Shihab al-Din Abu al-Qasim Abd al-Rahman ibn Ismail ibn Ibrahim ibn Uthman al-Maqdisi, most commonly known as Abu Shamah, was a distinguished Scholar, Muhaddith, Historian, Grammarian and Jurist of the Shafi’i school. Born in the year 599 AH in Damascus.
Imam Abu Shamah studied under the leading scholars of his time, including Shaykh Izz al-Din ibn Abd al-Salam, Shaykh Muwafaq al-Din al-Maqdisi and others. Abu Shamah was appointed for several distinguished teaching positions, such as Head of Dar al-Hadith al-Ashrafiyyah and the chair of Quranic recitation at the Ashrafiyyah school.
As an author, Imam Abu Shamah produced several influential works. Including an abridgement of Tarikh Dimashq by al-Hafiz Ibn Asakir, Kitab al-Rawdatayn fi Akhbar al-Dawlatayn al-Nuriyyah wa-l-Salahiyyah (The Book of the Two Gardens, on the history of the Nur al-Din and Salah al-Din dynasties), and also a valuable commentary on al-Shatibiyyah.
From amongst his students was Imam al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH), one of the great authorities of the Shafi’i school and Hadith. Imam Abu Shamah returned to his Lord in the year 665 AH. Upon his passing, Abu Shamah’s post as Head of Dar al-Hadith al-Ashrafiyyah was succeeded by Imam al-Nawawi.
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١. طبقات الشافعية الكبرى للسبكي
٢. تذكرة الحفاظ طبقات الحفاظ للذهبي
٣. طبقات الحفاظ للسيوطي
٤. الفتح المبين بشرح الأربعين لابن حجر الهيتمي
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