Egyptian University

of Islamic Culture Nur-Mubarak

PhD student of the Islamic Studies

Tajibayev Serik

Assos. Prof. Yerzhan Kalmakhan

ABU AL-MUGHIN AN-NASAFI – SCHOLAR OF THEOLOGICAL SPHERE

Abu Al-Mughin Al-Nasafi was born in the family of the intelligences from the area “Ma wara al-nahr” in the town of Nasaf in the year 438h (1047a.d.). He passed away in Bukhara in 508 h (1115 a.d.). Al-Nasafi’s real name is Maymun and his nickname is Abu Al-Mughin, his father’s name is Muhammad, the grand-father’s name is Muhammad and the grand grand-father’s full name is Mu’tamid bin Makhul Al-Nasafi. Abu al-Mughin al-Nasafi ancestor Abu Al-Mu’ti Makhul bin Fadl An-Nasafi is mentioned as the leading scholar of Hanafi mazhab.

The information about An-Nasafi’s life experience, his birth, his childhood and who and what was of his source of knowledge, unfortunately is very few. There is some information on where Abu Al-Mughin An-Nasafi grew up. His invaluable contribution to the ‘ilm (sciense) and his achievments show his intellectual level. At that time the town of Nasaf was the knowledge center of the “Ma wara al-nahr” region. There is no sign of that town anymore, except for the historical data that is known through the research.

Abu Al-Mughin An-Nasafi made researches on our religion related to the faith matters known as “Ilm al-kalam”. He is one of the significant scholars of the Maturidy school. He taught many famous scholars. Among his students there are such scholars as: famous scholar of Kalam Imam Najmuddin Umar bin Muhammad An-Nasafi al-Samarkandi (died in 537h/1142) who made ijtihad (made an effort ) in translation ayahs of the Qur’an and hadiths of our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), a great Hanafi faqih Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Abi Ahmed bin Ala al-Din al-Samarkandi (died in 540h) who wrote the book “Tuhfatul-Fukaha”, Abd El-Aziz bin Ahmed bin Muhammad El-Bazdawi (died in 730h) and many others. Moreover, there is a great contribution of Abu Al-Mughin An-Nasafi to the development of Islamic law of Samarkand methodics and to the Maturidy madhab as a whole.

Imam Najmuddin Umar bin Muhammad An-Nasafi As-Samarkandi mentioned that his teacher Abu Al-Mughin An-Nasafi’s works made a great contribution to the sunnah and to the madhab of Abu Hanifa.

The French orientologist and researcher of Islam who was the head of “Institute of Iran” in Sorbonne, France Louis Massinon (1883) said: “Abu Al-Mughin An-Nasafi’s grandfather took knowledge from Yahya bin Mu’az Ar-Razi who was the representative of madrasah “Karramiya”. The words of Louis Massinon contradict with the works of An-Nasafi because Abu Al-Mughin An-Nasafi criticized the school of Karramiya, he was against that school and wrote works against them.

Abu Al-Mughin An-Nafasi wrote many important works in ‘ilm of tafseer, hadeeth and kalaam. His work “at-Tamhid fi usool ad-Din (introduction to the basis of the deen) is a book of a great importance to the faith of Maturidy mazhab and Islamic philosophy. Such faith matters as Mutashabih (metaphor) ayahs, prove of Allah’s existence and his properties, matters of destiny, issues concerning the place and the stimulitude, disputes among seets and mahhabs.

Husamad-din as-Sygnaki, a scholar from the Syrdaria region, wrote a commentary to “At-Tamhid fi usul ad-Din” called “At-Tasdid fi sharh at-Tamhid”. Husam ad-din as-Syganaki played an important role in the development of the Maturidia direction in the Islamic religion in Central Asia, he is a scientist, who put an effort on the development of the science and Islamic world, theology. The name of the scientist, his followers and works, everything was compared in scientific researches, and there were lots of similarities of the facts.

He wrote comments on the work «at-Tamhid» of al-Imam al-Makhuli, and «Kitab al-Kafi fi sharh usul al-Fikh» of Abu-l-Yusr al-Pazdavi. Husam ad-din learned fiqh theory from al-Imam Kivam ad-din al-Ka’ki. In the work «at-Tabakat as-sania» of Taki ad-din ibn Abd al-Kadir at-Tamimi ad-Dari al-Gazzi al-Mysri (XVI) in the third chapter the name of the scientist as-Sygnaki is called as «al-Husain ibn Ali ibn Hadzhadzh ibn Ali Husam ad-din as-Sygnaki al-imam al-alim al-allama, al-kadi alfahhama. It was said that he is the author of «al-Hidaya» he learned from al-allama Abd al-Dzhalil ibn Abd al-Karim, and also from al-imam Hafiz ad-din Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Nasr. In the work of «Nizam al-Ulama» of the scientist from Ottoman Empire Hasan ibn Gurhan ibn Davud az-Zibi al-Akhisari (1544-1616) the name of the thinker was «al-Imam Husam ad-din al-Husain ibn Ali ibn Hadzhadzh ibn Ali as-Sygnaki, and in the work «at-Tabakat as-sania» of Taki ad-din ibn Abd al-Kadir at-Tamimi ad-Dari al-Gazzi al-Mysri (XVI) his name was «al-Husain ibn Ali ibn Hajjaj ibn Ali al-imam al-alim al-allama, al-kadi al-kudat al-fahhama».

Then, Muhiddin Abu Muhammad Abd Al-Qadir bin Abil Ufa Al-Quraishi Al-Hanafi (1293-1373), an author of “Al-Sawahir Al-Qadr bin Abil Ufa Al-Quraishi Al-Hanafiya” gives an information on how An-Nasafi’s work “At-Tamhid” was acquired by Husam ad-Din As-Sygnaki received “At-Tamhid” from imam Haviz ad-Din, and he from the author of “Al-Hidiya” Imam Abu Bakr, and he from Dyia ad-Din imam Muhammad bin Al-Husein Al-Nusuhiden, and he from imam Ala ad-Din bin Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin Ahmed As-Samarkandi, and he from saif ad-Din Abu Mughin Maymun bin Muhammad bin Said bin Makhulli himself.

The Maturidy school is the biggest one among “Ahli sunnah wal-jama’ah”. And the work mentioned before is a great treasure of the Maturidy school.

Husain bin Ali bin Hajjaj bin Ali as-Sygnaki (711/1311 or 714/1314) made a full analysis of kalam matters in his work “At-Tasdid fi sharh At-Tamhid”.

Here is Ali bin Hajjaj bin Ali as-Sygnaki’s “Tasdid” on the last page:

«The 8^th of Muharram, the month of Allah Ta’ala 708h. I was reading continuously and learning by heart “At-Tamhid” from my childhood until I grew up. It was moving my heart for so many years. When I was explaining the scripture, I was afraid to give a different meaning and change the idea of it. Weeks of hardships made the saddle softer, made hardships easier, made unknown things known, while trying not to loose what is in the mind, as person who is preparing a bread and afraid stop drop it inside the oven, or maybe because there was nobody who explained it, or as it is impossible to change a daylight, or as with a fear to change a color of flower from which white paint is extracted. While understanding his words I was afraid to misinterpret deep what he meant».

He is what Husam Ad-Din as-Sygnaki says about Abu Al-Mughin An-Nasafi: “The knowledge of Abu Al-Mughin an-Nasafi a great scholar, grasps all the disciplines”.

He achieved a great aware rending veins of his opponents, giving them no chance. He was blessed with a great blessing through his diligence, research. He reached the level of great scholars.

The structure and the methodology of interpretation of the book of Abu Al-Mughin an-Nasafi is extraordinaly. He considered all the points of view related to the charpter of the book. However his conclusions are in the range of the Maturidy school’s creed. In disputes with those who went astray an-Nafasi adhered to the creed of Maturidy school. His opponents were vanquished by his “Aql and Naql”. An-Nafasi used methodology and systematics of Imam Al-Maturidy. And he cited it clearly. Moreover, in some chapter he gives the full opinions of Imam Al-Maturidy. Considering all the given facts it is clear that Abu an-Nafasi was steadfast to the Maturidy principles.

There are some handwritten copies of manuscripts of an-Nafasi’s “Tamhid” kept in the libraries. The library of Istanbul has a couple of them. There is another book of Abu Al-Mughin an-Nasafi named “Tabsiratul-Adilla fi usul ad-Din”. Scholars identify an-Nafasi as a Sunni theologist though the examination of above mentioned book.

Imam Najmuddin Umar bin Muhammad An-Nasafi as-Smarkandi was greatly influenced by Abu Al-Mughin an-Nasafi. Because his work “Aqaid” is in consensus with an-Nasafi’s “Tabsiratul-Adilla”. There is another book of Abu Al-Mughin an-Nasafi dedicated to the ‘Ilm of Kalaam called “Bahru Al-Kalam fi Aqaidi Ahli al-Islam” (short version). This book is sometimes called “Aqaid” and “Mubhasatu Ahli Sunnah wal-jama’ah”. Copy of “Bahru Al-Kalam fi aqaidi Ahli al-Islam” was published in Cairo in 1911, and the version written by sheikh Abdul-Qadir was published in 1922. The version with no author mentioned is stored in the library of Muhammad Ali Sabih in Cairo. “Bahru al-Kalam” consists of 59 chapters. In some references it is said it consists of 64 chapters. In the introduction of the book things are given like: Allah’s oneness (tawhid), description of belief and religious terminology. In the second chapter knowing of Allah “magrifatullah” belief “iman” will “iroda” and other issues concerning madhabs are reviewed. Conditions of iman, mu’jiza, Karamah mi’raj of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Angels, and other similar matters are mentioned as well.

The contribution of Abu Al-Mughin an-Nasafi to the Maturidy school is equivalent to Abu Bakr Al-Baqillani and Abu Muhammad Al-Gazali’s contributions to the Ashari school.

References

1-Yerzhan, K. (2011). Abul Muin an-Nasafi murasy URL: http:// www.muftyat.kz

2-Abdul-Hai Kobil, (1987). al-Tamqid fi usul ad-Din. Cairo, - p.4, 148

3-Kerim Sh.T. (2012). Syganak sanlagy. Nur-Mubarak Publishing house, - Almaty. -240p.

4-Hussam ad-Din Sygnaki. al-Tassid fi al-Sharh al-Tamhid. Turkey, Solomoniye Library, Room No. 309, 221

5-Muminov A.K. (2006). History of Kazakhstan in Arabic sources. V. III. - Almaty: Dick Press, – 265p.