Burhan al-Din al-Biqa'i
Burhān al-Dīn al-Biqāʿī | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | 809 AH, (1406 CE) |
| Died | 885 AH, (1480 CE) |
| Main interest(s) | Tafsir |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| School | Shafi'i |
| Creed | Ash'ari |
| Muslim leader | |
Influenced by | |
Influenced | |
Burhān al-Dīn al-Biqāʿī (Arabic: برهان الدين البقاعي; died 1480) was a 15th-century Muslim scholar of the Shafi'i school of Islamic thought. He was an exegete as well as a prominent critic of the Andalusian philosopher, Ibn Arabi. He is remembered most for his method to Tafsir (exegesis) involving quoting from biblical sources such as the Hebrew Bible.
Life
[edit]Burhan al-Din al-Biqa'i, real name Ibrahim ibn Umar, was born in 1406 in the Beqaa as stated in his epithet al-Biqa'i (from Beqaa).[1] He moved to Damascus and Cairo for his studies. In Cairo, he was a student of Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani.[1][2] Through Ibn Hajar's recommendation, the ruling Burji Mamluk sultan, Sayf al-Din Jaqmaq accepted al-Biqa'i as a personal tutor.[2] He was also promoted to a role as a teacher at the Mosque of al-Zahir Baybars in Cairo.[1][2]
During his time in Cairo, he faced harsh criticism from contemporary scholars for his approach to Quranic exegesis.[1][2][3] Some of the scholars ordered violent uprisings against him, so he quickly moved back to Damascus for his safety.[3] One of the qadi (Islamic judges) of the Shari'a courts even ruled that al-Biqa'i was an apostate and heretic, but later retracted the ruling.[3]
Burhan al-Din al-Biqa'i died in 1480 and was buried in the cemetery at Bab al-Saghir.[1][2][3]
Views
[edit]Ibn Arabi
[edit]Burhan al-Din al-Biqa'i was very critical of Ibn Arabi and his ideas. He wrote a treatise titled Tanbih al-Ghabi ila Takfir Ibn 'Arabi (The Warning To An Ignorant Regarding Ibn Arabi's Apostasy).[4][5] The book listed down several of Ibn Arabi's sayings which he considered as blasphemous. Included was also an extension of criticism against the poet Ibn al-Farid.[6] He also quoted evidences from other scholars contemporary to and before him, like Zain al-Din al-'Iraqi, to support his evidence that Ibn Arabi was a disbeliever.[6]
Contemporary Muslim scholar, Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti wrote a booklet, Tanbih al-Ghabi bi-Tabri'at Ibn 'Arabi as a refutation of the book and a defence of Ibn Arabi in general.[7]
Quranic exegesis
[edit]In his tafsir (commentary of the Qur'an) titled Nazm al-Durar fi Tanasub al-Ayat wa-al-Suwar, he drew extensively on the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament as sources to elucidate certain Qur'anic verses.[1][8][9] Aside from this, al-Biqa'i favoured the use of rhetorical and logical coherence as the primary tool for interpretation of the Qur'an.[1][8][9]
Works
[edit]- Nazm al-Durar fi Tanasub al-Ayat wa-al-Suwar: His commentary on the Qur'an, which displays Ash'arite influence.[8] Parts of it have been compiled into a separate book called Tafsir Juzi' 'Aum.[9]
- Tanbih al-Ghabi bi-Tabri'at Ibn 'Arabi: A criticism of Ibn Arabi and Ibn al-Farid. This work was heavily criticized by the polymath Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, who wrote a refutation booklet titled Tanbih al-Ghabi bi-Tabri'at Ibn 'Arabi.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Saleh, W. (2008a). In Defense of the Bible: A Critical Edition and an Introduction to al-Biqāʿī's Bible Treatise. Islamic History and Civilization. Brill. ISBN 978-90-474-3378-1.
- ^ a b c d e "Burhān al-Dīn al-Biqāʿī: A Controversial Man – Mamlukisation of the Mamluk Sultanate II". Retrieved 2024-12-14.
- ^ a b c d "منهج العلامة البقاعي في كتاب «النُّكَت الوفيّة بما في شرح الألفية»". web.archive.org. 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
- ^ Roger Allen; D. S. Richards, eds. (2006). Arabic Literature in the Post-Classical Period. Cambridge University Press. p. 128. ISBN 9780521771603.
- ^ a b Antonella Ghersetti, ed. (2016). Al-Suyuti, a Polymath of the Mamluk Period. Islamic History and Civilization. Vol. 138. Brill. p. 11. ISBN 9789004334526.
- ^ a b al-Biqa'i, ed. (2013). Tanbih al-Ghabi ila Takfir Ibn 'Arabi. Turath Publishing. ISBN 9957635212.
- ^ Ibn Khafif (1999). Correct Islamic Doctrine/Islamic Doctrine. Translated by Gibril Fouad Haddad. Islamic Supreme Council of America. pp. 6–7. ISBN 9781930409019.
- ^ a b c al-Biqa'i. Ghalib al-Mahdi, A.R. (ed.). Nazm al-Durar fi Tanasub al-Ayat wa-al-Suwar. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Al Kutub Al Ilmiyah. ISBN 9782745151339.
- ^ a b c al-Biqa'i (2001). Tafsir Juzi' 'Aum [Commentary on the Juzi'] (in Arabic). Dar Sader. ISBN 9953130337.