'Abd ul-Ghani al-Maqdisi

'Abd ul-Ghani al-Maqdisi

Name and Lineage:

He was the Imam, scholar, great memorizer of hadith (Hafidh), trustworthy, devout, ascetic, and devoted to the study of hadith. His full name was Abu Muhammad Abdul-Ghani ibn Abdul-Wahid ibn Ali ibn Surur ibn Rafi‘ ibn Hasan ibn Ja‘far al-Maqdisi, originally from al-Jam‘a’ili then Damascus (Al-Salihiyya district).

Birth

There is some disagreement about his birth year: some say 541 AH, others 543 AH, and others 544 AH. Most evidence, especially from al-Dhiya’ al-Maqdisi who reported from Abdul-Ghani’s mother, points to 541 AH in Jammā‘il (likely in Rabi‘ al-Thani). He was four months older than his cousin, al-Muwaffaq ibn Qudamah, who was born in Sha‘ban.

Physical Description

Al-Dhiya’ al-Maqdisi describes him:

“He was not fair-skinned but slightly tanned, with beautiful hair, a thick beard, a broad forehead, excellent manners, and a complete stature. It seemed as though light shone from his face. His eyesight was weak due to much crying, copying, and study.” He was physically strong, used the miswak frequently, to the point that his teeth were almost worn.

Family

He married Rabi‘ah, the daughter of his uncle Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Qudamah, and she bore his children: Muhammad, Abdul-Allah, and Abdul-Rahman, as well as Fatimah. He later married other women in Egypt, but their daughters died young. His sons became notable scholars themselves.

Character and Generosity

Abdul-Ghani was extremely generous, giving freely to the poor and in charity, often secretly at night. He did not keep any wealth for himself. Many anecdotes attest to his generosity and humility, including instances where he would personally distribute food and money to the needy without letting anyone know.

He combined knowledge and action, excelling in scholarship while practicing piety and asceticism. He adhered strictly to his religious duties, observed night prayers, fasted, and spent most of his time in learning, teaching, copying, and memorizing hadith.

Travels and Study

Like many great scholars, he traveled extensively in pursuit of knowledge. He attended the sessions of many prominent scholars across these regions, including:

Baghdad: Twice, starting around 561 AH, accompanied by his cousin al-Muwaffaq. Abdul-Ghani focused on hadith while al-Muwaffaq studied jurisprudence. They stayed for about four years. Taking from Ibn al-Jawzi, Abu al-Fath ibn al-Batti, Ali ibn Rabi‘ al-Farra’, Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani, Wahbah ibn Hilal al-Daqaq, Abu Zar‘a al-Maqdisi, Abu Bakr ibn al-Naqur, Ahmad ibn Abdul-Ghani al-Bajsarayi, among others.

Alexandria: Twice, studying under Abu Tahir as-Silafiy, writing nearly a thousand volumes from his teachings. Abu al-Wafa’ Mahmoud ibn Hamka, Abu al-Fath al-Kharqi.

Other parts in Egypt: Twice, studying with scholars like Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rahbi and Abdullah ibn Bari.

Isfahan: Met and studied under Abu Musa al-Madini, writing hundreds of corrections to earlier works on hadith.

Damascus: Abu al-Makarem ibn Hilal, Salman ibn Ali al-Rahbi, Abu al-Ma‘ali ibn Sabir, and others.

Other travels included Mosul, Harran, and Hamdan, during which he taught and spread the Sunnah.

Students

His students included Al-Ziya’ al-Maqdisi, al-Muhaqqiq Abdul-Rahman, Abu Musa ‘Abdullah, and others. Even Ibn Qudamah spoke highly of him.

Memorization and Scholarship

He was regarded as one of the most capable hafidh of his time. He knew hadith by heart, including their chains of transmission, authenticity, and context. He rarely needed a book to recite hadith and was extremely precise and cautious to avoid pride. He often corrected scholars and memorized works meticulously.

He once corrected Abu Musa al-Madini in Isfahan, pointing out nearly 290 errors in Abu Nu‘aym’s “Kitab al-Sahaba.” His recitation of the Qur’an and hadith influenced non-Muslims, some of whom embraced Islam after hearing him. Even kings like al-Malik al-‘Adil and al-Malik al-Kamil admired him for his piety and knowledge.

Trials and Opposition

Abdul-Ghani faced hostility from groups of innovators and rivals who attempted to discredit or harm him, both in Damascus and Egypt. Despite this, he remained steadfast, publicly teaching and defending the Sunnah.

Works

He authored numerous works, among them:

Al-Kamal fi Asma’ al-Rijal – an important work on the narrators of the six canonical hadith collections.

Tibyan al-Isabah – correcting errors in Abu Nu‘aym’s work on the Sahaba.

Al-Jami‘ al-Saghir li Ahkam al-Bashir al-Nadhir

Al-Sifat

Dhamm al-Riya’ (Condemnation of ostentation)

Dhamm al-Ghiba (Condemnation of backbiting)

Fadl al-Sadaqah (Merits of charity)

Fada'il Ramadan (Merits of Ramadan)

Al-Ahkam al-Sughra (Minor rulings)

Al-Ahkam al-Kubra (Major rulings)

Umdat al-Ahkam

Al-Iqtisad fi al-Itiqad

Mukhtasir seerah

Al-Amr bil Ma‘ruf wal-Nahy ‘an al-Munkar

Death

He fell ill in Rabi‘ al-Awwal, 600 AH, and was bedridden for sixteen days. On Monday, 23 Rabi‘ al-Awwal, he passed away, expressing only a desire to see the face of Allah. He was buried the next day in al-Qarafa cemetery in Damascus, near the grave of Shaykh Abu ‘Amr ibn Marzuq. His funeral was attended by countless scholars and nobles.

Eulogies

People mourned him deeply. Among those who composed poetry in his honor was Muhammad ibn Sa‘d al-Maqdisi.