حضرة ابو بكر سلطنتیں

Majd Al-Din Al-Fairuzabadi ⁽¹⁾: Muhammad Bin Al-Siraj Abi Yusuf Ya’qub Bin Al-Sadr Abi Ishaq Muhammad Bin Al-Husam Ibrahim Bin Al-Siraj Umar Bin Abi Bakr Bin Ahmed Bin Mahmud Bin Idris Bin Fadhlallah Bin Sheikh Al-Islam Abi Ishaq Ibrahim Bin Ali Bin Yusuf Bin Abdullah Al-Bakri Al-Siddiqi was a famous Shafi’i sheikh, scholar, writer, exegetist, and linguist whose ancestry could be traced back to the tribe of Quraysh. He was also known as Al-Majd Abu Al-Taher and Abu Abdullah Al-Fairuzabadi of Shiraz.

Al-Fairuzabadi was born in either Kazerun or Karzin in Rabi’ Al-Thani of 729 AH (1329 AD), where he received knowledge and memorized the Qur’an at the age of seven. The name Fairuzabadi can be traced back to the city of Firuzabad, located south of Shiraz, where he moved when he was eight years old.

Al-Fairuzabadi was highly intelligent and gifted with the ability to memorize quickly. He traveled to Iraq, the Levant, Egypt, Makkah, and Anatolia during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Bayezid Bin Murad. He also went to India, finally settling in Zabid, Yemen, where he became Qadi al-Quda (Chief Justice of the Highest Court) of Zabid for nearly twenty years. He then became Qadi al-Quda for all of Yemen when he was given jurisdiction over all of Yemen’s provinces. He eventually died there on 19 Shawwal 817 AH (1415 AD) at the age of 88.

Among Al-Fairuzabadi’s authored works were Al-Qamus Al-Muhit, Basa’ir Dhawi Al-Tamyiz fi Lata’if Al-Kitab Al-‘Aziz, Al-Maghanim Al-Mutabah fi Ma’alem Tabah, Ahasin Al-Lata’if fi Mahasin Al-Ta’if, Al-Mirqat Al-Wafiyah fi Tabaqat Al-Hanafiyah, Nuzhat Al-Adhhan fi Tarikh Asbahan, and others.

As for the lineage of Sheikh Al-Fairuzabadi, there is some dispute over it.

Regarding this, this is what the great scholar, Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani (d. 825 AH), said in his book, Inba’ Al-Ghumr bi Abna’ Al-‘Umr:

Muhammad Bin Ya’qub Bin Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Bin Umar, Sheikh and Scholar Madj Al-Din of Shiraz, Abu Taher Al-Fairuzabadi. His lineage was connected to that of Sheikh Abi Ishaq Al-Shirazi, the author of Al-Tanbih. It has been reported that after Umar was “Aba Bakr Bin Ahmed Bin Ahmed Bin Fadhlallah Bin Sheikh Abi Ishaq,” but I always heard our sheikhs disputing that, based on the fact that Aba Ishaq did not have any descendants, which would put Sheikh Majd Al-Din a step higher. Also, after he had been head-judge of Yemen for a long time, he claimed that he was of the progeny of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, and he exaggerated this. I even saw that he wrote “Muhammad Al-Siddiqi” in his own handwriting to some of his deputies in some of his books.

Although Al-Fairuzabadi did not lack knowledge of his genealogy, Ibn Hajar did not accept his claim.

There is also what Al-Burayhi Al-Saksaki (d. 904 AH) said in his book, Tabaqat Sulaha’ Al-Yaman:

The above-mentioned Sheikh Majd Al-Din (meaning Majd Al-Din Al-Fairuzabadi) was asked how many children Sheikh Abi Ishaq had. He said: “My grandfather, may Allah have mercy on him, married a woman who was pregnant with a boy. He then traveled to Baghdad and lived there his entire life. He did not father any children other than the boy with whom the woman was pregnant when he left. They named him Fadhlallah, and his father did not know about him. Then Fadhlallah had children and later drowned in the sea, never having made contact with [his father, Abi Ishaq, who was later informed of that].”

Sheikh Shihab Al-Din Ibn Hajar and other scholars challenged Sheikh Majd Al-Din regarding Sheikh Abi Ishaq Al-Shirazi’s lineage being connected to that of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him. They said that this had not been verified, and they also rejected the claim that Sheikh Majd Al-Din’s lineage was connected to that of Sheikh Abi Ishaq.

However: Ibn Naser Al-Din (d. 842 AH), author of the book, Tawdih Al-Mushtabah fi Dabt Asma’ Al-Ruwah wa Ansabihim wa Alqabihim wa Kunahum, said that Sheikh Majd Al-Din Al-Fairuzabadi was of the progeny of Shiekh Abi Ishaq Al-Shirazi.

Also, in his book, Al-Manhal Al-Safi wa’l-Mustawfi ba’d Al-Wafi, Ibn Taghribirdi (d. 874 AH) described Sheikh Majd Al-Din Al-Fairuzabadi as “Siddiqi.”

Al-Sakhawi (d. 902 AH), author of the book, Al-Dhaw’ Al-Lami’ li Ahl Al-Qarn Al-Tasi’, also said that Sheikh Majd Al-Din Al-Fairuzabadi was of the progeny of Sheikh Abi Ishaq Al-Shirazi.

In the Thabat of Abu Ja’far Al-Balawi Al-Wadi Ashi (d. 938 AH), he, too, mentioned the name Al-Fairuzabadi in connection with the names “Al-Bakri” and “Al-Siddiqi,” calling him: Qadi al-Quda Majd Al-Din Abu Al-Taher Muhammad Bin Ya’qub Bin Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Bakri Al-Siddiqi.

In the books Idhah Al-Maknun and Hadiyyat Al-‘Arifin, both authored by Isma’il Al-Babani Al-Baghdadi (d. 1399 AH), the name of Majd Al-Din Al-Fairuzabadi’s paternal uncle (Abu Ishaq Ibrahim Bin Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Kazeruni Al-Bakri, author of Al-Mizab fi Nasab Sayyid Al-Aqtab, Al-Burhan Al-Muayyad fi Manaqib Al-Imam Al-Rifa’i Ahmed, and Shifa’ Al-Asqam fi Sirat Ghawth Al-Anam) included the title “Al-Bakri.”

The same name appeared in the book Tabaqat Al-Nassabin, by Bakr Bin Abdullah Abu Zayd (d. 1429 AH).

All of the above supports the authenticity of scholar Al-Fairuzabadi’s Bakri-Siddiqi lineage.

Other strong evidence of the veracity of Al-Fairuzabadi’s lineage being connected to that of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq is that Sayyid Muhammad Tawfiq Al-Bakri (d. 1351 AH / 1932 AD), an Al-Siddiq family genealogist who was also the Sheikh of Sijjada Bakria and Naqib Al-Ashraf in Egypt, mentioned in his biography of Majd Al-Din Al-Fairuzabadi that appeared in his book, Bayt Al-Siddiq, that Al-Fairuzabadi was of the progeny of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq.

As for the doubts raised regarding his lineage, perhaps what gave rise to them was that Al-Fairuzabadi never mentioned that his lineage was connected to that of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq until after he became head-judge of Yemen. And Allah knows best.

Source: Kitab Al-Sulala Al-Bakria As-Siddiqia – Part II, by Ahmed Farghal Al-De’abassi Al-Bakri

Date of Publication

1 Ramadan 1438 AH / May 26, 2017 AD

(1) Inba’ Al-Ghumr bi Abna’ Al-‘Umr 3/ 47-50, Al-Dhaw’ Al-Lami’ li Ahl Al-Qarn Al-Tasi’ 10/ 79-86, Al-Nujum Al-Zahira fi Muluk Misr wa Al-Qahira 14/ 132-134, Sullam Al-Wusul ila Tabaqat Al-Fuhul 3/ 288, Tabaqat Sulaha’ Al-Yaman, by Al-Burayhi 1/ 294-298, Al-Selouk Leme’refatt Dewall Al-Melouk 6/ 372-374, Shatharat al-Thahab Fi Akhbar Min Dahab 9/ 186-192, Al-A’lam, by Al-Zarkali 7/ 146-147, Tawdih Al-Mushtabih 5/ 248, Azhar Al-Riyadh fi Akhbar Al-Qadi ‘Ayyad 3/ 38-40, Al-Manhal Al-Safi wa’l-Mustawfi ba’d Al-Wafi 2/ 245, Tabaqat Al-Shafi’iyya, by Ibn Qadi Shuhba 4/ 63-66, Tabaqat Al-Mufassirin, by Al-Dawudi 2/ 275, Taj Al-Arus 1/ 41-44, Idhah Al-Maknun (3/ 180, 4/ 50,  and 4/ 611), Hadiyyat Al-‘Arifin 1/ 19, Mu’jam Al-Mu’allifin 12/ 118, Abjad Al-‘Ulum 1/ 568, Al-Fawa’id Al-Jalila ‘ala Musalsalat Ibn ‘Aqila 1/ 181, Al-Bidaya Wal Nihaya, Al-Fikr Ed. 14/ 296, Dhayl Al-Taqiid fi Ruah Al-Sunan wal-Asanid 1/ 276-278, Thabat Abi Ja’far Ahmed Ibn ‘Ali Al-Balawi 1/ 385, Tabaqat Al-Nassabin 1/ 211, Al-Bulghah fi Tarajim aʼimmat Al-Nahw wa-al-Lughah, by Al-Fairuzabadi 1/ 13, Bayt Al-Siddiq pp. 200-212, Durrat Al-Hijal fi Asma’ Al-Rijal 2/ 317-318, Al-Kuna wa Al-Alqab 3/ 37-39