hadith-biographical treatise dedicated to identifying trustworthy hadith narrators who experienced ikhtilat (mental deterioration, senility, or confusion) late in life.