Ibn Abidin

Lore & Background

Ibn Abidin was born in Damascus in 1784 into a family from a long line of scholars, well respected. He studied the Qur'an starting at a very young age and received his first general degree of authorization from his first teacher, Shaykh Muhammad al-Kuzbari al-Kabir, when he was about 12 years old. He was said to have memorized the Qur'an before reaching maturity. After reciting the Qur'an at his father's shop and receiving criticism, he sought to perfect his work and studied vigorously under several well-known scholars, eventually receiving four degrees of authorization. He composed over 50 works, including a major fatwa collection, many treatises, poems, and several commentaries on the works of others. His most famous work is the Radd al-Muhtar 'ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar, still considered the authoritative text of Hanafi fiqh today. As a mufti of the Ottoman era, he was influenced not only by Islamic scholars but by the Ottomans. He went back and shortened, edited, and added his own opinion to the Damascus mufti before him, Hamid al-Imadi. He claimed that many things change with time and that laws need to be flexible to account for change in urf (local custom), writing: 'Many of the rules change with the change of time...' He stated that 'jurists should not proceed by strictly and rigidly adhering to the authoritative books and opinions of the madhhab, but should also pay attention to the needs of the people of his time, or else the harm he does will outweigh the benefit.' He believed ijtihad was acceptable if no prior ruling existed, saying: 'If Abu Hanifa has a ruling on a matter at hand, then his view is to be followed. If not, then we look for views by Abu Yusuf, then Muhammad al-Shaybani, then Zufar, then Hasan, then some other lesser jurists, but if no one has an answer at all, then it is incumbent on the mufti to look into it by way of deep thinking and ijtihad.' He also considered ijtihad acceptable if times had changed and the law required change, usually meaning laws needed to be made stricter as times became more corrupted. On marriage, he classified lowest-class occupations as barbers, metal workers, shepherds, and bath-keepers, but added that distinction depended on local custom. He stated that a non-Arab was lower than an Arab, and a learned non-Arab was higher than an ignorant non-Arab. He said the guardian of an orphan had the responsibility of the wali, and if the wali disregards a good marriage offer, the court has the right to interfere. He ruled that a husband must provide for his wife based on her social standing: an upper-class wife fed wheat bread and meat for lunch, a middle-class wife bread and animal fat, and a lower-class wife bread and cheese. If a husband was not receiving pleasure from his wife, he had the right to stop providing for her and to divorce her unless she had a disability; if a wife was not receiving pleasure, she had to wait one year before asking the court for a divorce. He criticized state tax collection, writing: 'But most of the extraordinary taxes imposed on the villages these days are not for preservation of either property or people, but are mere oppression and aggression and most of the expenses of the governor and his subordinates and the buildings of his residence and the residences of his soldiers and what he pays to the messengers of the sulton…levied in our country twice yearly and there are many sums on top of it that are taken as presents to his assistants and attendants…'

Ibn Abidin died on 21 Rabi al-thani in the year 1252 AH at age 54. His funeral prayer was led by his own teacher Saýīd al-Ĥalabī, who broke down, weeping and clutching his own beard, saying: 'I was treasuring you, for what comes after my old age.' Prayers were held in the Sināniyyah mosque, and he was buried—in accordance with his will—near the grave of Shaykh Álāuddin al-Ĥaşkafī, author of Durr al-Mukhtār, and next to the great muĥaddith Şāliĥ al-Jaynīnī in Damascus.

Reader's Guide

Ibn Abidin's significance lies in his role as a Hanafi authority who adapted classical jurisprudence to Ottoman-era realities. His Radd al-Muhtar 'ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar remains a standard reference for Hanafi fiqh, consulted by scholars worldwide. He exemplified the practical functioning of the fatwa system, balancing precedent with local custom and personal reasoning. His views on urf and ijtihad challenged the notion that independent reasoning had ended among Hanafis, arguing that muftis must consider the needs of their time to avoid causing harm. His marriage fatwas reflect social hierarchies and gender roles of his era, while his criticism of state taxes shows his independence from political pressure. His legacy endures as a bridge between classical Hanafi doctrine and the evolving needs of Muslim communities.

Did You Know?

• Ibn Abidin received his first general degree of authorization from his first teacher, Shaykh Muhammad al-Kuzbari al-Kabir, when he was about 12 years old.
• He composed over 50 works, including a major fatwa collection, many treatises, poems, and several commentaries on the works of others.
• He stated that 'many of the rules change with the change of time' and argued that muftis must consider the needs of their time to avoid causing harm.
• He classified lowest-class occupations as barbers, metal workers, shepherds, and bath-keepers, but added that distinction depended on local custom.
• His funeral prayer was led by his own teacher Saýīd al-Ĥalabī, who broke down weeping and clutching his own beard.

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