Al-Zamakhshari (Persian: محمود زمخشری; 18 March 1075 – 13 June 1144), a Persian Islamic scholar.
A philosopher and Islamic scholar of Turkic origin who conducted research and produced various works in many fields of the Islamic sciences such as tafsir (Quranic exegesis), kalam (theology), fiqh (jurisprudence), lexicography, and rhetoric. He was born in 1074 in the town of Zamakhshar in Khwarazm and died in 1144, on the eve of Arafah, in Köhne Ürgenç (Konye-Urgench).
Life
His real name was Mahmud. He was called al-Zamakhshari after the city where he was born, and Jar Allah because he lived in Mecca for a long time. He was a scholar adhering to the Mu'tazila creed. He was a genius scholar especially in the Arabic language and literature and in rhetoric. Known as al-Zamakhshari, his full name (kunya) was Abu al-Qasim Jar Allah Mahmud ibn Umar ibn Ahmad al-Zamakhshari.
Mahmud was born in 1075 in the town of Zamakhshar in Khwarazm. When he lost one of his legs as a result of an accident in his childhood, he had to walk with an artificial leg. Belonging to a devout family, he received his first education from his father. His father, taking into account his son's disability, wished him to earn his living through the tailoring profession, which was suitable for his condition and could be practiced while seated. However, upon Mahmud's insistence on studying, he enrolled him in a madrasa. His father was imprisoned for a reason not precisely known and spent the rest of his life there.
Mahmud studied in Khwarazm under Abu Mudar Mahmud ibn Jarir al-Dabbi, who held an important position in the fields of medicine, language, and grammar. Alongside his lessons in language and literature, under the influence of the education he received he adhered to the Mu'tazila creed. Owing to his superior intelligence and the success he demonstrated, he received both material and moral support from his teacher. At one point he also went to Bukhara and received education there. During these years he also enjoyed the protection and support of the Great Seljuk Sultan Malik-Shah and his famous vizier Nizam al-Mulk, who were reigning at the time.
In order to acquire knowledge, Mahmud traveled through various lands. After leaving Khwarazm, he went to Khorasan. There he established contact with prominent figures. Then he went to Isfahan. Here too he met with Malik-Shah's son and composed a qasida praising him. He also studied at the Nizamiyya Madrasa in Baghdad. There he took lessons in hadith, tafsir, kalam, fiqh, grammar, and literature. He trained as an expert in Arabic and linguistics.
Personality and intellectual life
Al-Zamakhshari made journeys to acquire knowledge and went to Baghdad several times, and stayed in Mecca for a while. Because of his stay in Mecca, he was given the title Jar Allah. In Baghdad he learned from Ali ibn al-Muzaffar al-Nishaburi, Abu al-Nasr al-Isfahani, and Abu Mansur al-Jawaliqi. He studied fiqh under Shaykh Sadid al-Khayyati. Al-Zamakhshari, who knew Arabic very well, gained profound knowledge in tafsir, fiqh, lexicography, and rhetoric. The Kashshaf tafsir written by al-Zamakhshari, who was extraordinarily advanced especially in the science of rhetoric, was in this respect much admired and became renowned. The Ahl al-Sunna scholars benefited from his tafsir in matters related to rhetoric. Although he was of Persian origin, it is related that, to express his mastery of the Arabic language, he climbed Mount Abu Qubays and said, "O Arabs, come and learn the language of your forefathers from me." Although al-Zamakhshari belonged, in terms of fiqh, to the Hanafi school of the Ahl al-Sunna, in terms of creed he was a Mu'tazilite. However, it is also said that he repented and turned away from Mu'tazilism as he was dying. Yet it is seen that in his tafsir he gave place, both openly and implicitly, to the Mu'tazila creed. The Kashshaf tafsir is a masterpiece that carries great value in the matter of rhetoric and displays the eloquence of the Quran.
Works
Al-Zamakhshari trained a significant number of students and, just as he continued to study until the end of his life, he also wrote a large number of works. Although he knew Turkish and Persian well besides Arabic, he wrote the greater part of his works in Arabic. His most important work is the tafsir known as the Kashshaf. In this work he addressed the superiority and subtleties in the language of the Quran. This work brought him great fame in the Islamic world. Numerous authors and exegetes benefited from this work as a source. It was translated into various languages.
Some of his other works are: Muqaddimat al-Adab, Nukat al-Arab, al-Minhaj, Ru'us al-Masa'il, al-Mufassal, al-Muhajat, Asas al-Balagha, Atwaq al-Dhahab, Maqamat, al-Unmudhaj, Ajab al-Ajab, al-Durr al-Da'ir, al-Minhaj fi Usul al-Din, al-Nawabigh al-Kalim, al-Mufrad wa'l-Mu'annath, al-Qistas al-Mustaqim fi'l-Arud...
His poems are collected in his Divan. A manuscript copy of the Divan is held in the Süleymaniye Library.
Sources
- Turkish Wikipedia: tr.wikipedia.org
- English Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org