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IMM AL-QURT.UB by GF Haddad Shawwl 1424

Muh.ammadibnAh.madibnAbBakribnFarh. ,AbAbdAllhal-Ans.r al-Khazrajal-Andalus

al-Qurt.ubal-Mlik(d.671) the erudite wise Imm who probed the meanings of h.adth deeply(Ibn Imd) and great commentatoroftheQurn. He lived and died in Minyat or Munyat BanKhus.ayb in Egypt, one of the righteous, knowing, scrupulously Godwary, ascetic servants of Allhbusy with the concerns of his hereafter through meditation, worship, and authorship (Abd al-Karm ibn Khaldn). He disdained airs, and used to walk about in a simple thawb with a plain cap(tqiyya) on his head (Ibn Farh.n). Al-Dhahab, Ibn Farh.n, Ibn Imd,al-Maqarr,al-Adnahw,andMakhlfgivehisobitus as 671 while H. ajj Khalfa cites 668. Whoever cited 656 apparentlyconfused him withhisteacherthemuh.addithandauthor of the commentaryonS. ah. h. Muslim titled al-Mufhim fSharh. Mukhtas.ar Muslim attributed to al-Qurt.ub and printed under that namealthoughitisbyImmAbal-AbbsAh.madibnUmaribnIbrhm al-Ans.ral-Qurt.ubal-Mlikal-Iskandar(d. 656).1Also among his teachers were Ab al-H. asan Al ibn Muh.ammad ibn Alal-Yah.s.ub, theh.adth Master Ab Al al-H. asan ibn Muh.ammad ibn Muh.ammad al-Bakr, Rashd al-Dn AbMuh.ammad Abd al-Wahhb ibn Rawwj al-Azd al-Mlik,theImmofEgypt Bah al-Dn Ab

al-H. asan Al

ibn Hibat Allh ibnSal

maal-Lakhm

al-Mis.r

al-Sh

fiknownasIbnal-Jummayz

,Abal-Abbsibnal-Muzayyin,andothers. From him narrated his son Shihb al-Dn Ab al-Abbs

and Ab Abd Allh al-Wl. He authored the following works:

Al-Asn f Sharh. Asm Allh al-H. usn (The Most Decorous Commentary on the BeautifulNames of Allh) in two volumes. This work of Ashar doctrine has received two completeeditions, one in T.ant.a, EgyptattheSalafipressDral-S. ah.batilil-Turthandanotherin LibyaatJamiyyatal-Dawaal-Islmiyya. Excerpts:

On the h.adth of descent: The One Whose kindness and tenderness descend, as in his saying[], Our Lord descends, as ascent and descent are impossible for Allh Most High.2

On the h.adth, His veil is light, and if He removed it, the glorifications (subuht) of His facewould burn everything His eyesight fell upon:3 If he had removed from them the veil, Hismajesty (jall), awe (hayba), and subjugation (qahr) would have caused everything His sightfell upon to disappear from the Throne to the undersoil, for there is no end to His sight, and

Allh knows best.4

On the saying reported from the Prophet , The Black Stone is the right hand of Allh:5 Itmeans that the BlackStone has thestanding (manzila)of theRight Hand of Allh meta-phorically speaking.6

Al-Ilm bim fDn al-Nas.r wa-Iz.hr Mah.sin Dn al-Islm.

Al-Intihz fQurr Ahl al-Kfa wal-Bas.ra wal-Shm wa-Ahl al-H. ijz.

Al-Jmi li-Ah.km al-Qurn wal-Mubn lim Tad.ammanahu min al-Sunnati wa-y al-Furqn(The CollectionoftheRulingsoftheQurnand the Exposition of the Sunna and Verses ItContains), a monumental commentaryontheQurninthefullestsenseofthatterm,filledwith every kind of unique benefit(al-Dhahab)intwentyvolumes from which he omitted thestories and histories customary in other commentaries, and recorded instead the legal rulings and

how the Scholars have inferred them, together with the canonical readings (qir

t), Arabic

1Cf. al-Dhahab, Ibar(3:278).

2Al-Qurt. ub, al-Asn (1:435), chapter on the Divine Name al-Haw.3Narrated from Ab Ms by Muslim, Ibn Mjah, Ah. mad, Ab Awna, Ab Dwd al-T. aylis, Ibn Ab s. im,al-jurr, and al-Bayhaq in al-Asm wal-S. ift(Kawthared. p. 180-181; H. shided. 1:465-466 #392-394).4Al-Asn (2:92).5Narrated from Ibn Abbs, Jbir, Anas, and others by Ibn Ab Umar al-Madan in hisMusnad, al-T. abarn, al-Suyt. in hisJmi al-Saghr(1:516 3804-3805), Ibn Askir in Trkh Dimashq (15:90- 92), al-Khat.b in TrkhBaghdd(6:328), and others. It is considered forged by Ibn al-Jawzand Ibn Ad (al-Kmil1:342). Cf. al-Ah. dab,Zawid Trkh Baghdd(5:321-323 949). However, al-Ajln stated that it is s.ah. h. as a halted report from IbnAbbs as narrated by al-Qud. with the wording: The Corner [of the Black Stone] (al-rukn) is the Right Hand ofAllh on earth, and declared it h.asan as a h. adth of the Prophet . Ibn Qutayba in Tawl Mukhtalif al-H. adth(1972 ed. p. 215=1995 ed. p. 198, 262) said that it was a saying of Ibn Abb s and relates a saying of isha thatthe Black Stone is the depository of the covenant of human souls with Allh on the Day of Promise (alastu birabbikum). Its mention in the Reliance of the Traveller(p. 853b) as narrated by al-H. kim, who declared its.ah. h. ,

from Abd Allh ibn Amr, is incorrect. Note: An authentic narration states that the Black Stone shall appear withtwo eyes and a tongue on the Day of Resurrection. Narrated by al-Tirmidh, Ibn Mjah, Ah. mad, al-Drim, Ibn

Hibbn (3711-3712), and others..6A-Asn(2:90-91).

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grammar, which verses abrogate others and which are abrogated (al-nsikh wal-manskh)(Ibn Farh.n), all the legal Schools of the Salaf (Ibn Imd), many of the wisdoms of theUlema of the Sufis (the term reoccurs about two dozen times), and the Ashar tenets of faith(aqda). Al-Qurt.ub cites his countryman Ibn Abd al-Barr about five hundred times in thiswork. Ibn al-Mulaqqin abridged it. Al-Qurt.ubsaid in theJmi:

OntheverseThoseareapeoplewhohavepassed away. Theirs is that which they have

earned, and yours is that whichyouearn.Andyouwillnotbeaskedofwhatthey used todo (2:134): Together with a human beings action was created his capacity to act(qudra), through which one comprehends the difference between a deliberate movement andmere reflex (h.arakat al-rasha), for instance. TheJabriyya hold that a human being does notearn anything [by his acts] and that he is like vegetation of which the wind disposes. TheQadariyya and Mutazila hold the opposite of these two positions and say that a humanbeing creates his own acts.

On the verse Wait they for naught else thanthatAllhshouldcomeuntothem in theshadows of the clouds with the angels? (2:210): It is based on the lexical meaning ofityn, which is to proceed to do something (al-qas.d il al-shay). The meaning of the verseis thus: Wait they for naught else than that Allh should cause to pass a certain act withsome of His creatures whereby He shall proceed to requite them and judge them, just as He

brought tobe a certain act which He called descent and another which He called

establishment.ThisisthesameexplanationasImmal-Ashar

:

AllhAlmightyontheDayofJudgmentshallbringaboutacertainact(fl)whichHenamedcomingandarrival.7

On the h.adth of descent within his commentary on the verse Those who say: Our Lord!Lo! we believe. So forgive us our sins and guard us from the punishment of Fire; Thesteadfast, and the truthful,andtheobedient,thosewhospend(andhoardnot),thosewhoprayforpardon in thewatchesof the night (3:16-17): The best thing that was saidconcerningitsinterpretationiswhatwas related in al-Nass Sunan al-Kubr[and Amal al-Yawm wal-Layla] from Ab Hurayra and Ab Sad#that the Prophet said: AllhMost High waits until the first part of the night is over, then He orders a herald (mundiyan)to say: Is there anyone supplicating so that he may be answered, anyone begging forforgiveness so that he may be forgiven, any petitioner so that he may be granted hisrequest?8

OntheverseHeistheOmnipotent(al-Qhir) overHis slaves (6:18, 6:61): Omnipotence

(al-qahr) means victory (al-ghalaba) and the Omnipotent means the victorious. Themeaning of over (fawq) His slaves is the aboveness of domination (istil) throughomnipotence and victory over them. That is, they are under His subjugation (taskhrih). Itdoes not mean aboveness of place(l fawqiyyata makn)! It is just as you say, The sultanis above his subjects that is, in his rank and elevation (ay bil-manzilati wal-rifa).

On the verse Then He established Himself over the throne (7:54) in Srat al-Arf:The exaltation (uluw) of Allh Most High and His elevation (irtif) are an expression ofthe uluw of His Majesty, Attributes, and Dominion. Meaning: There is nothing above Himwhatsoever in the sense of Majesty and its qualities, nor with Him as a partner. Rather, He isthe Most High in absolute and unconditional terms exalted is He!

On theverseItmay be that your Lord will raise you to a praised estate (17:79): It isnot impossible, according to all those who profess Islam, that Allah shall seat the Propheton His Throne. He also quoted from Ibn At.iyya in his Tafsrof the Verse of the Throne

that the meaning was that the kurs

was placed in front of the arsh just like the footstoolis placed in front of a high chair, indicating that it did not necessitate reference to an actualfootstool but referred, for example, to a seat or station. Al-Bayhaqstates the same.9

On the verse Unto Him the good word ascends and the good deed raises it 10 (35:10):Ascent is upward movement which is inconceivable of words for they are accidents [orsigns] (ard.). Ascent here stands for acceptance. The same is found in al-Baghaw, AbH. ayyn, al-Bayhaq, and Ibn H. ajar.

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On the verse Do you feel safe that He who is in the sky will not make the earth swallowyou while it quakes (67:16): The more exacting scholars hold that it [in the sky] means,

7In al-Bayhaq, al-Asm wal-S. ift(Kawthared. p. 448; H. shided. 2:371).8Narrated from Ab Sad al-Khudr and Ab Hurayra by al-Nas in al-Sunan al-Kubr (6:124 10316) andAmal al-Yawm wal-Layla (ed. Frq H. ammda p. 340 482). Al-Qr declared it sound in Mirqt al-Mafth.

(1994 ed. 3:299).9In al-Asm wal-S. ift(2:197, 2:297).10Or: and the good deed He raises up.11Tafsr al-Bah. r al-Muh. t. (7:303) andFath. al-Br(1959 ed. 13:416).

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Do you feel secure from Him who is over the sky just as Allh says, Journeyin theearth (9:2), meaning journey over it not over the sky by way of physical contact orspatialization, but by way of omnipotent power and control. Another position is that itmeans Do you feel secure from Him who is over(al) the sky, just as it is said, So-and-so is over Iraq and the H. ijz, meaning that he is the governor and commander of them.

12

On the h.adths of the Divine Attributes: The h.adths on this subject are numerous, sound,

and widely known, and indicate the exaltedness of Allh, being undeniable by anyone exceptan atheist or obstinate ignoramus.TheirmeaningistodignifyAllhand exalt Him above allthat is base and low, to characterize Him by exaltedness and greatness, not bybeinginplaces,particulardirections,orwithin limits, for these are the qualities of physical bodies.13 Istiwis one of the Attributes of acts (min s. ift al-afl) according to the majority of the explana-tions.14

Poem on the Names of the Prophet.

Qam al-H. ars. bil-Zuhd wal-Qana wa-Radd Dhull al-Sul bil-Kaffi wal-Shafa (TheSubduing of Worldly Appetite Through Simple Living and Contentment with Little and theRepelling of the Humiliation of Begging with the Hand or Through Intermediaries). IbnFarh.n said, I never saw a better book in its genre. It was published at Dr al-S. ah.bati lil-Turth.

Sharh. al-Taqas.s., a long commentary on Ibn Abd al-Barrs bookal-Taqas.s. lim fl-Muwat.t.amin H. adthi Raslillh.

Al-Tadhkira bi-Ah.wl al-Mawt wal-khira (The Memorial of the States of Death and theHereafter) in three volumes meticulouslypublishedbyYsuf AlBadyawat Dr Ibn Kathr.Ibn al-Qayyim cites it heavily in his bookal-Rh. . In the Tadhkira al-Qurt.ubsays:

The mujassim one who attributes a body to Allh is an idol-worshipper.

The martyrs are among those Allh exempts according to His saying: savehim whomAllh wills intheverseAndtheDaywhentheTrumpetwill be blown, and all who are inthe heavens and the earth will start in fear, save him whom Allh wills (27:87).15

As for reciting over the grave, then our companions ( i.e. Mliks) are categorical that it islawful, and others say the same.16

Al-Taqrb li-Kit

b al-Tamh

don Ibn Abd al-Barrs masterpiece of comparative Fiqh in twolarge manuscript tomes.

Al-Tidhkr fAfd.al al-Adhkr(The ReminderConcerningtheBestRemembrance), in print,similar to al-Nawaws Tibyn.

Contrary to the notice in the Reliance of the Travelleral-Qurt.ub did not wr[i]te works in thesciences of h.adth and tenets of faith other than al-Asn on the Divine Names, and Allh knowsbest.

Sources: Al-Dhahab, Trkh al-Islm (Year 671), Siyar(17:101-102 2054); Ibn Farh.n, Dbj (p. 406-407

549); Ibn Imd, Shadhart al-Dhahab (5:335); al-Maqarr, Nafh. al-T. b (2:685-686); al-Adnahw; T. abaqt

al-Mufassirn (p. 246-247 295); Makhl

f, Shajarat al-N

r al-Dhakiyya (1:197 666).

12Al-Jmi li Ahkm al-Qurn (18:216)..13Al-Jmi li-Ah. km al-Qurn (18:216).

14In his Tafsr(18:281).15Narrated from Ab Hurayra and Ibn Abbs by Sad ibn Mans. r, al-T. abar in his Tafsr (17:110, 20:19-20,24:20), Abd ibn H. umayd, Al ibn Sad in al-T. a wal-Is.yn, Ab Yal in his Musnad, Ibn al-Mundhir, al-Qat. t.n in hisMut. awwalt, al-T. abarn in his, Ab Ms al-Madn in his, Ibn AbH. tim, Ab al-Shaykh in al-

Az. ama, and al-Bayhaq

in al-Bath wal-Nushras compiled by al-Suy

t.

in al-Durr al-Manth

r(6:384,7:256).AlsonarratedfromIbnAbbsbyIbnKathr (2:147, 3:205, 3:378),al-Qurt. ub(13:241,alsoinal-Tadhkira),al-Thalib(3:70),Ibnal-Jawz(6:195), al-Shawkn(4:155), and al-Nah. h. s (5:149).16In the Tadhkira. Al-Suyt.mentioned it in Sharh. al-S. udr(p. 311=p.403).