Uzbekistan: a land multifarious geniuses. ABU-L-MUIN AN-NASAFI (Part 3)

Abu-I-Muin an-Nasafi’s followers and students

1. Najmiddin Umar an-Nasafi. He was known as a great Imam of his time, an expert in Hadiths, wisest stylist, a devoted
   student, a lawyer, a master in reading the Qur’an and a grammarian.
   He studied the sciences under the control of well-known scholars of his time and gave the full list of his teachers and masters in his
   book “Ta’dad shuyukh Umar” (The Total Number of Umar’s
   Teachers). As an estimated author Najmiddin Umar an-Nasafi
   created more than a hundred scientific works in different branches of science such as tafsir, hadith, lexicography, literature, lexicology and
   history. As an instance of his well-known works, we can mention his j
   books “Al-Aqaid an-Nasafiya” (An-Nasafi’s Teachings), “Tarikhi Bukhara” (The History of Bukhara),  “Al-qand fi zikri ulamaiB
   Samarqand” (A Sweet Book about the Scholars of Samarkand), “Majma’ al-ulum” (A Complex Information about Scholars), “An-Nashah fi sharh akhbar as-Sihah”, etc. Najmiddin Umar an-Nasafi had a nickname “Mufti as-saqlain” (A Mufti of Men and Giants). He was born in Nasaf in 1068 and died in Samarkand in 1142.
2. Alauddin as-Samarqandi. Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn
   Ahmad Abu Bakr Alauddin as-Samarqandi was the author of the
   famous book in the science of law “Tuhfatu-l-fuqaha” (A Preseni
   for Lawyers). He was taught law by Abu-l-Muin Maymun al
   Makhuli and Sadr al-Islam Abul Yusr al-Pazdavi and, in his turn, he taught his daughter Fatima who became a famous expert in law. He left his book devoted to law “Al-Lubab fi-l-usul al-fiqh”. He died approximately in 1180.
3. Abu Bakr al-Kasani. His full name was Abu Bakr ibn Mas’ud ibn Ahmad Alauddin ash-Shashi al-Hanafi. He lived in the city of Halab and became famous with the honourable title Malik-ul-ulama al-Kasani. He received much knowledge from the author of the book “Tuhfatu-l-fuqaha” Alauddin Muhammad as-Samarqandi. He read his books to him, especially those books which were devoted to “At Tuhfat fi-l-fiqh” and “Ilm al-usul”. He was also taught different branches of the Islamic science by well-known scholars of his time as Abu-l-Muin Maymun al-Makhuli and Majd-al-Aimmati as-Sadakhsi. In his turn, he taught law to his son Mahmud and the author of the book “Al-Muqaddima al-Ghaznavi” Ahmad ibn Mahmud al-Ghaznavi. He also created another book containing commentaries on his master’s book “Tuhfatu-l-fuqaha” under the title of “Bada’e as-sana’i fi tartib ash-shara’i”. He created one more book under the title of “As-Sultan al-mubiyn fi usul ad-diyn”. He died on the 10th day of the month Rajab in 578/1182 on Sunday afternoon and was buried in the graveyard Ibrahim al-Khalil, next to the grave of his beloved wife Fatima.
4. Abu-I-Muzaffar at-Talaqani. His full name was Ismail ibn Adi ibn al-Fazl ibn Ubaydullah Abu-l-Muzaffar at-Talaqani al-Vari. He was one of the lawyers of the Hanafian order. He was a mufti and an estimated lawyer of his time. He learned the secrets of law from Muhammad ibn Muhammad Abul Fazail who was known as Burhan an-Nasafi and other leading lawyers of his time. He listened to Hadiths from famous experts in the science of Hadiths in Bukhara one of whom was Abu-l-Muin Maymun ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Mu’tamid al-Makhuli an-Nasafi. In the city of Balkh, he received lessons on Hadiths from Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn al-Husain as-Sam’ani and Abu Bakr ibn Abdurrahman ibn al-Qusayr al-Khatiyb. As-Sam’ani wrote in his famous book “Al-ansab” about Abu-l-Muzaffar at-Talaqani the following lines: “He used to allow me to listen to the lectures on his scientific works attended by the devoted disciples. He visited different cities of Khorasan and Maveraunnahr and attended lessons on law. It is assumable that he died approximately in 540/1145. Such esti­mated figures as al-Hafiz Abu Ali al-Vaziyr ad-Dimashqi and al-Hafiz Abul Hajjaj al-Andalusi left important information about him”.
5. Ahmad al-Pazdavi. His full name was Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Husain ibn Abdulkarim ibn Musa ibn Abdullah ibn Mujahid ibn Abu-l-Yusr. He was also known under the names of Sadr al-Aimmati Abu-l-Maali al-Pazdavi, an-Nasafi al-Pazdavi, al-Qazi as-Sadr and Al-Imam az-Zahid ibn al-Imam Muhammad al-Pazdavi. He was born in either 481 or 482 A.H. in Bukhara. He was the son of a well-known lawyer in Maveraunnahr in the Hanafian order Abu-l-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Al-Husain ibn Abdulkarim al-Pazdavi’s brother.

He studied law from his father, reached the highest level in this field, and became an estimated figure in the Islamic law. Being a man of high potential, he was different from other leading scholars of law as he had received lessons on law and Hadiths from such geniuses in the science of law as Abu-l-Muin Maymun ibn Muhammad an-Nasafi and other leading lawyers of his time. Ahmad al-Pazdavi worked’ effectively as a judge in Bukhara for a short period of time.

Ahmad al-Pazdavi was respected for his moral qualities. On the way to hajj (pilgrimage), he had to stay for a short period in Marv and during his stay he delivered lessons on law and Hadiths to the inhabitant of this city, a well-known scholar as-Sam’ani. During his stay in Baghdad, he also delivered lessons for his followers on the science of Hadiths. On the way back home from hajj, he died in Sarakhs in 541/1146 in the month of Jumodu-l-uvla. His corpse was brought to Bukhara and buried there. Ahmad al-Pazdavi was a highly estimated mufti with respectable moral qualities and an expert in law and in the science of Hadiths as well as othci branches of the Islamic sciences.