Muhammad b. Ali al-Karajuki
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Muhammad b. 'Ali b. 'Uthman al-Karajaki |
| Teknonym | Abu l-Fath |
| Religious Affiliation | Twelver Shi'a |
| Place of Birth | Karajuk, Wasit |
| Residence | Baghdad, Tyre |
| Studied in | Baghdad |
| Death | 449/1057 |
| Burial Place | Tyre |
| Scholarly Information | |
| Professors | al-Shaykh al-Mufid, al-Shaykh al-Tusi, al-Najashi , ... |
| Students | 'Abd al-Rahman al-Khaza'i al-Nishaburi, Abu Muhammad al-Habashi, ... |
| Works | Kanz al-fawa'id, Al-Tafdil, ... |
Abu l-Fatḥ Muḥammad b. ʿAlī b. ʿUthmān al-Karājukī (al-Karājakī) (Arabic: ابوالفتح محمد بن علي بن عثمان الکَراجُکي (الکَراجَکي)) (d. 449/1057) was a Shi'a scholar in 4th/10th and 5th/11th centuries. He was a student of al-Shaykh al-Mufid and al-Shaykh al-Tusi. Some Shi'a and Sunni scholars have admired him for his scholarly significance and character.
Biography
There is no information about the year and place of Abu al-Fath al-Karajaki's birth. The only thing known is that he resided in the city of Ramla. According to Sayyid 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Karimi, some people believe that he was from "Karajuk", a village near Wasit. Given the year of his death (449/1057), he was probably born in late 4th/10th century.
Al-Karajaki was very enthusiastic about learning. During his lifetime, he constantly travelled to different parts of various Islamic and non-Islamic lands. He is also mentioned as one of the greatest scholars of fiqh and hadith in the 5th/11th century. Shi'a scholars have cited his work.
Abu l-Fath al-Karajaki died on Rabi' II 2, 449/June 8, 1057.
Teachers and Students
Al-Karajaki met many of his contemporary scholars, attending their lectures and hearing hadiths from them. His most important teachers include:
- al-Shaykh al-Mufid
- al-Shaykh al-Tusi
- al-Najashi
- Sallar al-Daylami
- Ibn al-Wasiti
- Ibn Barraj al-Tarabulusi
- al-Muslimi al-Harani
- Ibn Shadhan al-Qummi
- al-Sayrafi al-Baghdadi
- Ahmad b. Nuh b. Muhammad al-Hanbali
His students include 'Abd al-Rahman al-Khaza'i al-Nishaburi, Abu Muhammad al-Habashi, and Husayn b. Hibat Allah al-Tarabulusi.
Scholarly Significance and Reliability
Some Shi'a and Sunni scholars have commented on the scholarly significance and reliability of al-Karajaki:
- 'Abd Allah al-Mamaqani mentioned him in his Tanqih al-maqal as a reliable faqih.
- In his introduction to the book, Ma'din al-jawahir, Sayyid Ahmad al-Husayni introduced al-Karajaki as a scholar of Arabic literature, lexicology, astronomy, medicine, kalam, fiqh, and hadiths.
- Muntajab al-Din al-Razi has characterized al-Karajaki as reliable.
- Al-Hurr al-'Amili characterized al-Karajaki as a knowledgeable scholar, a practitioner of kalam, fiqh, hadiths, and a highly respected reliable person.
- Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi said about al-Karajaki that he was a great scholar and practitioner of kalam, to whom many holders of permissions for transmission of hadith traces back.
- In many of his books, al-Shahid al-Awwal described al-Karajaki as "'Allama" (a title that implies the highest ranking of knowledgeability) whereas he refers to al-'Allama al-Hilli as "Fadil" (a title that implies a ranking of knowledgeability lower than "'Allama").
- Al-Dhahabi, a Sunni scholar, referred to al-Karajaki as "a head of Shi'as, a great Shi'a scholar, a master of Shi'a fiqh and usul al-fiqh, a scholar of Arabic syntax, astronomy, and medicine".
- Another Sunni scholar, al-Yafi'i, wrote: "in this year (449/1057) Abu l-Fath Muhammad b. 'Ali al-Karajaki passed away. He was a head of Shi'as and the author of numerous works concerning Arabic syntax, lexicology, astronomy, medicine, and kalam".
It seems that he was most particularly a master of hadith and fiqh, although because of his mastery of other various disciplines, he was characterized as "'Allama".
Work
Abu l-Fath al-Karajaki wrote many works concerning different fields. According to Sayyid Ahmad Husayni, he wrote about 70 works as enumerated by some scholars.
- Kanz al-fawa'id; His most important work is Kanz al-fawa'id. According to Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Khwansari, "Kanz al-fawa'id is one of the best written works of this great scholar which is available to us today".
- Al-Tafdil
- Ma'dan al-jawahir wa riyadat al-khawatir
- Al-Istinsar fi al-nass 'ala a'immat al-athar
- Risala fi tafdil Amir al=Mu'minin
- Al-Karr wa l-farr fi al-imama
- Risala fi haqq al-walidayn
- Akhbar al-ahad
- Mas'ala fi al-mash
- ...
References
- The material for this article is mainly taken from محمد بن علی کراجکی in Farsi WikiShia.