Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ibn Ḥajar al-‘Asqalānī |
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| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Personal | |
| Born | 18 February 1372 / 773 AH Cairo, Mamluk Sultanate, now Egypt |
| Died | 2 February 1449 (aged 76) Cairo, Mamluk Sultanate, now Egypt / 852 AH |
| Resting place | City of the Dead (Cairo), Cairo, Egypt |
| Senior posting | |
| Title | Shaykh al-Islām/ Ḥāfiẓ |
| Influenced | Al-Sakhawi, Zakariyya al-Ansari Al-Suyuti |
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (full name: Shihabud-Din Abul-Fadl Ahmad ibn Nurud-Din Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Hajar al-Asqalani al-Kinani) was a super smart Islamic scholar. He lived from 1372 to 1449 CE. People called him a "polymath" because he knew a lot about many different subjects.
Ibn Hajar was especially famous for his work on Hadith. Hadith are the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad. He wrote about 150 books on Hadith, history, biographies, and Islamic law. His most important book is Fath al-Bari, which explains another famous book called Sahih al-Bukhari.
Contents
Early Life and Amazing Memory
Ibn Hajar was born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1372. His parents were from Alexandria and originally from a place called Ashkelon. Sadly, both his parents passed away when he was very young.
He and his sister were then cared for by his father's relative, Zaki ad-Din al-Kharrubi. When Ibn Hajar was just five years old, he started studying the Qur'an. He was incredibly good at it! He learned a whole chapter, called Surah Maryam, in just one day. By the time he was nine, he had memorized the entire Qur'an. He also memorized other important texts about Islamic law.
His Journey to Knowledge
When Ibn Hajar was 12, he traveled to Mecca with his guardian. He was already so knowledgeable that he was chosen to lead the special prayers during Ramadan.
After his guardian passed away in 1386, Ibn Hajar continued his studies in Egypt. He learned from many famous scholars, including Sirajud-Din al-Bulqini and Abdur-Rahim ibn al-Husain al-'Iraqi. He then traveled to other important cities like Damascus and Jerusalem to learn even more. He studied with many teachers, including a respected female scholar named Fatima bint al-Manja at-Tanukhiyya.
He also visited Medina and Yemen before returning to Egypt. There's a story that he drank water from the Zamzam Well in Mecca. He wished to become as good at memorizing as another great scholar named adh-Dhahabi. And it's said that he succeeded, even becoming better!
Family and Important Roles
In 1397, when Ibn Hajar was 25, he married Uns Khatun. She was also a very respected expert in Hadith. She even had special permission to teach and gave public lectures to many scholars.
Ibn Hajar became a very important person in Egypt. He was appointed as the chief-judge (called a Qadi) several times. This meant he was in charge of making important legal decisions.
His Passing
Ibn Hajar passed away on February 2, 1449, when he was 79 years old. About 50,000 people attended his funeral in Cairo. This shows how much he was respected and admired by everyone, including the Sultan and the Caliph of Cairo.
His Many Books
Ibn Hajar wrote around 150 books! These books covered many topics like Hadith, history, biographies of important people, and explanations of the Qur'an. Here are some of his most famous works:
- Fath al-Bari: This is his most famous book. It's a detailed explanation of Sahih al-Bukhari, which is one of the most important collections of Hadith. When this book was finished, there were huge celebrations in Cairo!
- al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-Sahaba: This book is like a huge dictionary of the Sahaba, who were the companions of Prophet Muhammad.
- al-Durar al-Kaminah: This is a collection of biographies of important people from his time.
- Tahdhib al-Tahdhib: This book is about the people who narrated Hadith. It helps scholars know if the Hadith are reliable.
- Bulugh al-Maram min adillat al-ahkam: This book focuses on Hadith that are used in Islamic law.
- Lisan al-Mizan: Another important book that helps evaluate the people who narrated Hadith.
Ibn Hajar's works are still studied and respected by scholars all over the world today.
