Siddiq Hasan Khan
- Died
- 1307 AH
- Born in
- -
Siddiq Hasan Khan (1248–1307 AH / 1832–1890 CE) was an Indian traditionist, Quranic exegete, and Nawab-consort of Bhopal, recognized as a leading figure of the traditionalist Ahl al-Hadith scholarly movement .
Lineage and early life
He was Abu al-Tayyib Muhammad Siddiq ibn Hasan (also referred to as Awlad Hasan) ibn Ali ibn Lutf Allah al-Husayni al-Bukhari al-Qannawji . His ancestry traces back to Ali Zayn al-Abidin ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib .
He was born on Sunday, 19 Jumada al-Ula 1248 AH (another report states with eleven nights remaining of the month) in the town of Bareilly, the residence of his maternal grandfather Mufti Muhammad Awad al-Uthmani . His family soon returned to their ancestral town of Kannauj . His father died when he was six years old, leaving him an orphan under the care of his mother and his elder brother, Ahmad Hasan, who instructed him in the Quran, Persian, and fundamental Arabic and religious disciplines .
Education, travels, and career
In 1269 AH, he traveled to Delhi to advance his studies, where he learned logic, philosophy, astronomy, and mathematics under Mufti Muhammad Sadr al-Din Khan al-Dihlawi, and received instruction from Muhammad Ya'qub al-Muhajir . Returning briefly to Kannauj, he journeyed to Bhopal in 1276 AH seeking a livelihood . There he was hosted by the state's chief minister, Jamal al-Din Khan, who married him to his daughter and appointed him to the state administrative chancery .
In 1285 AH, he embarked on the pilgrimage to Mecca, passing through al-Hudaydah in Yemen . During his stay in the Hejaz and Yemen, he dedicated himself to transcribing rare hadith manuscripts, studying canonical collections under Yemeni traditionists, and obtaining hadith licenses (ijazat) . Prominent among his teachers in hadith transmission was the Yemeni jurist Husayn ibn Muhsin al-Ansari al-Subay'i, through whom he received the transmissions of Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shawkani . He also received certification from Abd al-Haqq ibn Fadl Allah al-Hindi .
Upon his return to Bhopal, he was appointed director of education in 1286 AH and later head of the correspondence bureau (diwan al-insha') in 1287 AH, receiving the title of Khan . Following the death of her previous husband, Queen Shah Jahan Begum, the ruler of Bhopal, married him, after which he was invested with the princely title Nawab Ali Jah Amir al-Mulk Bahadur .
Scholarly orientation and reception
He adhered to the methodology of Ahl al-Hadith and traditionalist theology, advocating for direct reliance on the Quran and prophetic traditions while rejecting blind adherence (taqlid) to legal schools . He was an avid promoter of the writings of al-Shawkani, producing legal treatises such as al-Rawda al-Nadiyya, an analytical commentary on al-Shawkani's legal primer al-Durar al-Bahiyya . Among his major works are his comprehensive Quranic exegesis Fath al-Bayan fi Maqasid al-Quran and his three-volume classification of disciplines and biographical encyclopedia, Abjad al-Ulum .
Scholars from various regions traveled to Bhopal to study under him and his circle, including Sa'd ibn Hamad ibn Atiq and Ishaq ibn Abd al-Rahman from Najd, while contemporary scholars such as Hamad ibn Atiq maintained scholarly correspondence with him and commended his exegesis . His student Nu'man al-Alusi lauded him as an encyclopedic authority across Quranic exegesis, hadith, jurisprudence, legal theory, history, and literature . Among his prominent local students was his eldest son, Nur al-Hasan Khan .
Death
He died in Bhopal on 29 Jumada al-Akhirah 1307 AH (February 1890 CE), though another report dates his death to Jumada al-Ula of that year .
Answer updated
List of Works
This Arabic philological treatise examines the fundamental principles and sources of Arabic linguistics. Designed as a self-contained compendium, it systematizes the core principles of Arabic philology and lexicology, addressing the theoretical foundations of language alongside an alphabetical bibliographic catalogue of Arabic lexical and philological source texts.
This Arabic encyclopedia presents a classification of disciplines and scholarly biographies across three volumes. It covers the theoretical foundation, nature, and history of knowledge; provides an alphabetical glossary systematically defining religious, rational, linguistic, and applied sciences; and concludes with a biographical compendium of leading scholars throughout Islamic history.
This concise treatise on Islamic theology outlines the creedal positions of Ahl al-Hadith and traditionalist adherents of the prophetic traditions. Organized into twenty-six chapters, it summarizes general theological tenets, affirms divine attributes and God's transcendence through extensive Quranic citations, and includes transmitted statements censuring dialectical theology.
This specialized work of legal Quranic exegesis examines the primary Quranic verses bearing legal import. Organized according to the standard sequence of Quranic chapters, it provides concise commentary emphasizing legal deduction and linguistic analysis, focusing on verses with clear legal implications to serve as an accessible reference for students of jurisprudence.
This eschatological treatise in Arabic is dedicated to describing Hellfire and its inhabitants based on the Quran and authentic prophetic traditions. Intended to provide religious admonition and deterrence, the work examines the present existence and nature of Hellfire, interprets relevant scriptural passages, and addresses related theological inquiries.
Fath al-Bayan fi Maqasid al-Quran (The Opening of Clarification on the Objectives of the Quran) is a multi-volume work of Quranic exegesis. It presents an interpretation aimed at combining traditional narration (riwayah) with reasoned analysis (dirayah).
Nashwat al-Sukran min Sahba Tadhkar al-Ghizlan (The Intoxication of the Inebriated from the Wine of Reminiscing Gazelles) is an Arabic literary treatise on passionate love (ishq), lovers, and the manifestations of infatuation.
Luqtat al-Ajlan mimma tamass ila marifatihi hajat al-Insan (A Hastener's Gleanings of What Human Need Touches to Know) is an Arabic historical and chronological compendium offering an overview of universal history, calendars, and time reckoning.
al-Durar al-Bahiya wa al-Rawda al-Nadiya wa al-Taliqat al-Radiya (The Splendid Pearls, the Dewy Garden, and the Pleasing Marginalia) is a multi-tiered Arabic legal compilation comprising a foundational jurisprudence manual, an extensive commentary, and critical marginalia.
Rihlat al-Siddiq ila al-Balad al-Atiq (The Journey of al-Siddiq to the Ancient City) is a 19th-century travelogue and pilgrimage treatise. It combines legal rulings on the rites of Hajj, Umrah, and visiting Medina with narrative accounts of a sea voyage from India to the Hejaz.
al-Hitta fi Dhikr al-Sihah al-Sitta (The Remission in Mentioning the Six Authentic Collections) is a Hadith study and bio-bibliographical treatise dedicated to the Six Books of Hadith, their compilers, and their commentaries. Composed to bring together introductory information scattered across larger reference works, it addresses the status, tiers, and reception of the primary canonical collections alongside biographical profiles of their authors.
al-Taj al-Mukallal min Jawahir Maathir al-Tiraz al-Akhir wa al-Awwal is a biographical dictionary comprising 543 entries that chronicles the lives, achievements, and scholarly contributions of prominent figures across Islamic history. It focuses especially on hadith masters, independent jurists (mujtahidun), and traditionists who adhered to direct textual evidence and rejected blind imitation.
al-Rawda al-Nadiyya Sharh al-Durar al-Bahiyya is a legal commentary on Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shawkani's concise legal primer al-Durar al-Bahiyya fi al-Masa'il al-Fiqhiyya. Arranged as an interwoven commentary, it evaluates practical juristic rulings through comparative analysis grounded in prophetic traditions and scriptural proofs rather than adherence to a single legal school.
Husn al-Uswa bima Thabata min Allah wa Rasulihi fi al-Niswa is a thematic treatise compiling Quranic verses and Prophetic hadiths that pertain specifically to women and their distinct legal and moral rulings. Organized around sequential Quranic chapters and descriptive hadith headings, it examines the derived rulings and scriptural evidence applicable exclusively to women.