علماء الفرائضInheritance Scholars and Astronomers

Scholars of the Laws of Inheritance

Aboo 'Abd Allaah al-Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn al-Wunee, the calculator and scholar of the laws of inheritance: he was an imam in the laws of inheritance and produced many fine works on the subject, in which he excelled. He was al-Khabree's teacher in arithmetic and the laws of inheritance, and many people benefited from him and his books. He died as a martyr in Baghdad in 451 AH, during the Fitna of al-Basaaseeree. al-Wunee: an ascription to Wun, a village in the district of Qoohistaan.

Shaykh 'Abd al-Baasit ibn Rustum ibn 'Alee ibn 'Alee Asghar al-Qannawjee: he was among the scholars of India.

He was born in 1159 AH. He acquired the sciences from his father and excelled in the transmitted and rational disciplines, especially arithmetic and the laws of inheritance. He produced useful works on these subjects and was, in his time, the teacher of teachers and the shaykh of shaykhs.

Many Indian scholars studied under him, among them my father, the accomplished scholar Hasan ibn 'Alee al-Qannawjee, may God have mercy on him. People travelled to him from distant lands in pursuit of knowledge, and students came to him from every distant pass. In the laws of inheritance he was a manifest sign of excellence: he taught, benefited others, composed works, and excelled. He died in 1223 AH. Among his works are: Zubdat al-Faraa'idh; Nadhm al-La'aalee, a commentary on the Threefold Narrations of al-Bukhaaree; Intikhaab al-Hasanaat, a translation of the hadeeths of Dalaa'il al-Khayraat; Forty Twofold Hadeeths, with its commentary entitled al-Habl al-Mateen fee Sharh al-Arba'een; 'Ajeeb al-Bayaan fee Asraar al-Qur'aan; and Shifaa' al-Shaafiya.

He possessed outstanding mastery of grammar, morphology, jurisprudence, legal theory, and logic. He wrote a commentary on al-Tahdheeb known as the Commentary of al-Faadhil al-Qannawjee.

He wrote quickly and in a fine hand. The people of his age held him in immense esteem, and the scholars of his time honored him with great distinction. Among his students was the shaykh and mufti Walee Allaah al-Farrukhaabaadee, author of al-Matar al-Thajjaaj fee Sharh Saheeh Muslim ibn al-Hajjaaj.

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Scholars of Astronomy

Aboo Ma'shar Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn 'Umar al-Balkhee, the renowned astrologer: he was the imam of his age in his discipline and produced useful works on the science of astrology.

Among them are al-Madkhal, al-Zeej, al-Uloof, and others. He had astonishingly accurate predictions. He died in 273 AH.

Al-Balkhee: an ascription to Balkh, a great city in Khuraasaan, conquered by al-Ahnaf ibn Qays al-Tameemee during the caliphate of 'Uthmaan, may God be pleased with him. This al-Ahnaf is the man whose forbearance became proverbial.

Aboo al-Hasan 'Alee ibn Yahyaa ibn Abee Mansoor, the astrologer: he was al-Mutawakkil's boon companion and one of his close associates and foremost courtiers. He then passed into the service of the caliphs who succeeded him, and he remained influential and favored among them. He would sit before their thrones; they disclosed their secrets to him and trusted him with their affairs. He continued to occupy an exalted position among them. He later joined al-Fath ibn Khaaqaan and prepared for him a library, most of whose contents concerned wisdom. He had fine poetry and lived until he served al-Mu'tamid 'alaa Allaah. He died in 275 AH at Saamarraa'. He left a group of children, all of them distinguished, learned, literary, and fit for companionship.

Aboo al-Hasan 'Alee ibn Abee Sa'eed 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Yoonus al-Sadafee al-Misree, the renowned astrologer, author of al-Zeej

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al-Haakimee, known as the Zeej of Ibn Yoonus: it is in four volumes. He treated its exposition and practical application at length, and spared no effort in editing it. Among the zeejes, despite their great number, none is longer than it. He specialized in astronomy while exercising competence in all the other sciences. He devoted his lifetime to observation and the calculation of nativities, producing work for which there was no equal. He would stand in observation of a star. He died in 393 AH, was buried in his home, and the funeral prayer was performed over him in the congregational mosque in Egypt.

Aboo 'Abd Allaah Muhammad ibn Jaabir ibn Sinaan al-Harraanee, the renowned calculator and astrologer, author of al-Zeej al-Saabi': he produced remarkable calculations and precise observations, and was unequalled in his age in his discipline. His works demonstrate the abundance of his merit and the breadth of his knowledge. He died in 317 AH at a place called Qasr al-Hadhar. Ibn Khallikaan said: “I do not know that he became a Muslim, but his name indicates that he did.” His works include al-Zeej, in two versions, the second being superior; Ma'rifat Mataali' al-Burooj feemaa bayna Arbaa' al-Falak fee Miqdaar al-Ittisaalaat; and a commentary on Ptolemy's four treatises.

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