Mujīr al-Dīn al-‘Ulaymi

Mujīr al-Dīn, Abdul-Rahman b. Muḥammad b. Abdul-Rahman b. Yusuf al-‘Ulaymi al-Umari, al-Maqdisi, al-Hanbali was born on Sunday, the 13th of Dhul Qadah, 860 H in al-Quds al-Sharif.

His religious studies began with his father, a major scholar and judge, Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad b. Abdul-Rahman. He studied fiqh and numerous other sciences with his father who is noted to be the first hanbali of a family of Shafi’i scholars.

His father is described as being of sound creed, a staunch defender of Ahlus-Sunnah who did not delve into speculative theology and was stern against innovators.

Al-Ulaymi was a gifted student. At the age of 6 he memorized al-Ḥarīri’s Milḥat al-ʿIrāb and recited it to the great scholar, Shaykh al-Islām Taqi al-Din ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad al-Shafi’i (867H). He was awarded an ijazah in the text along with other works of ḥadīth and narration.

By the age of 10 he memorized the Qurʾān under the tutelage of his Shaykh Ala al-Din Ali b. ʿAbdullāh al-Hanafi al-Ghazzi (890).

He attended the ḥadīth lessons of his Shaykh Muḥammad b. Musa b. Imran al-Ghazzi (873) and was eventually awarded an ijazah.

He memorized both al-Muqniʿ and al-Khiraqi and read them to the scholars of his region including Shaykh al-Islām Kamāl b. Abi Yusuf al-Shafi’i (900H), Abu al-Asbāṭ Aḥmad b. Abdul-Rahman al-Ramly (877), and al-Najm b. Jamāʿah.

He travelled to Cairo in 880. He stayed there for 10 years learning from its scholars. He studied fiqh with Shaykh al-Islam al-Qadi Badr al-Din Muḥammad b. Muhammad al-Sa’di al-Hanbali (902H). Shaykh Badr al-Din learned ḥadīth from the likes of al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Hajr. He looked after al-Ulaymi and imparted a great deal to him.

He also studied hadith with several others such as al-Hafiẓ al-Sakhāwi, al-Quṭb al-Khayḍari, and al-Jalāl al-Bakri.

He was appointed as the judge of Quds, Ramlah, al-Khalil, and Nablus. He occupied that seat for 31 years except for Nablus from which he resigned after 2 years of service.

He traveled to Makkah to perform Hajj in 908. He stayed in Makkah for approximately one month in continuous recitation and worship.

After serving as Judge, he occupied Masjid al-Aqsa as a teacher and mufti and began authoring books.

His works include but are not limited to the following.

• al-Uns al-Jalil fi Tarikh al-Quds wa al-Khalil which covers the history of al-Quds and al-Khalil (Jerusalem and Hebron). It was considered a monumental work on the topic and a masterpiece of its time. It covers the Prophets and their families of that region, its great scholars, as well as some of the memorable events of that region such as the destruction of the city and its rebuilding. He also mentions the biography of the Prophet and the connection of this region to Islām. He discusses the Muslims conquering of the region and then the companions that lived or visited the region. He mentions its fall and then reconquering by SalahudDin.

• A Summary of al-Uns al-Jalil

• al-Minhaj al-Aḥmad fi Tarājim Aṣḥāb al-Imam Aḥmad which is a biographical work of Imam Aḥmad’s disciples.

• al-Dur al-Munaḍḍad fi Dhikr Aṣḥāb al-Imam Aḥmad which is a summary of al-al-Minhaj al-Aḥmad.

• al-Tārikh al-Muʿtabar fi Anbāʾ man ghabar which is the history of the Prophets and great scholars from the beginning of time to the 10th century. He starts by covering the Prophet Adam all the way to Eesa and mentions some of the historical records of various peoples and places such as the Christian and Jewish communities, the areas of Hind, Sind, Sudan, etc. He then relates the biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in very summarized manner and that of the four Caliphs along with what happened during their time as leaders. He then mentions the khilafah of Bani Umayyah beginning with Mu’awiyah and then concludes with Mirwan b. Muḥammad. He follows that with the Abbasid dynasty. He also mentions the Alawi Fatimi leaders, the Abbassid leaders in Egypt, And the Ayyubi Mamluks until the year 901. In the second volume of the book he relates the biographies of some of the companions, the four Imams, some of the great scholars, leaders, ministers, poets, and judges in a very summarized manner. There are approximately 600 entires which are alphabetized in this volume.

• Taṣḥīḥ al-Khilāf al-Muṭlaq fi al-Muqniʿ.

• al-Ittiḥāf which is a summary of al-Mardāwi’s al-Inṣāf.

• Fatḥ al-Raḥmān fi Tafsīr al-Qurān.

• al-Wajīz which is a summary of Fatḥ al-Raḥmān.

He was celebrated by the scholars and acknowledged for his many accolades.

Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Sakhāwi said that he was the model justice of Quds. He had a good disposition. He was well known for virtue and had an appetite for history.

Al-Ghazzi said, he was the Imam the master scholar, bearer of transmissions, the historian and jurist, masterful in all the sciences, adorned with the pendant of understanding (both explicit and implicit). He was an orator, jurist, scholar of ḥadīth and an Athari.

Al-Ulaymi was also known for good penmanship and when writing this tafsir mentioned that he used red ink for the verses and black for the explanation.

He passed away in Bayt al-Maqdis in 928H and is buried at the base of the Mount of Olives just outside the walls of the Old City, a little to the north of the Church of Gethsemane (geth-sem-uh-nee) and right in front of the Tomb of Mary.

We ask that Allāh bless the Imam and place this effort in the scale of his good deeds. We ask that He multiply his reward for every letter that is read from this work and to benefit the reader.