Shaykh Zada
- Died
- 950 AH
- Born in
- -
Shaykh Zada (d. 950 AH / 1543 CE) was an Ottoman Hanafi jurist, scholar of Quranic exegesis, and teacher based in Constantinople, best known for his widely circulated supercommentary on al-Baydawi's Anwar al-Tanzil wa-Asrar al-Ta'wil.
Name and Early Education
His full name was Muhyi al-Din Muhammad ibn Muslih al-Din Mustafa ibn Muhsin al-Din al-Qujawi al-Rumi, commonly known by the epithet Shaykh Zada and sometimes referred to as Shaykh Zada al-Muhashshi. He studied under the scholars of his era and attached himself particularly to the prominent Ottoman scholar Afdal Zadah (Ibn Afdal al-Din), advancing in the rational and legal sciences. He also entered the service of Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Mu'ayyadi and married the daughter of Shaykh Muhyi al-Din al-Qujawi.
Career and Seclusion
Shaykh Zada was initially appointed as a professor (mudarris) at the Khawaja Khayr al-Din madrasa in Constantinople. An inclination toward asceticism and solitude subsequently overtook him, leading him to resign from academic office and retreat to his home. The Ottoman state granted him a daily retirement stipend of fifteen dirhams; he regarded this sum as more than his needs required and remarked that ten dirhams would have been sufficient for him. Living with pronounced modesty, he personally purchased his household goods from the market and carried them home himself, declining offers by admirers who wished to serve him.
In his seclusion, he dedicated his time to worship, teaching, and scholarship. He held regular gatherings in his local mosque where he expounded and narrated Quranic exegesis to the general public and students who sought his instruction and blessings. Among his notable students was the biographer Tashkubri Zadah, author of al-Shaqa'iq al-Nu'maniyya, who took pride in having studied under him.
Scholarly Standing and Reception
Shaykh Zada earned widespread acclaim in Ottoman scholarly circles for the lucidity of his teaching and the accessible style of his writings across exegesis, jurisprudence, and inheritance law. His magnum opus, a comprehensive gloss on al-Baydawi's Anwar al-Tanzil, was originally drafted in eight volumes for intermediate students and later revised; bibliographer Katib Celebi described it as among the most beneficial, clear, and valuable supercommentaries on al-Baydawi's exegesis. In jurisprudence, his extensive commentary on Wiqayat al-Riwaya and his commentary on al-Fara'id al-Sirajiyya were likewise recognized as authoritative resources within the Hanafi curriculum.
Death
Shaykh Zada died in Constantinople in 950 AH (1543 CE), with other biographical reports recording his death in 951 AH (1544 CE), at approximately ninety years of age.
Answer updated
List of Works
Sharh Qawaid al-Irab is an Arabic grammatical commentary on Ibn Hisham al-Ansari's treatise al-Irab an Qawaid al-Irab. The work expands upon foundational rules of Arabic grammar—including sentence analysis, semi-sentences, and recurring particles—by drawing on grammatical literature, classical linguistic opinions, and textual citations.