Ibn al-Sallar

Abu Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab Ibn al-Sallar (698–782 AH / 1299–1380 CE) was a Syrian Quran reciter, jurist, and grammarian from Damascus who served as the chief master of recitation (Shaykh al-Qurra) in the city al-Alam lil-Zirikli+1.

Lineage and Early Life

His full name was Abd al-Wahhab ibn Yusuf ibn Ibrahim ibn Bayram ibn Bahram ibn al-Sallar al-Dimashqi al-Shafi'i, and he was known by the honorific title Amin al-Din al-Radd al-Wafir+1. According to his own handwriting, he was born in Shawwal 698 AH (1299 CE), though a variant report places his birth in Rabi' al-Awwal of the same year Inba al-Ghumr bi-Abna al-…. He was affiliated with the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence al-Radd al-Wafir+1.

Education and Scholarly Career

Ibn al-Sallar studied Quranic recitations, hadith, Arabic grammar, inheritance law (faraid), and jurisprudence al-Alam lil-Zirikli+1. He traveled for his education between Damascus, Cairo, Baghdad, and Basra al-Alam lil-Zirikli+1. In Egypt, he studied recitations under Taqi al-Din al-Sa'igh and became the sole transmitter from him in Damascus Inba al-Ghumr bi-Abna al-…. Among his other teachers were Ahmad ibn Abi Talib al-Hajjar, Jamal al-Din al-Mizzi, Asma bint Sasra, Ayyub ibn al-Kamal, and al-Shihab al-Harrani Inba al-Ghumr bi-Abna al-…. The hadith scholar Jamal al-Din al-Sarmari compiled for him a Mashyakha (record of teachers) that was read back to him al-Alam lil-Zirikli+1.

He subsequently attained the leadership of recitation in the Levant and held the chief teaching post (al-mashyakha al-kubra) at the recitation college of Turbat Umm al-Salih in Damascus Mujam al-Mufassirin "min …+1. Prominent scholars and notables attended his lectures, and students from the Levant and beyond came to read under his instruction al-Alam lil-Zirikli+1. His foremost student was Shams al-Din Ibn al-Jazari, who studied under him extensively and later succeeded him in the chief recitation post at Turbat Umm al-Salih Mujam al-Mufassirin "min …+1.

Ibn al-Sallar composed specialized texts on the Quranic variant readings, including Tabaqat al-Qurra al-Saba wa Dhikr Manaqibihim wa Qiraatihim (Generations of the Seven Quran Readers, Mention of Their Virtues, and Their Readings), as well as compiled sermons and poetry Inba al-Ghumr bi-Abna al-…+1.

Association with Ibn Taymiyya

Ibn al-Sallar married Zaynab, the daughter of Sharaf al-Din Abd Allah ibn Taymiyya (the brother of Taqi al-Din Ibn Taymiyya) al-Radd al-Wafir. He was counted among Ibn Taymiyya's close associates, held him in high reverence, and composed an elegy for him upon his passing al-Radd al-Wafir+1.

Standing and Death

Biographers praised Ibn al-Sallar as a reliable, devout, and exacting scholar who excelled in multiple disciplines, particularly recitation, Arabic, and inheritance law Inba al-Ghumr bi-Abna al-…+1.

Ibn al-Sallar died on 18 Sha'ban 782 AH (November 1380 CE) in Damascus at the age of eighty-five Inba al-Ghumr bi-Abna al-…+1. In accordance with his testamentary instruction, he was buried beside the grave of Ibn Taymiyya in Damascus al-Radd al-Wafir+1.