Jalal al-Din al-Qayini
- Died
- 838 AH
- Born in
- -
Jalal al-Din al-Qayini (d. 838 AH / 1434–1435 CE) was a Hanafi traditionist and legal theorist based in Herat, best known for his treatise on hadith terminology, Ishraqat al-Usul fi Ilm Hadith al-Rasul ("The Illuminations of Principles in the Science of the Messenger's Hadith") .
Lineage and Background
His name is recorded as Abu Muhammad Jalal al-Din Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ubayd Allah al-Qayini, and in some manuscript traditions as Jalal ibn Muhammad ibn Ubayd Allah or Muhammad ibn Abd Allah . His nisba derives from his birthplace, Qayin, a town situated between Tabas and Nishapur . His ancestral lineage is linked to Bukhara or Nasaf, while he settled, earned his living, and resided permanently in Herat . He adhered to the Hanafi school of law .
Education and Scholarly Activity
In his writings, al-Qayini explicitly referenced studying under the renowned scholar Ibn al-Jazari as well as Husam al-Din Muhammad ibn Jalal al-Ubaydi . During his residence in Herat, he was recognized among the prominent scholars of the city; traveling scholars and associates of the Sufi master Zayn al-Din al-Khwafi met with him there . Among his students was Nizam al-Din Husayn ibn Jamal al-Din al-Quhistani, who described him as a master of both the transmitted and rational sciences .
Al-Qayini's primary scholarly contribution was in the discipline of hadith nomenclature. In Ishraqat al-Usul fi Ilm Hadith al-Rasul, he abridged earlier reference texts—principally al-Khulasa fi Ma'rifat al-Hadith by Sharaf al-Din al-Tibi (d. 743 AH)—to create a concise primer summarizing foundational principles for easy memorization and recall . He also authored another legal and theoretical text entitled Lawami' al-Usul, which he cited regarding the classification of fabricated traditions .
Death
Al-Qayini died in Herat in 838 AH (1434–1435 CE) .
Answer updated
List of Works
Ishraqat al-Usul fi Ilm Hadith al-Rasul (The Illuminations of Principles in the Science of the Messenger's Hadith) is a concise treatise on hadith terminology (mustalah al-hadith). Designed as an accessible primer containing the essential fundamentals for students of hadith and the Islamic disciplines, it presents its discussions concisely to facilitate memorization and recall.