al-Suyuti facts for kids

Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti
Religion	Islam
Denomination	Sunni
Personal
Born	3 October 1445 CE / 1 Rajab 849 AH Cairo, Mamluk Sultanate
Died	18 October 1505 CE / 19 Jumadi Ula 911 AH Cairo, Mamluk Sultanate
Senior posting
Title	Shaykh al-Islām Jalal al-Din Al-Ḥāfiẓ
Religious career
Works	Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Al-Dur al-Manthur, Al-Itqan fi 'Ulum al-Qur'an [ar], Al-Jami' al-Saghir, Tanbih al-Ghabi bi-Tabriat Ibn 'Arabi [ar]
Influenced	Al-Sha'rani, Al-Dawudi, Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Shihab al-Din al-Ramli
Arabic name
Personal (Ism)	'Abd al-Raḥmān
Patronymic (Nasab)	ibn Abī Bakr ibn Muḥammad
Teknonymic (Kunya)	Abū al-Faḍl
Epithet (Laqab)	Jalāl al-Dīn
Toponymic (Nisba)	al-Suyūṭī, al-Khuḍayrī, al-Shāfi'ī

Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (Arabic: جلال الدين السيوطي, romanized: Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī) was a very important Egyptian Sunni scholar who lived from 1445 to 1505 CE. He was known as a "polymath," meaning he was an expert in many different subjects. People considered him a leading scholar in Hadith studies (sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad), Tafsir (explaining the Qur'an), and Islamic law.

Al-Suyuti wrote around one thousand books and essays. This makes him one of the most productive writers of his time. He wrote about almost every Islamic science. Because of his vast knowledge, he was given the special title of Shaykh al-Islām. He was also a top authority in the Shafi'i school of Islamic thought.

Biography

Early Life and Family History

Al-Suyuti was born in Cairo, Mamluk Sultanate, on October 3, 1445 CE. His family came from Persia on his father's side. His mother was from Circassia. His ancestors originally came from a place called al-Khudayriyya in Baghdad. Later, his family moved to Asyut, which is why he was called "al-Suyuti." His father taught Shafi'i law in Cairo. Sadly, Al-Suyuti's father passed away when Al-Suyuti was only 5 or 6 years old.

His Amazing Education

Al-Suyuti grew up in an orphanage in Cairo. He was very smart and learned the entire Qur'an by heart by the age of eight. This made him a Ḥāfiẓ. After that, he studied many subjects. These included Islamic law, Hadith studies, Tafsir (Qur'an explanation), Islamic theology, history, and Arabic grammar. He also learned about rhetoric, philosophy, math, and medicine.

He spent his whole life learning from about 150 teachers. Many of these teachers were the top experts in their fields. Some of his famous teachers included:

• Al-Kamal ibn al-Humam, a leading scholar of Islamic law.
• Alam al-Din al-Bulqini, another top scholar in Islamic law.
• Sharaf al-Din al-Munawi, a famous Hadith expert.
• Jalal al-Din Al-Mahalli, who wrote part of the famous Qur'an explanation called Tafsir al-Jalalayn with Al-Suyuti.
• Al-Sakhawi, a leading Hadith scholar.

To gain more knowledge, Al-Suyuti traveled a lot. He visited places like Syria, Mecca and Medina in Hejaz, Yemen, Iraq, India, Tunisia, Morocco, and Mali. He also traveled to important learning centers within Egypt.

Becoming a Teacher

Al-Suyuti started teaching Islamic law when he was just 18 years old. He taught at the same mosque where his father used to teach.

Later, he became the head of Hadith studies at a school in Cairo. This was suggested by another important scholar, Imam Kamal al-Din ibn al-Humam. In 1486, the Sultan Qaitbay appointed him to a Sufi lodge. However, he was removed from this position because other scholars protested. After this, he stopped teaching and felt tired of people being jealous of him.

Choosing a Private Life

In his late forties, Al-Suyuti decided to avoid public life. He moved to a garden near the River Nile. There, he focused on his studies and writing. It was during this time that he wrote most of his hundreds of books.

Rich and powerful people, including rulers, would visit him and offer him money and gifts. But Al-Suyuti always refused their offers. He even turned down the king many times. He once told the king's messenger:

"Do not ever come back to us with a gift, for in truth Allah has put an end to all such needs for us."

Important Events and Debates

Al-Suyuti sometimes had disagreements with other scholars of his time. Even his own teacher, Al-Sakhawi, and a fellow student, Al-Qastallani, had some issues with him. Al-Suyuti was accused of copying others' work, but these accusations were later dropped.

Defending Ibn Arabi

One of his most famous disagreements was with his teacher, Burhan al-Din Ibrahim ibn Umar al-Biqai. This teacher strongly criticized another scholar named Ibn Arabi. Al-Suyuti wrote a book to defend Ibn Arabi. In his book, Al-Suyuti explained that he believed Ibn Arabi was a Wali (a close friend of Allah). He also said that Ibn Arabi's books should only be read by those who understand the special terms used by Sufis.

His Beliefs and Spiritual Path

Al-Suyuti was an Ash'ari in his beliefs, which is a school of Islamic theology. He generally did not like too much philosophical discussion in religious matters. He believed in trusting in God's will.

Al-Suyuti also claimed to be a mujtahid. This means he was an expert who could make his own legal judgments based on Islamic sources. He said:

"I did not mean that I was similar to one of the Four Imams, but only that I was an affiliated mujtahid (mujtahid muntasib). For, when I reached the level of tarjih or distinguishing the best fatwa inside the school, I did not contravene Al-Nawawi's tarjih. And, when I reached the level of ijtihad mutlaq, I did not contravene Al-Shafi'i's school."

He also believed he had reached the same high level of knowledge as the greatest scholars of Hadith and Islamic law. He once said:

"When I went on hajj, I drank Zamzam Water water for several matters. Among them was that I reach the level of Sheikh Siraj al-Din al-Bulqini in fiqh, and in hadith, that of Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani.'"

Al-Suyuti even claimed that no one else in the world at his time was more knowledgeable than him in Hadith and the Arabic language. This statement brought him a lot of criticism. People thought he was arrogant. However, Al-Suyuti defended himself by saying he was just stating the truth so that people could benefit from his vast knowledge.

Al-Suyuti was also a Sufi, following the Shadhili order. Sufism is a spiritual path in Islam. He defended Sufis in his book, saying that true Sufis follow good manners and ethics.

His Passing

Al-Suyuti was considered the greatest scholar of his century. He kept writing and publishing books until he passed away on October 18, 1505 CE. He was 62 years old.

Near the end of his life, he wrote in one of his books:

"It is my hope that Allah accepts this book and that through this book I shall gain the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ. Perhaps it shall be that Allah makes it the seal of all my works, and grants me what I have asked Him with longing, regarding the Honorable One."

His Many Works

Al-Suyuti wrote an incredible number of books and essays. Some sources say he wrote on over 700 subjects, while others estimate between 500 and 981 works. These include short pamphlets and legal opinions.

He wrote his very first book when he was only seventeen years old. It was called Sharh Al-Isti'aadha wal-Basmalah.

In one of his books, Ḥusn al-Muḥaḍarah, Al-Suyuti listed 283 of his works. These books covered many topics, from religion to medicine. In his medical works, he focused on "prophetic medicine," which uses diet and natural remedies.

Some of His Major Books

• Tafsir al-Jalalayn: A famous explanation of the Qur'an, which he wrote with his teacher, Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli.
• Dur al-Manthur: Another well-known Qur'an explanation based on narrations.
• Al-Itqān fi 'Ulum Al-Qur'an: This book is about the different sciences related to the Qur'an.
• Al-Tibb al Nabawi: A book about Prophetic medicine.
• Al-Jaami' al-Saghir: A collection of Hadith.
• History of the Caliphs (Tarikh al-khulafa): A book about the history of Islamic leaders.
• Al-Khasais-ul-Kubra: This book talks about the miracles of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

See also

• List of Ash'aris
• List of Sufis

Images for kids

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  Shrine for Galal El-Dean al-Seyoti in Asiut