Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abdur Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Hisni al-Dimishqi al-Hanafi[1]. The Faqih & renowned Mufti of Damascus during his time, commonly known as Imam Ala’ al-Din al-Haskafi[2]. The Author of al-Durr al-Mukhtar, the text upon which the celebrated work, Radd al-Muhtar[3], was written.
Born in Damascus in the year 1025 AH, Imam Haskafi was an outstanding Faqih, Usuli, Muhadith, Mufassir and Grammarian. His works are numerous and spread, gaining him prominence as one of the great imams of the later Hanafi tradition. He set out to Ramlah, al-Quds and Arabia, and took from the scholars of those lands. Imam Haskafi returned to his Lord in the Year 1088(AH) during the month of Shawal, and was laid to rest in Bab al-Saghir cemetery.
From the scholars Al-Haskafi took from included Shaykh Muhammad al-Muhasani. Later, He travelled to al-Ramla and took from Khayr al-Din Ibn Ahmad al-Ramli, the famous Hanafi Jurist and author of al-Fatawa al-Khayriyyah. Also, journeyed to al-Quds and studied under Fakkr al-Din Ibn Zakariyya. During Hajj, in Madinah al-Haskafi took from Ahmad al-Qashshashi[4].
From the works he authored:
- Durr al-Mukhtar, a commentary on Tanwir al-Absar (Fiqh)
- Khaza’in al-Asrar wa Bada’I al-Afkar, a commentary which he did not complete (Fiqh)
- Ifadat al-Anwar, a commentary on al-Manar of al-Nasafi (Usul al Fiqh),
- A commentary on Qatr al-Nada (Grammar)
- Marginal Notes on Anwar al-Tanzeel by Baydawi (Tafsir)
- Marginal Notes on Sahih al Bukhari (Hadith)
- Al-Durr al-Muntaqa, a commentary on Multaqa al-Abhur of Ibrahim al-Halabi (Fiqh)
Written by Junaid Iqbal
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[1] هدية العارفين أسماء المؤلفين وآثار المصنفين
[2] His nisbah is “al-Haskafi” by family origin, descending from Hisn Kayfa (Hasankeyf) in the region of Diyar Bakr, as mentioned in Khulasat al Athar. Though he himself was born & raised in Damascus where he became the foremost Hanafi jurist.
[3] Ibn Abidin, Muhammad Amin. Radd al-Muhtar ‘ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar. The reference work in the Hanafi Madhab.
[4] معجم المؤلفين