Sheikh Al – Islam Imam Muḥammad al-Shawkānī رحمه الله (1759–1839 was a Yemeni Salafi scholar , jurist and reformer. His full name was Muhammad Ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Shawkani. The surname “ash-Shawkani” is derived from Hijrah ash-Shawkan, which is a town outside the city of San‘a’.
Imam ash-Shawkani رحمه الله, had a modest upbringing upon virtue, good, and righteousness. He was continually well nurtured and treated. He memorized many books of present time at the very early age even before beginning his serious studies. He learned the sciences of Hadith from al-Imam Sayyid Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Emir Tabatabai رحمه الله and studied with many other teachers until he covered all the sciences.
Both his supporters and opponents agreed that Imam ash-Shawkani reached a level of verifying scholarship. He became someone who all would point to as a reference in the sciences of ijtihad, and he was one who would clarify the subtleties of the Shriah. About the Series This book is in a series of biographies of some of the scholars and Muhaddithin of this ummah which Allah has granted glory and honor until the Hour.
It focuses on certain aspects of the lives of these scholars including their attributes, their manners, their religion, and how great is our need in this era to know about these matters. There can be no return to the glory and honor that this ummah possesses except by assuming the noble attributes that the first generation possessed. The biographies of these scholars are unknown to many Muslims. People have become tired of hearing empty talk.
They want to see religion become a practical reality just as it was during the during the lives of these scholars and in the lives of those people that followed them. This religion was well established at their times and it filled their hearts and minds, it was part of their very flesh and blood. If they spoke, it was for Allah’s sake that they spoke, and when they remained silent, that too was for Allah’s sake.
They illuminated the world with their piety, knowledge, worship, and their righteous deeds. Their character, morals, and manners were like those of the Prophet himself. If you look at their dealings you would see a living practical application of dealings of the Prophet himself. The very mention of these scholars softens the heart of the believer, leading to sincere worship of Allah.
He has been described as “an erudite, prolific, and original writer who composed more than 150 books (many of which are multivolume works)”, some of his publications including
Nayl al-Awtar
Fath al-Qadir, a well known tafsir (exegesis)
al-Badr at-tali .
Tuhfatu al-Dhakirin – Sharh Uddatu Hisna al-Haseen: a superb one volume commentary on the collection “Uddatu Hisna al-Haseen”, on ahadith of Adhkar, by Ibn Al-Jazari (d. 833H).
Al-Fawaid al-Majmu’ah Fil Ahadith ul Mau’zoo’ah a collection of fabricated hadith.
Irshad ul Fuhool – a book on Usul al-fiqh.
Ad-Durur ul-Bahiyyah fil-Masaa’il il-Fiqhiyyah – a concise Fiqh manual.
Ad-Daraaree Al-Mudhiyyah Sharh ud-Durur il-Bahiyyah – his detailed explanation of his Fiqh manual, Ad-Durur.
Adab ut-Talab wa Muntaha al-Arab – advice on the etiquette and manners of one who is seeking Islamic knowledge.
Al-Qawl ul-Mufeed fee Hukm it-Taqleed – An explanation of the ruling regarding blind following (Taqleed) of the opinions of Fiqh schools (Madhaahib) and its harms.
Al-Sayl al-jarrar – includes the denunciation of a text written by the Zaydi Imam Al-Mahdi Ahmad bin Yahya and his Mutazila beliefs.
Silsilay Isnad (transmission ) from Imam Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl Bukhari (قدس الله سرة) to Imam Muhammad bin Ali Shawkani (قدس الله سره) goes as Follows:
The Shaykh studied the books of the Aqedah directly with Imam Sayyid Abd Al Qadir Kowkabani who took from Imam Sayyid Ibn Al Amir Tabatabai who took from Sheikh -ahl Hejaz al-Sheikh Abu Tahir Kurdistani (قدس الله سرة) who took from his Father al-Qadi ‘Ibrahim Kurrani Kurdistani(قدس الله سرة),Sheikh i Haram , Ahmad Kashashi (قدس الله سرة)who took from Sheikh Ahmad bin Abdul Qaddus Sanabii (قدس الله سرة) who took from Al Qadi Muhammad bin Ahmad Ramli Filastini(قدس الله) who took from Sheikh Al Islam Khwaja Zakariya Ansari Khorasani(قدس الله) who took from Al Imam Hafiz ibn Hajr Askalani (قدس الله)who took from Sheikh Ibrahim Tanukhii (قدس الله) who took from Sheikh Ahmad bin Abi Talib al Hajarii(قدس الله) who took from Abul Hassan Muhammad bin Abd Al Rehman Dabardii (قدس الله سرة)who took from Imam Muhammad bin Ahmad Al Ramli(قدس الله سرة) who took from Imam Muhammad bin Abdullah Hamvi Shamii (قدس الله سرة)who took from Sheikh Abdullah bin Yousuf Faraabi(قدس الله سرة) who Took From Al Imam_Abū ‘Abd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl ibn Ibrāhīm ibn al-Mughīrah ibn Bardizbah al-Ju‘fī al-Bukhārī (عليه رحمة) .
