30.03.2021
191

ABU BAKR IYADI

(died 361/971)

Abu Bakr Iyadi is a representative of the Iyadi dynasty and the brother of Abu Ahmad Iyadi. His work called “al-Masail al-‘Ashriyya” is famous among Maturidi scholars. Abu Bakr Iyadi was appointed to official positions by Adid al-Dawla. He died after Imam Maturidi and before Abu Salama Samarkandi. He was a contemporary of Imam Maturidi, one of the famous scholars of Samarkand, and was highly respected by the local people.

According to the narration in Ibn Zakariya’s “Sharh Jumal Usul al-Din”, faqih Abdussamad ibn Ahmad Arbinjani narrated that Abu Bakr Iyadhi said the following when Abu Mansur Maturidi died: “The scholars of this ummah are like the previous prophets in teaching religious knowledge and rulings. In the past, when the time of a prophet came to an end and problems arose that needed to be resolved, and there was no scholar left to explain them, a new prophet was sent. Even among this ummah, the faqihs who have died in every century will be replaced by new scholars or the Day of Judgment will begin. God does not deprive His servants of guides.”

It is recorded in the narration given in the work “al-Hawi fil Fatawa” by Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Hasiri that when a man asked Abu Bakr Iyadi about how to know if he in the way of Ahl-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, Abu Bakr said: “Whose knowledge is in accordance with the knowledge of the Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah, the Book of God, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah and the words of the Salaf, then he is following the Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah madhhab.”

The above-mentioned narrations show that Abu Bakr Iyadi had a high reputation among the Hanafi scholars of Samarkand. For example, Ibn Zakariyya recognized him as the flag bearer of the Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah.

Near his death, Abu Bakr Iyadi wrote the work “al-Masail al-‘Ashriyya al-Iyadiyyah”, which reflected some of his creedal views. It was spread among the people in order to keep them away from the ideas of Mu’tazila.

In this book, Abu Bakr Iyadi explained ten creedal issues. These are the following:

It is Allah who creates the actions of the servants. The actions of the servants appear through God's decree and desire;

Allah is the eternal creator. His knowledge and attributes are eternal;

Allah the Almighty cannot be seen in the Hereafter without grasp (idrak) and comprehension (ihata). However, Allah, the Exalted, shows His beauty to the servant He wants to see in the form He wants;

The Qur'an is the word of God, and it is neither created (makhluq) nor originated (muhdath);

The state of the believers who committed a great sin is in the will of Allah. If Allah wills, He will forgive them with His grace, and if He wills, He will punish them with His justice according to their sins. Every believer who receives his punishment will eventually enter Paradise;

Regardless of whether it is useful or useless for the servants, Allah is able to do what He wants in the way He wants. Allah the Almighty is not responsible for His work, but the servants are responsible;

It is true that Muhammad, peace be upon him, will intercede for believers who committed great sins;

The torment of the grave is true;

Allah, the Exalted, certainly accepts the dua (invocation) of servants, there is wisdom and benefit in the dua of a servant;

All fate, be it good or bad, is from Allah.

Hasiri stated that the ten issues listed above were recognized as the main religious rules of the Hanafis of Samarkand at that time, and those who did not believe in them were considered “Sahib ash-sharr wal bid’ah” (people of heresy and sins). However, during the period of Abu Bakr Iyadi, this work could not maintain its importance as the main source among the scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah. This is because that Imam Maturidi covered these ten issues in a broader way and also covered other creedal issues in his work “Kitab al-Tawhid”. In this way, the image of Imam Maturidi and his works served as the main weapon in the fight against various misguided sects in the III-IV/IX-X centuries. However, during Imam Maturidi’s lifetime, his teaching was not recognized as a separate school, but it was recognized as a part of Hanafi teaching.

Additional Information

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