Al-Dimyati

al-Dimyāṭī, ʿAbd al-Muʾmin b. K̲h̲alaf S̲h̲araf al-Dīn al-Tūnī al-Dimyāṭī al-S̲h̲āfiʿī (Arabic: الدمياطي), commonly known as Al-Dimyāṭī was regarded as the leading traditionist in Egypt in the 13th century. Young man who explored throughout the Middle East in pursuit of prophetic traditions later settled in Cairo and began teaching at the most prestigious institutions.^[3]

Between the beginning of the seventh century of the Hijrah and the beginning of the eighth century, al-Dimyati lived his entire life. During this time, there were several deadly incidents that affected the Islamic world to the fullest extent possible. The fall of the Islamic Caliphate in Baghdad in 656 A.H. and the Tatar, Mongol, and Crusader attacks that followed on the Islamic countries were the most dangerous catastrophe.^[4]

This time period was defined by a group of renowned jurists and ulama who were the contemporaries of Al-Hafiz al-Dimyati and these include Izz al-Din ibn 'Abd al-Salam, Al-Mundhiri, Ibn al-Salah, Al-Nawawi, Ibn Daqiq al-'Id, Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Al-Yunini, Ibn Taymiyyah, and Ibn Khalikan were a few of these individuals. Another set of ulama who studied under these individuals and lived in their time then emerged. They included Jamal al-Din al-Mizzi, Alam al-Din al-Birzali, Al-Dhahabi, Taqi al-Din al-Subki, and Salah al-Din al-Ala'i.^[4]

Through their legal fatwas, opinions, significant writings, and active participation in all matters that affected the rulers and authorities in the Islamic world at the time, these ulama had a significant influence on the political incidents and general conditions that characterised this era. By doing this, they contributed to the unity of Muslims, the joining of their ranks, the mobilisation of their forces, the raising of their religious flag, and the defence of their shariah and their edicts.^[4]

He was born in a village of an island of Tunah between Tanis and Damietta at the end of 613 A.H/1216 C.E.^[5]

He was raised in Damietta, one of Egypt's significant border towns. The two scholars who taught him Hadith and Qira'at were Abu al-Marakim 'Abdullah and Abu Abdillah al-Husayn, both of whom were sons of Mansur as-Sa'di. He learned his madhab at this city. After his teacher was observing that he was restricting himself to studying law and the principles of law based on the school of Imam al-Shafi'i, Shaykh Abu Abdilllah urged him to study Hadith. He started learning Hadith when he was 23 years old.^[6]

He travelled to Alexandria in the year of 636A.H/1238 C.E and studied there under a sizable number of ulama, particularly under the students of Al-Hafiz Abu Tahir al-Silafi. He next travelled to Cairo to continue his Hadith studies. In that city, he met with the most eminent Hadith scholar of his time, Al-Hafiz Al-Mundhiri and extensively studied Hadith under him. He performed Hajj in 643 C.E/1245 A.H, during which he joined the groups of notable religious figures who had established their centres of learning in Mecca and Medina. After spending two years studying in Hejaz, he came back to Egypt and continued his educational journey throughout Syria and Iraq. He studied under the local ulama throughout these travels, and he profited from their company. He also received education from ulama from Damascus, Aleppo, and Hama. He studied at Damascus under the students of Al-Hafiz Ibn Asakir and continued to hang out with Al-Hafiz Abu al-Hajjaj Yusuf ibn Khalil in Aleppo. He also went to Baghdad and Maridin. He related 40 Ahadith from al-Musta'sim, the last of the Baghdad-based Abbasi caliphs, while he was there.^[6][5]

His teachers were numerous and according to Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, he took from 2250 scholars and directly heard Hadith from them. His most notable teachers were Izz al-Din ibn 'Abd al-Salam who taught him Fiqh and Al-Mundhiri who taught him Hadith.^[7][8]

Although al-Dimyati was best known for his contribution in Hadith science, he was well-versed in a number of fields and was a popular prolific writer. He was a jurist who published books on Islamic law. He was a theologian who authored books on Islamic theology. He was a linguist and philologist who wrote books on language, linguistics, and philology. He was a genealogist and an expert in tracing the ancestry of old Arab tribes, especially Banu Aws and Banu Khazraj, to which he devoted an entire book. He wrote a book on zoology and dedicated an entire book for horses entitled Fadl al-Khayl (Superiority of Horses) which gained popularity throughout the medieval world.^[5]

Throughout al-Dimyati's life, he had a number of respectable, prestigious, and notable jobs. He was fairly rich and held high-profile academic posts, like being the professor of Zahiriyyah and Mansuriyyah. His abilities, notably his extraordinary memory, allowed him to hold a leading position as the religious authority, and the extensive list of his writings demonstrates that he spent the majority of his time imparting religious doctrine and Hadith.^[9]

The following are some of the well-known ulama who studied under Al-Dimyati:^[7]

• Ibn al-Adim
• Al-Yunini
• Qadi 'Alam al-Din al-Akhna'i
• 'Alam al-Din al-Qunawi
• Al-Nuwayri
• Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati
• Fath al-Din Ibn Sayyid al-Nas
• Alam al-Din al-Birzali
• Jamal al-Din al-Mizzi
• Al-Dhahabi
• Taqi al-Din al-Subki (Who was his most remarkable student, who was the last of the Muhaddithun to remain in his company, and who stayed the longest.)

Al-Dimyati dedicated his entire life to writing, learning, and imparting information, particularly in the domains of Hadith sciences. According to Ibn Hajar, he carried on doing this until his abrupt death, which occurred while he was ascending the steps to his home and losing consciousness. According to Ibn Tughri Burdi, he mysteriously passed away in Cairo after offering the Asr prayer. At the spot where he prayed, he lost consciousness. He was taken inside, where he shortly passed away. This occurred on Sunday, Dhul Qa'dah 15th, 705 A.H. He was laid to rest in Bab an-Nasr cemetery. In Damascus, a Janazah prayer was performed for him.^[9]

He had a really elegant appearance and was very handsome. He smiled all the time and had a wonderful character. His beard was white. He spoke with great eloquence. He had excellent writing skills and read very quickly. He was excellent at conversations and had positive opinions of others. He was very pious and God-fearing.^[9]

Taj al-Din al-Subki said: "He was the Hafiz of his time, a master in knowledge of lineages, the leader of the scholars of Hadith whose greatness is unanimously accepted, and who combined both narrating and the understanding of Hadith through strong chains and narrators."^[7]

Imam Salah al-Din ibn Shakir al-Kutbi said: "He is the eminent Imam, the renowned and excellent hafiz [of Hadith], the proof, the flag of the scholars of Hadith, and the choice of assessors [of Hadith]."^[6]

Jamal al-Din al-Mizzi says: "I have not seen anyone with a better memory than him."^[7]

Alam al-Din al-Birzali says: He was the last of the Huffaz, the scholars of hadith, the narrators of lofty Traditions, and those of profound intelligence."^[7]

Al-Dhahabi says: "He is the Allamah, the hafiz, the proof, one of the leading imams, and from among the last assessors of Hadith."^[7]

Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati describes him as: "The Hafiz of the East and West."^[7]

Several of al-Dimyati's written works were mentioned in the biographical sources. Some of them are familiar to us, while others are completely unknown to us. It's likely that he owned further books that his biographers failed to mention or that the libraries were unaware of. His well-known works are listed below:^[10]

• Akhbār 'Abd al-Muttalib Ibn 'Abd Manāf ("Chronicles of 'Abd al-Muttalib Ibn 'Abd Manāf")
• Akhbār Banī Nawfil ("Chronicles of the children of Nawfil")
• Al-Arba'ūn al-Abdāl
• Al-Arba'ūn al-Halabiyyah Fī Al-Ahkām Al-Nabawiyyah ("The Forty of Al-Halabī, in the Prophetic Rulings")
• Al-Arba'ūn Fī al-Jihād ("The Forty Ahādīth in Jihād")
• Al-Arba'ūn al-Saghiratu ("The Small Forty")
• Qism Yahtawi Aley Riwayat al-Liqa'at al-Naadirat Walmurasilat Walsuhbat Waltahiaat Wal'aghani Wal'asheari ("A Section Containing Narrations on Rare Encounters, Correspondences, Companionships, Greetings, Songs, and Poems")
• Dhakar Zawjat al-Nabii Alayhi as-Salām- Wa'abnayih Wa'ajdaduh ("Mention of the Wives of the Prophet -peace be upon him- and his children and ancestors")
• Al-Sira al Nabawiyya ("The Prophetic Biography")
• Fadl al-Khayl ("Superiority of Horses")
• Qabayil al-Khazraj ("Subtribes of al-Khazraj")
• Kashf al-Ghita' - al-Salat al-Wustaa ("Unveiling the Covered - the Middle Prayer")
• Al-Safqat al-Raabihat - Thawab Aleamal al-Saalih ("The Profitable Bargain - Rewards of Righteous Deeds")
• Tajamueat Baghdad ("Gatherings of Baghdād")
• Tajamueat Dimashq ("Gatherings of Damascus")
• Mukhtasar Fi Sirat Qayid al'Insan ("Abridgement in the Biography of the Leader of Man")
• Majmueat Muealimi al-Dimyati ("Collection of the Teachers of al-Dimyātī")
• Al-Hawashi Aley al-Bukhari ("Footnotes on al-Bukhārī")
• Al-Hawashi Aley al-Muslim ("Footnotes on Muslim")