Ibn Zuhayra, Abu al-Khayr
- Died
- 910 AH
- Born in
- Mecca
Abu al-Khayr Ibn Zuhayra (846–c. 910 AH / 1442–c. 1504 CE) was a Shafi'i jurist, grammarian, and judge from Mecca, known for his specialized grammatical treatise on passive verbs, al-Manhal al-Mahul bil-Bina lil-Majhul.
Lineage and early life
He was Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Husayn ibn Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Atiyyah ibn Zuhayra al-Makhzumi al-Qurashi al-Makki, bearing the titles Khayr al-Din (and, according to al-Sakhawi, also Qutb al-Din), the kunya Abu al-Khayr, and the designation Ibn Abi al-Su'ud. He belonged to the prominent Banu Zuhayra family of Quraysh, who had long held scholarly prestige and judicial appointments in Mecca. He was born in Mecca during a lunar eclipse on the eve of Tuesday, 14 Sha'ban 846 AH (December 1442 CE). He was raised in Mecca, where he memorized the Quran, led prayers with it in al-Masjid al-Haram, and memorized al-Nawawi's al-Arba'un. He married Umm al-Hasan, the daughter of Zuhayra and granddaughter of al-Taqi ibn Fahd.
Education and career
He studied the Arabic language under his maternal uncle, and studied Shafi'i jurisprudence under Shams al-Din al-Jawjari both in Mecca and in Cairo; al-Jawjari granted him authorization to teach and issue rulings. In hadith, he received teaching licenses from Sara bint Ibn Jama'ah and Abu Ja'far ibn al-Diya' al-Halabi, and he heard traditions directly from Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Ali al-Mahalli. He established a teaching circle to instruct students in Arabic grammar and other sciences, and he also served as a judge.
In grammatical scholarship, he authored al-Manhal al-Mahul bil-Bina lil-Majhul (The Frequented Spring on Verbs Formed in the Passive Voice), an alphabetically organized treatise collecting over two hundred Arabic verbs used primarily or exclusively in the passive voice, which later formed the foundation for Ibn Allan's work Ithaf al-Fadil. He also completed the commentary on Ibn Malik's Tashil al-fawa'id begun by his maternal uncle Abd al-Qadir al-Muhiyawi.
Standing and death
Al-Sakhawi praised him as a tranquil and virtuous scholar, noting his intellectual composure, fine calligraphy, and specialized expertise in legal contracts (shurut). Ibn Allan described him as an eminent and accomplished scholar and jurist who produced insightful contributions.
He died in Egypt, and news of his death reached Mecca in Dhu al-Hijjah 910 AH (May 1505 CE). Another biographical inference places his death in the early tenth century AH between 902 AH and 922 AH, as al-Izz ibn Fahd mentioned him as deceased.
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Manhal al-Mahul bil-Bina lil-Majhul (The Frequented Spring on Verbs Formed in the Passive Voice) is an Arabic grammatical and lexical treatise dedicated to verbs constructed in the passive voice. It examines Arabic verbs that depart from standard active usage, specifically focusing on those that are either inherently passive or predominantly used in the passive form.