Nasim al-Din al-Murshidi
- Died
- 833 AH
- Born in
- Mecca
Nasim al-Din al-Murshidi (804–833 AH / 1401–1430 CE) was a Meccan Hanafi jurist, traditionist, and historian, known for his historical supplement Tadhyil al-Dhayl and his tenure as chief judge in Mecca.
Early Life and Education
His full name was Abd al-Ghani ibn Jalal al-Din Abd al-Wahid ibn Ibrahim al-Murshidi al-Makki, bearing the honorific title Nasim al-Din. He was born in Mecca in 804 AH, where he memorized the Quran in his childhood and was introduced to hadith sessions at an early age. During his first year of life, his father brought him to hear Majlis al-Bitaqah from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman al-Khalili (d. 805 AH). He received early certifications of transmission (ijazat) starting in 805 AH from prominent scholars, including the hadith masters Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi (d. 806 AH) and Nur al-Din al-Haythami (d. 807 AH).
He traveled to Yemen, where he studied hadith under the lexicographer and scholar Majd al-Din al-Fayruzabadi. In Mecca and Cairo, he became a close student of Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, reading a portion of a text under him in Mecca in 824 AH, attending his dictation sessions (amali) starting in Rabi' al-Awwal 830 AH, and transcribing a substantial body of hadith and writings directly from him.
Career and Scholarly Contribution
Al-Murshidi was appointed as the chief Hanafi judge (qadi al-qudah) in Mecca, where he took part in major civic and judicial ceremonies at the Kaaba and the Hatim alongside judges of the other legal schools. Following his dismissal from the post, he continued to participate in institutional affairs in Mecca, including securing educational stipends for dismissed Hanafi jurists.
In historical scholarship, he authored Tadhyil al-Dhayl (also known as Dhayl al-Murshidi ala al-Ibar), which served as an annalistic biographical continuation to Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi's chronicle, recording biographical notices and obituaries of scholars and dignitaries from 764 AH to 778 AH.
Standing and Death
Al-Murshidi was praised by his teacher Ibn Hajar, who recorded that he applied himself intensely to study, demonstrated proficiency at an early age, possessed a profound love for hadith, memorized and transmitted extensively, and actively engaged in scholarly discourse.
In 832 AH, he departed Mecca for Cairo while his wife was pregnant with his son Abu Bakr. He died of the plague in Cairo in 833 AH (1430 CE), leaving his infant son in Mecca.
Answer updated
List of Works
Dhayl al-Murshidi ala al-Ibar, also titled Tadhyil al-Dhayl, is a biographical and historical continuation designed as an annalistic supplement. Following the historical chronicle of Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi, the surviving text begins in 764 AH and extends to 778 AH, recording obituaries and biographical entries for scholars, jurists, judges, and other notables across major Islamic regions under annual headings.