Ibn al-Malik
- Died
- 854 AH
- Born in
- -
Ibn al-Malik (d. 854 AH / 1450 CE) was an Anatolian Hanafi jurist and hadith scholar, best known for his commentary on hadith, Sharh Masabih al-Sunnah.
Identity and Background
His full name was Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Latif ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Amin al-Din ibn Firishta al-Rumi al-Kirmani al-Hanafi. The name Firishta is the Persian word for "angel" (al-malak), which became the origin of the family's cognomen, Ibn al-Malak (or Ibn al-Malik). His father, 'Izz al-Din 'Abd al-Latif, was an accomplished scholar who taught Prince Muhammad ibn Aydin and lectured in the city of Tire.
Scholarly Career and Reception
Ibn al-Malik studied under his father, acquiring extensive knowledge in Hanafi jurisprudence, Arabic linguistics, and hadith.
His scholarly standing is closely tied to Sharh Masabih al-Sunnah, an extensive commentary on al-Husayn ibn Mas'ud al-Baghawi's collection of nearly five thousand prophetic narrations. In this work, Ibn al-Malik resolved textual obscurities, clarified linguistic phrasing, and detailed the legal rulings of the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence, with particular emphasis on the Hanafi school. He synthesized insights from prior commentators—such as al-Baghawi, al-Tibi, al-Turibishti, al-Mazhari, and Zayn al-'Arab—while also drawing from his father's commentary on al-Saghani's Mashariq al-Anwar. His commentary became a widely utilized reference, extensively cited by Mulla 'Ali al-Qari in Mirqat al-Mafatih.
In jurisprudence, he authored a commentary on Wiqayat al-Riwayah fi Masa'il al-Hidayah. His father had originally drafted a commentary on the work for his other son, Ja'far, but after the finalized copy was lost before dissemination, Ibn al-Malik reconstructed and expanded it from the surviving draft to preserve the text.
Ibn al-Malik died in 854 AH (1450 CE).
Answer updated
List of Works
Sharh al-Masabih (also known as Sharh Masabih al-Sunnah) is an analytical commentary on Abu Muhammad al-Husayn ibn Mas'ud al-Baghawi's hadith compendium Masabih al-Sunnah. Employing an integrated, phrase-by-phrase analytical style to address the text's intricacies directly, it clarifies difficult linguistic expressions, untangles grammatical and contextual ambiguities, and examines legal implications across Sunni schools of jurisprudence while prioritizing Hanafi positions.