Religion Islam Name Ibn Furak Creed Ash'ari | Jurisprudence Shafi`i Denomination Sunni Islam | |
Born 330AH / 941 CE Isfahan Main interest(s) Theology (Kalam), Philosophy, Logic, Islamic Jurisprudence | ||
Ibn Furak or Ibn Faurak (Arabic: إبن فوراك; 941 - 1015 CE / 330 - 406 AH) was a Muslim Imam, a theologian of Al-Ash'ari, a specialist of Arabic language, grammar and poetry, an orator, a jurist, and a hadith scholar from the Shafi'i Madhhab in 10th century.
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Life
Abu Bakr Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Furak al-Shafi'i al-Ansari al-Isbahani, Ash'arite theologian and traditionist, was born in around 941 CE (330 AH) in Isfahan. He studied Ash'arite kalam under Abu 'l-Hasan al-Bahili along with Al-Baqillani and al-Isfara'ini in Basra and Baghdad, and also traditions under 'Abd Allah bin Ja'far al-Isbahani. From 'Iraq he went to Rayy, then to Nishapur, where a madrasa was built for him beside the Khanqah of the Sufi al-Bushandji. He was in Nishapur before the death of the Sufi Abu 'Uthman al-Maghribi in 373/983, and probably remained there until shortly before his death.
The Karramiyya tried to have him executed by the Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni but failed after the Sultan summoned him to Ghazni and questioned him then exonerated him of the charges they had brought against him. However, the historical sources differ in determining the cause of his death. One version says that upon returning from Ghazni, he fell on the road, poisoned and died in 1015 CE (406 AH) while another version says that he was attacked from behind. He was carried back to Nishapur and buried in al-Hira.
Influences
Ibn Furak's works in "Usul al-Din" (foundation of religion), "Usul al-fiqh" (foundation of jurisprudence), and the meanings of the Quran count nearly one hundred volumes. Among them are Mujarrad Maqâlât al-Ash`arî and Kitab Mushkil al-hadith wa-bayanihi (with many variants of the title), in which he refuted both the anthropomorphist tendencies of Hanbali literalists and the over-interpretation of the Mu'tazila. Ibn Furak said that he embarked on the study of kalam because of the hadîth reported from the Prophet.
His main work in the eyes of later generations is Tabaqat al-mutakallimin which is the main source to study al-Ash'ari theology.