Ibn al-Nahhas, Ahmad ibn Ibrahim

Ibn al-Nahhas, Ahmad ibn Ibrahim (d. 814 AH / 1411 CE) was a Syrian-born jurist, mathematician, and warrior who settled in Egypt, best known for his comprehensive treatise on warfare and spiritual struggle, Mashari' al-Ashwaq ila Masari' al-'Ushshaq al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-…+1.

Early Life and Migration

Ahmad ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, known by the honorific Muhyi al-Din and the kunya Abu Zakariyya, was born in Damascus al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-…+1. He originally adhered to the Hanafi school of law before transitioning to the Shafi'i school al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-…. During the turmoil caused by the invasion of Timur, he fled Damascus and migrated to Egypt, settling initially in al-Manzilah, where he was warmly received by the local population, before moving permanently to the coastal stronghold of Damietta al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-…+1.

Scholarship and Character

Ibn al-Nahhas attained mastery in Islamic inheritance law (fara'id) and arithmetic (hisab), stating that he was proficient enough to resolve arithmetical problems through geometry al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-…. Alongside his expertise in jurisprudence and other disciplines, he remarked that he had studied Arabic grammar without finding success in it al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-….

He was described as short in stature, well-proportioned, possessing a handsome beard and an attractive countenance al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-…. Contemporaries noted his humility and preference for obscurity; he did not display his learning, such that those unfamiliar with him might mistake him for an ordinary layman al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-….

Among his students was Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Badrani, who transmitted from him his work on jihad, Mashari' al-Ashwaq ila Masari' al-'Ushshaq, an extensive volume that gained wide circulation and received commendation from al-Wali al-'Iraqi al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-…. He also authored Tanbih al-Ghafilin, an ethical treatise examining major and minor sins, forbidden practices, and religious innovations al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-….

Military Role and Death

In Damietta, Ibn al-Nahhas committed himself to garrison duty (ribat) and military defense al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-…+1. In 814 AH / 1411 CE, when Frankish forces raided the coastal settlement of al-Tina and took captives, a detachment from Damietta set out under his leadership to confront them Inba al-Ghumr bi-Abna al-….

Ibn al-Nahhas was killed in action near al-Tina alongside two companions on 13 Jumada al-Akhira 814 AH, fighting forward without retreating after inflicting casualties on the enemy al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-…+1. The bodies of the three men were wrapped in reed mats and carried to Damietta, where an immense crowd gathered for their burial near Shaykh Fath, separated within a single burial site by wooden partitions al-Daw al-Lami li-Ahl al-….