JalÃÂl al-Dën Muḥammad ibn ÿAbd al-RaḥmÃÂn al-Qazwënë (), commonly known as JalÃÂl al-Dën al-Qazwënë (; 739âÂÂ666 AH/ 1267âÂÂ1338 CE) was a renowned ShÃÂfiÿë jurist, linguist, judge, preacher, and scholar of Arabic rhetoric. He is most famous for refining and popularizing the science of balÃÂgha (Arabic rhetoric), particularly through his two influential works: Talkhëṣ al-MiftÃÂḥ and Al-êá¸ÂÃÂḥ fë ÿUlà «m al-BalÃÂgha. His writings became foundational in Islamic rhetorical education from the late medieval period onward, earning him recognition as one of the most influential scholars in the history of Arabic eloquence.
Jalal al-Din al-Qazwini was born in 666 AH (c. 1267 CE), most likely in Mosul, although his family originated from Qazwën in IranâÂÂhence his nisba "al-Qazwënë". He lived during the post-Abbasid era, a time marked by the expansion of scholarly institutions in the Islamic world. He lived in the lands of Rà «m with his father and brother, where he studied and trained in jurisprudence until he was appointed as judge (qÃÂá¸Âë) in Rà «m while still under the age of twenty.
Then he travelled to Damascus and studied under a number of its scholars. He pursued knowledge in various sciences and mastered uá¹£à «l al-fiqh, Arabic language, semantics (maÿÃÂnë), and eloquence (bayÃÂn). Al-Qazwënë belonged to the ShÃÂfiÿë school of law and held multiple public and scholarly. He taught at the BÃÂdariyyah Madrasa and when his brother was appointed judge of Damascus, he deputized for him. He then deputized for Najm al-Dën ibn á¹¢aá¹£rÃÂ, until the Sultan al-NÃÂá¹£ir summoned him and appointed him to the judiciary of Greater Syria (al-ShÃÂm) in the year 724 AH (1324 CE). He was also appointed as the preacher (khaá¹Âëb) at the Umayyad Mosque.
He had arrived to meet Sultan al-NÃÂá¹£ir on a Friday, and coincidentally, he met him within an hour of his arrival. The Sultan ordered him to deliver the Friday sermon in the Citadel Mosque, which he did. After finishing, he kissed the SultanâÂÂs hand and apologized, saying he had just arrived from travel and did not expect the Sultan to command him to preach. The Sultan thanked him and asked how much debt he owed. He replied, "Thirty thousand (dirhams)," so the Sultan ordered that his debts be paid off. He remained in office as the chief judge of al-ShÃÂm until he was summoned in the year 727 AH (1327 CE) and appointed as QÃÂá¸Âë al-Quá¸ÂÃÂt (Judge of Judges) of Egypt when Badr al-Dën ibn JamÃÂÿah fell ill. He remained there for a period before being dismissed and reinstated as Chief Judge in Greater Syria (Levant). The Sultan did not reject any of his intercessions (requests for favours). His prominent students include Siraj al-Din al-Bulqini, al-Safadi, and Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Aqil. He died in Damascus in 739 AH (1338 CE).
JalÃÂl al-Dën al-Qazwënë is considered one of the most influential figures in the codification of Arabic rhetoric (ÿilm al-balÃÂgha) during the post-classical period. Building upon the theoretical foundations laid by ÿAbd al-QÃÂhir al-JurjÃÂnë (d. 471/1078) and the systematization initiated by al-SakkÃÂkë (d. 626/1229), al-Qazwini played a central role in refining and organizing the field into a teachable, concise structure that shaped Islamic rhetorical education for centuries.
His two principal works â Talkhëṣ al-MiftÃÂḥ and Al-êá¸ÂÃÂḥ fë ÿUlà «m al-BalÃÂgha â became standard texts in madrasas across the Islamic world. Talkhëṣ al-MiftÃÂḥ is a succinct summary of the rhetorical sections of al-SakkÃÂkë's MiftÃÂḥ al-ÿUlà «m, focusing on the three core branches of rhetoric: maÿÃÂnë (semantics and sentence structure), bayÃÂn (figurative clarity), and badëÿ (stylistic embellishment). Its clarity and brevity made it a foundational primer, while al-êá¸ÂÃÂḥ served as a more detailed companion, offering elaboration and examples for advanced students.
Al-Qazwini's works became the subject of extensive commentary by later scholars, most notably al-TaftÃÂzÃÂnë (d. 792/1390), whose al-Mutawwal on the Talkhëṣ became a core text in its own right. Through these contributions, al-Qazwini helped transform balÃÂgha into a formal science distinct from Arabic grammar and literary criticism. His legacy endures in both the curriculum of traditional Islamic education and the broader study of Arabic eloquence.