Abà « Muḥammad al-Ḥusayn ibn MasÃ»à «d ibn Muḥammad al-FarrÃÂ' al-Baghawë (Persian/Arabic:çèààÃÂàï ÃÂóÃÂàèààóùÃÂï èúÃÂÃÂ), also known as al-Baghawë () was a Persian Sunni Muslim scholar based in Khorasan. He was a prominent Quran exegete (mufassir), traditionist (muhaddith), and Shafi'i jurist (faqih). He best known for his two major works, MaûÃÂlim at-Tanzël and Masabih as-Sunnah.
Al-Baghawi was known by several titles and was referred to as the "Supporter of the Religion" (Dhahër al-Dën) by Ibn KhallikÃÂn, who describes him as an ocean in the religious sciences. Al-Baghawë was dubbed the "Reviver of the Sunna" (Muḥyë as-Sunna) because he supposedly dreamed of the Islamic prophet telling him, âÂÂYou revived my Sunna through your commentary on my ḥadëthsâ and this was due to compiling his work Sharḥ al-Sunna. He is also known as the "Pillar of the Religion" (Rukn al-Dën).
His last name, al-Baghawë, comes from where he was born, and he is not the only scholar with this name; according to YÃÂqà «t al-Ḥamawë (d. 626/1229), a number of scholars were born in this village and also had the same name. Al-Baghawë is also known as Ibn al-FarrÃÂþor al-FarrÃÂþ, which means âÂÂthe furrierâ or âÂÂson of the furrier.â Scholars disagreed as to whether this denotes his own occupation or his father's.
His birthdate is only mentioned by Yaqut al-Hamawi in his Muÿjam al-BuldÃÂn to be in JumÃÂdàal-Awwal, 433/January 1042. However, subsequent sources, like MiftÃÂḥ al-SaÿÃÂda by ṬÃÂsh KopruzÃÂdeh and al-AÿlÃÂm by Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli, report that he was born in 436 AH. According to every source, his hometown is Baghshûr, also known as Bagh, in KhurÃÂsÃÂn, a city that lies between Herat and Merv.
A greater understanding of the scholar's thoughts and the intellectual environment around them is made possible by knowing their educational background. The names of the academics who taught al-Baghawë and their areas of expertise are described in detail in biographical pages. His professors are spread out among different KhurÃÂsÃÂn residents and are highly knowledgeable and diversified. al-QÃÂá¸Âë Ḥusayn was al-Baghawë's main teacher, and he studied fiqh and received hadith from him as well as from many other experts. QÃÂá¸Âë Ḥusayn's influence on al-Baghawë can be assessed by the many ḥadëths that he transmitted in Sharḥ al-Sunna and the frequent references to his legal judgements in al-Tahdhëb.
Although al-Baghawë's educational travels are not consistently documented, Ibn al-Subkë makes sure that al-Baghawë did not travel to Baghdad due to the lack of sources on his interactions in this area. Ibn Taghribirdi mentions that he travelled to different places to hear ḥadëths. The six other scholars mentioned as ḥadëth teachers of al-Baghawë were not all based in Baghshà «r or al-Marw al-Rà «dk but across KhurÃÂsÃÂn. Some of his professors were hadith experts well-versed in adab and fiqh, including Abà « ÿAmr ÿAbd al-Waḥid al-Malëḥë, Abà « al-Ḥasan al-DÃÂwà «dë, Abà « Bakr Yaÿqà «b al-Ṣërafë, and Abà « Bakr Muḥammad b. Haytham al-TurÃÂbë.
Abà « al-QÃÂsim al-Qushayrë and Abà « al-Ḥasan b. Yà «suf al-Juwaynë are the last two teachers of al-Baghawë who were major scholars of their respective times. Al-Qushayrë is considered a great Sufi master, but his knowledge encompassed fiqh, legal theory, ḥadëth, Quranic exegesis, and adab. Abà « al-Ḥasan b. Yà «suf al-Juwaynë is a Sufi muhaddith who wrote a Sufi treatise called al-Silwa fë ÿulà «m al-á¹£à «fiyya. He was also the elder brother of the renowned legal scholar Imam al-Haramayn. These scholars' names reappear in al-BaghawëâÂÂs ḥadëth isnads across his works. While many had teaching and adjudicating duties, the exact institutions remain unknown. Their educational backgrounds, writings, and positions give information on the Sunni scholarly scene.
Regarding the second pillar of science, al-Baghawë, which he acquired from his masters, he also studied the knowledge that earlier Muslim scholars (salÃÂf) had left behind and drew on his own knowledge from literature. Al-Baghawë was well known for his religiosity and never taught without performing an wudu. Furthermore, it seems that he did not prioritise the wordily living because he liked to eat solely bread and began combining it with oil after his neighbours complained. He was a preacher who urged the people to follow the Sunnah and classical works. From among his pupils include Diya' al-Din al-Makki, the father of renowned polymath Fakhr al-Din al-Razi.
Al-Baghawë passed away in 516 AH in the month of Shawwal/1123 and was buried right next to his teacher al-Qadi Husayn in the ṬÃÂliqÃÂn cemetery in Marw al-Rudh.
Taqi al-Din al-Subki said: âÂÂVery little do we see al-Baghawi choosing something unless if he researched it he would find one that was stronger than the others, besides that he could also express it concisely, this shows that he was given extraordinary intelligence, and he is careful in such matters.âÂÂ
Al-Dhahabi said: âÂÂAl-Baghawë was an imam who had a lot of knowledge, a role model, an expert on hadith, Shaikh al-IslÃÂm, life of the Sunnah, and many of his compositions.âÂÂ
Al-Dhahabi said: âÂÂHis works were blessed and received complete acceptance due to his righteous purpose and sincere intention.âÂÂ