Hashiyat al-Imam al-Bayjuri ala Jawharat al-Tawhid :
Arabic,
New,
*[A4] Hardback - 405 pages,
Jawharat al-Tawhid by Imam al-Laqani [d.1041h],
sharh by Imam al-Bajuri [d.1277h],
Tahqiq by Dr. Ali Jum'ah (Cairo),
Published by Dar al-Salam, Egypt.
Description :
Hashiyat al-Imam al-Bayjuri ala Jawharat al-Tawhid - Al-Musama : Tuhfat al-Murid 'ala Jawharat al-Tawhid, is the classical commentary on Ash'ari
aqidah.
It is a simple work written in a poetical form that was meant for students to memorise the basic aspects of one's faith. The book has seen many commentaries and amongst one of its earliest commentaries is by the authors son.
Jawharat al-Tawhid, translated as The Gem of Islamic Theology, is one of the approved and accredited texts of the Sunni Creed in the
Ashari school. Written as a poem to facilitate memorising it and to make it more enjoyable and appealing for young students. This was a method widely used to teach and convey knowledge in the past and is still used in some schools till today. It was composed by Imam Ibrahim al-Laqani al-Maliki (1041 H) upon a gesture from his Sufi mentor. Due to its high value and wide acceptance, many commentaries were written to elaborate and explain the meanings it had within.
This commentary;
Tuhfat al-Murid ala Jawharatul Tawhid or
Hashiyat al-Bajuri as it is widely known is by the most relied on commentary of the
Jawharat. It has very clear explanation and mentions various opinions that differ each other by the expert in this field.
Shaykh al Islam Imam al-Bajuri :
He is Imam Burhan 'ud-Din Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Bajuri,
may Allah have mercy upon him,
and was the Imam and Shaykh of Al-Azhar, Egypt (d.1198-1277 H). His
education began with the study of the Qur'an and its recitation [
tajwid] under his father's tutelage in his hometown of
Bajur a village in the province of
Manufiyya in Lower Egypt.
Imam al-Bajuri studied with some of the most prominent scholars of his time, these included
: *** Muhammad al-Amir al-Kabir al-Maliki, (d.1817),
*** 'Abdullah al-Sharqawi al-Shafi'i, Shaykh al-Azhar 1793-1812 (d.1812),
*** Dawud al-Qalawi (d. uncertain),
*** Muhammad al-Fadali, (d.1821),
*** Hasan al-Quwaysni Shaykh al-Azhar 1834-1838 (d.1838),
*** Abu Hurayba al-Shintinawi al-Naqshbandi [sufi shaykh] (d.1852),
Scholars of diverse disciplines and
madhhab affiliations
studied with Al-Bajuri, coming from within and outside of Egypt.
Interestingly al-Bajuri also had students who were the grandson and
great grandson of Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab [
al-Najdi]. They
studied for over 8 years at Al-Azhar including with the most prominent
jurist-theologian sufi scholars of their time. Their studying with top
Azhari [sufi] scholars indicates that the political animosity between
Ash'aris and
Wahhabis /
Atharis
may not have been as clear cut or far reaching as some modern
proponents of each school might assume. Indeed Gilbert Delanoue mentions
that refutations of and reaction to
Wahhabi ideology did not
surface in Egypt until the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries, indicating the continuing strength and influence of Imam
al-Bajuri and his predecessors views.
Over 20 completed works are listed to have been attributed to al-Bajuri not to mention a further 6 unfinished works. Sufism [
tasawwuf] is treated in al-Bajuri's theological and legal works, especially in his
Tuhfat al-murid. This list of his works includes his commentary on the
Burda - a poem covering the biography [
sira] of the Prophet,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
from a decidedly sufi perspective and commentaries on Ibn Hajr
al-Haytami's [d.974/ 1566-67] and Ahmed al-Dardir's [d. 1201/1786] works
on the Birthday [
Mawlid] of the Prophet,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The latter is really a subject of jurisprudence, but is also tied to
tasawwuf, as Sufis are often the most active proponets of
Mawlid Celebrations.
Imam al-Bajuri was the shaykh of the
shafi'is in his day and has written the best explanation of one of the most studied books in the
Shafi'i school of thought, namely the
Matn Abi Shuja'. He named it
al-Iqna' Sharh Matn Abi Shuja'.
Al-Bajuris literary output further illuminates the contours and
textures of the archetypal scholar. He wrote on the core sciences,
fiqh,
usul al-din, and
tasawwuf as well as their ancillary and supporting sciences.
His theological writings were deeply entrenched in
Al-Sanusi's throught, along with other later Ash'aris like al-Taftazani (c.792/1390) and al-Razi. His Sufism is imbued with
Ghazalian,
Naqshbandi and a great of
Shadhili thought, as mentioned by many references to
Shadhili
scholars, such as al-Busiri, al-Shadhili's forefather Abu Madyan
[d.594/1198] and others. There was no science he didn't excel in and
this can be seen through his wide range of work in various fields.
He
passed away in 1858 after leaving his post as the Chief Shaykh of
Al-Azhar, Cairo. The chronicles relate him as a deeply pious man devoted
to seeking knowledge and seeking its benefits, as well as to educating
others and benefiting them thereby. He is described as one whose tongue
was always ''wet with praise'' of Allah and with the recitation of the
Qur'an, which he would complete in a day and a night,or nearly so. His
love for the Prophet and his Family is also noted, and it is said he
would visit their tombs often.
*Dimensions : 24.5 x 17.5 x 2.4cm.
