Ismail Haqqi
- Died
- 1127 AH
- Born in
- -
Ismail Haqqi (1063–1127 AH / 1653–1715 CE) was an Ottoman Hanafi jurist, Quranic commentator, and Sufi scholar based in Bursa, best known for his mystical Quranic commentary Ruh al-Bayan.
Origin and Education
Ismail Haqqi ibn Mustafa al-Islambuli, also known by the kunya Abu al-Fida, was born in Aytos (Aydos) in 1063 AH (1653 CE). He moved to Constantinople (Istanbul), where he pursued an extensive education in the Islamic disciplines, mastering Arabic grammar, morphology, and rhetoric, along with hadith, jurisprudence, and Quranic exegesis.
Career and Trial
Upon the counsel of his spiritual teacher, Ismail Haqqi moved to Bursa, where he undertook teaching and preaching in its Grand Mosque. During his inquiries into obscure and intricate topics in Sufism, certain scholars denounced him to the authorities, resulting in his banishment to Tekirdag (Tekfur Dagh). There, he faced hostility and mistreatment from some of the local inhabitants before he was eventually able to return to Bursa.
Scholarly Standing and Thought
In jurisprudence, Ismail Haqqi adhered to the Hanafi school, while his theological discourse aligned closely with the principles of the Maturidi school. In Sufism, he was affiliated with the Khalwati order (also described as Jalwati).
His most prominent achievement was Ruh al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an (The Spirit of Elucidation in Quranic Exegesis), completed in 1117 AH, in which he combined linguistic, legal, and traditional exegetical material with mystical, allusive interpretation (tafsir ishari). He also composed treatises in mystical theology, such as al-Risalah al-Khaliliyyah (The Abrahamic Epistle), and reference works including al-Furuqat (Distinctions), a classified alphabetical lexicon.
Death
Ismail Haqqi died in Bursa in 1127 AH (1715 CE). Some biographical authorities record his death in 1137 AH (1725 CE).
Answer updated
List of Works
Rūḥ al-Bayān (The Spirit of Elucidation), fully titled Rūḥ al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, is an Arabic commentary on the Quran. It combines conventional exegesis with mystical, allusive interpretation (tafsir ishari), integrating linguistic, rhetorical, and legal commentary with spiritual and ethical interpretations.