al-Juwayni facts for kids

al-Juwayni
Religion	Islam
Denomination	Sunni Islam
Personal
Born	17 February 1028 Boštanekān, Jowayin County, near Nishapur, Greater Khorasan, Persia, now Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran
Died	20 August 1085 (aged 57)
Senior posting
Title	Imam al-Haramayn Sheikh ul-Islam Ḍiyā' al-Dīn
Influenced	Abu Hamid al-Ghazali Al-Kiya al-Harrasi Abu al-Qasim al-Ansari Abd al-Ghafir al-Farsi Abu al-Hasan al-Tabari

Dhia' ul-Dīn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Yūsuf al-Juwaynī al-Shafi'ī (Persian: امام الحرمین ضیاءالدین عبدالملک ابن یوسف جوینی شافعی, born February 17, 1028, died August 20, 1085) was an important Persian Sunni scholar. He was known as a leading expert in Islamic law, legal theory, and Islamic theology.

People often call him al-Juwayni. He was also known as Imam al-Haramayn, which means "leading master of the two holy cities" – Mecca and Medina. He was considered a highly skilled legal scholar in Islamic law. Al-Juwayni was a very influential thinker in the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islamic law. Many saw him as the second founder of the Shafi'i school, after its first founder Imam al-Shafi'i. He was also a key figure in the Ash'ari school of theology. He received special titles like Shaykh of Islam, The Glory of Islam, and The Absolute Imam of all Imams.

Early Life and Learning

Al-Juwayni was born on February 17, 1028, in a village near Naysabur, Iran. He was a very smart Muslim scholar, especially good at understanding Islamic legal matters. His family was well-known for studying law. His father, Abu Muhammad al-Juwayni, was a famous Shafi'i law expert and teacher. His older brother, Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali al-Juwayni, taught about Hadith, which are sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad.

His Education

Al-Juwayni grew up in Naysabur, a city full of smart people and learning. From a young age, he studied many important religious subjects with his father. These included Arabic grammar, the Quran, hadith, fiqh (Islamic law), and the rules of Islamic law. He even read all of his father's books. This gave him a very strong understanding of Shafi'i law.

After his father passed away in 1047, al-Juwayni took over his father's role as a teacher. This showed how deeply he understood the Shafi'i legal tradition.

His Teachers

Besides his father, al-Juwayni learned from many other scholars. He studied Islamic theology and legal theory with Abu al-Qasim al-Isfarayini. He learned hadith from al-Bayhaqi. He also improved his Arabic grammar and learned about Quranic interpretation.

Al-Juwayni learned about hadith from several other teachers too. After building a strong base in these subjects, he worked to become even more skilled in the Ash'ari theological school and the Shafi'i legal school. He also traveled to cities like Isfahan, Baghdad, and Hejaz (which includes Mecca and Medina) to meet other scholars and learn more about law and its principles.

Leaving and Returning Home

Al-Juwayni had to leave Nishapur because of a difficult situation. The governor, Al-Kundduri, ordered that Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari (a famous theologian) be cursed during Friday prayers. He also said that anyone who followed Ash'ari's ideas would be put in prison. Many scholars, including al-Juwayni, had to secretly leave the city.

Al-Juwayni went to Mecca and Medina to find a new home. He taught and wrote books there for four years. His teaching was so respected that he earned the title Imam al-Haramayn, meaning "leading master of the two holy cities".

Later, when Nizam al-Mulk came to power, al-Juwayni was invited back to Nishapur. He became a respected grand mufti (a top legal expert). He was also made the head of the new and famous Nizamiyya school. He stayed there for 30 years, teaching and preparing the next generation of Shafi'i lawyers and Ash'ari theologians. Most of his important books were written during this time after he returned from Mecca and Medina.

His Students

Al-Juwayni taught over 400 students. Many of his students became very famous scholars themselves. Some of his most well-known students include:

• Abu Hamid al-Ghazali
• Al-Kiya al-Harrasi
• Abu al-Qasim al-Ansari
• Abd al-Ghafir al-Farsi
• Abu al-Hasan al-Tabari
• Abu al-Hasan al-Bakhirzi
• Ibn al-Qushayri (son of Al-Qushayri)

Al-Ghazali was al-Juwayni's most important student and became one of the most influential scholars in Islamic history. Al-Juwayni made some famous remarks about al-Ghazali:

Al-Ghazali is a quenching sea in which you can drown in.

You buried me while I am still alive. Can't you wait until I'm dead? (By this al-Juwanyni meant, your books outshine me)

His Death

Al-Juwayni passed away from liver disease on August 20, 1085. A very large crowd attended his funeral. Four hundred of his students showed their deep sadness for days in Khurasan. A scholar named Ibn Asakir said: "I believe that the marks of his hard work and striving in Allah's religion shall endure until the rising of the Hour."

His Beliefs

Al-Juwayni was a Sunni jurist and a Mutakallim, which means he studied religious principles. He spent his life trying to figure out what a Muslim should and should not do. He was known for being very firm in his beliefs and did not like it when people guessed about legal matters. His main idea was that the law should not be based on guesses. Instead, he believed that religious texts held the answers to any legal question.

His Works

Al-Juwayni wrote many important books. Here are some of his well-known works:

Theology (Kalam)

• Al-Irshad: A very important book on Islamic theology.
• Al-Shamil fi Usul al-Din [ar] (A Summary of the Principles of Religion)
• Al-'Aqida al-Nizamiyya [ar] (The Nizami Creed)
• Luma' al-Adilla fi Qawa'id 'Aqā'id Ahl al-Sunna [ar] (Flashes of Proof for the Principles of Sunni Beliefs)

Islamic Law (Fiqh)

• Nihayat al-Matlab fi Dirayat al-Madhhab نهاية المطلب في دراية المذهب: This was his most important work. Ibn 'Asakir said there was nothing like it in Islam.
• Ghiyath al-Umam (غياث الأمم)
• Mughith al-Khalq (مغيث الخلق)
• Mukhtasar al-Nihaya

Principles of Islamic Law (Usul al-Fiqh)

• Al-Burhan: Considered one of the four main books in this field of study.
• Al-Talkhis
• Al-Waraqat

Sometimes, the book Fara'id al-Simtayn is wrongly thought to be written by al-Juwayni. However, it was actually written by another Sunni scholar named Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Himaway al Juwaynim, who died much later in 1322.

See also

• List of Ash'aris
• List of Muslim theologians