Ibn 'Abd as-Salam

Izz ad-Din Ibn Abdul Salam was a Damascene scholar of Islamic jurisprudence and theology active in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. He moved to Egypt later in his life, after being imprisoned for a while.

Biography

Izz ad-Din Ibn Abdul Salam was born in Damascus in 1182. He received his education in Islamic sciences under such famous scholars as Ibn Asakir, al-Amidi and Abu Muhammad al-Qasim. Though his education started late, it proceeded very quickly, and he was soon appointed to the position of head lecturer at Zawiyah al-Ghazaliyah school in his native city, as well as the imam of the Umayyad Mosque. Izz ad-Din was held in such esteem for his knowledge that when he arrived in Egypt, at the age of sixty, after a spell in prison, the jurist Al-Mundhiri refused to issue any fatwas with the justification that: "It does not behove any jurist to give a fatwa where Izz al-Din happens to be present." The famous Islamic historian Adh-Dhahabi judged his piety and knowledge to be so lofty that it had elevated him to the rank of ijtihad. Ibn al-Hajib judged his knowledge to be above that of al-Ghazali - a very high encomium, considering the elevated status of al-Ghazali in the landscape of Islamic thought.

Izz ad-Din was received warmly by the Ayyubid Sultan al-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub in Egypt, and was appointed as the imam of the Amr Ibn al-Aas Mosque, where he delivered sermons on Fridays, in addition to being appointed as the Chief Justice of Egypt and lecturer of Shafi'i fiqh at the Salihiyah school (founded by the Sultan). There, in Egypt, as in Damascus, he insisted on providing sincere advice to the rulers. On one occasion, he accosted the Sultan during Eid festivities in the king's throne room to counsel against the proliferation of wineries and the public consumption of alcohol, which is expressly forbidden by Islamic Law. The Mamluk Sultan Muzaffar al-Quttuz took a great liking to Izz ad-Din and kept him close as a counseler. Izz ad-Din encouraged Muzaffar to fight the Tartars. Muzaffar's positive reaction to this advice led to the historic battle of Ain Jalut.

Opinion on Ibn Arabi

It is reported that once, while delivering a lecture, a question was asked about Ibn Arabi. Izz ad-Din was silent while one of his students cast aspersions on Ibn Arabi. Later, at dinner, Izz ad-Din was asked again concerning Ibn Arabi; he extolled his virtue to the surprise of the questioner, who had been present when Izz ad-Din's student had denigrated Ibn Arabi while he (Izz ad-Din) had remained silent. Asked for justification for this behaviour, Izz ad-Din pointed out that those students were jurists (that is, they only understood the external implications of Islam, and not its esoteric implications).

Reception

Izz ad-Din is held in great esteem in the Sunni world. He is regarded as a mujtahid.

Death

Izz ad-Din died in Egypt in the year 1261.

Selected Works

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