Najm Al-Din Muhammad Al-Ghazzi
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Najm al-Din Muhammad al-Ghazzi (19 January 1570–1651) was a scholar based in
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
during Ottoman rule. He is best known for his biographical dictionaries. The biographies were mainly about the notables of
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
and, to a lesser extent, those of
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
and other parts of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries.


Family background

Ghazzi came from a family of Muslim scholars long based in
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
. They were originally from Gaza, hence their
nisba The Arabic language, Arabic word nisba (; also transcribed as ''nisbah'' or ''nisbat'') may refer to: * Arabic nouns and adjectives#Nisba, Nisba, a suffix used to form adjectives in Arabic grammar, or the adjective resulting from this formation **c ...
'al-Ghazzi'. His grandfather Radi al-Din al-Ghazzi (1458–1529) was the deputy
qadi A qadi (; ) is the magistrate or judge of a Sharia court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and minors, and supervision and auditing of public works. History The term '' was in use from ...
(judge) of the
Shafi'i The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionis ...
madhhab A ''madhhab'' (, , pl. , ) refers to any school of thought within fiqh, Islamic jurisprudence. The major Sunni Islam, Sunni ''madhhab'' are Hanafi school, Hanafi, Maliki school, Maliki, Shafi'i school, Shafi'i and Hanbali school, Hanbali. They ...
(Islamic school of jurisprudence) and an important figure in the
Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
Qadiriyya The Qadiriyya () or the Qadiri order () is a Sunni Sufi order (''Tariqa'') founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077–1166, also transliterated ''Jilani''), who was a Hanbali scholar from Gilan, Iran. The order, with its many sub-orders, is widesp ...
order in the late 15th and early 16th century, during the ending years of
Mamluk Mamluk or Mamaluk (; (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural); translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave") were non-Arab, ethnically diverse (mostly Turkic, Caucasian, Eastern and Southeastern European) enslaved mercenaries, slave-so ...
rule and the beginnings of Ottoman rule. He had lost his position at some point before or during the political transition, but regained it by developing close ties with the Ottoman government. He penned works about Sufism, ''
aqida ''Aqidah'' (, , pl. , ) is an Islamic term of Arabic origin that means "creed". It is also called Islamic creed or Islamic theology. ''Aqidah'' goes beyond concise statements of faith and may not be part of an ordinary Muslim's religious ins ...
'' (creed), agriculture and plants, medicine, and
Arabic grammar Arabic grammar () is the grammar of the Arabic language. Arabic is a Semitic languages, Semitic language and its grammar has many similarities with the Semitic languages#Grammar, grammar of other Semitic languages. Classical Arabic and Modern St ...
. Radi al-Din's son Badr al-Din was Ghazzi's father. Badr al-Din, born in 1499, received an elite education in the Mamluk capital
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, including instruction by
al-Suyuti Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (; 1445–1505), or al-Suyuti, was an Egyptians, Egyptian Sunni Muslims, Muslim polymath of Persians, Persian descent. Considered the mujtahid and mujaddid of the Islamic 10th century, he was a leading Hadith studies, muh ...
. He started his career as a scholar in Damascus around 1515. He eventually became the Shafi'i
mufti A mufti (; , ) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatāwa'' have played an important role thro ...
of Damascus and an instructor in the
Umayyad Mosque The Umayyad Mosque (; ), also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus, located in the old city of Damascus, the capital of Syria, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. Its religious importance stems from the eschatological reports ...
. He wrote one of the first Arabic travel accounts of
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
, the Ottoman capital, and the places along the way, called ''al-Matali al-badriyya fi al-manazil al-Rumiyya'' (Full Moon Rising: Waystations to Constantinople) during his visit in 1530–1531. By the time of his death in 1577 he had become among the preeminent scholars of Damascus, best known for his ''
tafsir Tafsir ( ; ) refers to an exegesis, or commentary, of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' (; plural: ). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding ...
s'' (interpretations of Islamic scripture) and his
fatwa A fatwa (; ; ; ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (sharia) given by a qualified Islamic jurist ('' faqih'') in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist issuing fatwas is called a ''mufti'', ...
s (legal opinions).


Life

The only known biography of Ghazzi himself is by his Damascene contemporary
Muhammad Amin al-Muhibbi Muhammad al-Amin ibn Fadlallah ibn Muhiballah ibn Muhibb al-Din al-Dimashqi, commonly known as al-Muhibbi was an Ottoman historian based in Damascus. He is best known for voluminous dictionary of biographies of 17th-century Muslim notables. Biogra ...
. Ghazzi, born on 19 January 1570, was the youngest of his siblings. He was a young boy when his father died, but he considerably documented his father's life and works in his own career as a scholar in Damascus. His father was his first teacher, and after his death, Ghazzi's mother became responsible for his education. His teachers were leading
ulema In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...
. The first among them was the
Hanafi The Hanafi school or Hanafism is the oldest and largest Madhhab, school of Islamic jurisprudence out of the four schools within Sunni Islam. It developed from the teachings of the Faqīh, jurist and theologian Abu Hanifa (), who systemised the ...
mufti of Damascus, followed by the Shafi'i mufti Shihab al-Din Ahmad al-Ithawi, who instructed Ghazzi for thirty-five years. He eventually married al-Ithawi's daughter, and when she died of an illness, al-Ithawi married off his other daughter to him. Other teachers of Ghazzi included the Arab scholar Muhibbidin ibn Abi Bakr al-Hamawi, the Turkish head Ottoman qadi of Damascus Muhammad ibn Hassan al-Su'udi and the Egyptian scholars Zayn al-Din al-Bakri and Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Ramli. Like his father and grandfather, Ghazzi was a Sufi of the Qadiriyya. Ghazzi became a highly reputable scholar and teacher in several
madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...
s, and at times served as a mufti, imam and Friday prayer khatib (preacher). He traveled to different parts of Syria and
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
and made the
Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...
pilgrimage to
Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...
on twelve occasions. His reputation in the
Hejaz Hejaz is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes the majority of the western region of Saudi Arabia, covering the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif and Al Bahah, Al-B ...
was as the 'hadith scholar of the age' and as 'the scholar of al-Sham yria. Ghazzi became afflicted with a light paralysis around 1644. He died in the home of his wife (not a daughter of al-Ithawi) on 8 June 1657.


Works

Ghazzi wrote a dictionary of biographies of scholars and other important figures of his father's generation. The work was called ''al-Kawakib al-sa'ira bi a'yan al-m'ia wa ashara'' (The Wandering Stars: The Notables of the Tenth Century H. He wrote a supplementary work, mainly biographies of his contemporaries, titled ''Lutf al-samar wa qatf al-thamar min tarajim al-tabaqat al-ula min al-qarn al-hadi ashar''. His biographical works were mainly devoted to notables from
greater Syria Syria, ( or ''Shaam'') also known as Greater Syria or Syria-Palestine, is a historical region located east of the Mediterranean Sea in West Asia, broadly synonymous with the Levant. The region boundaries have changed throughout history. Howe ...
, but there were also several entries about figures from
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
and the Ottoman Empire in general. In ''Kawakib'', Ghazzi cited his sources in his introduction, discussing the books used and their authors, and in the individual entries. In ''Lutf'', Ghazzi did not source or verify historical information, as it was mostly based on his own observations of his contemporaries. ''Kawakib'' contained 1,543 biographies, divided into three volumes by generation, which he defined as thirty-three years, citing a hadith by Muhammad. The chronological range of the work was notables who died between 1494 and 1592. ''Lutf'' was intended as a continuation of ''Kawakib'' and contains 283 biographies. In each entry, Ghazzi generally mentioned the subject's genealogy, lifespan, residence and burial place, madhhab, posts, characteristics and values, and notables events of their life. While extensive entries were devoted to especially notable subjects, several entries consisted of no more than two lines. Among the entries in ''Kawakib'' and ''Lutf'', were seven Ottoman sultans:
Beyezid II Bayezid II (; ; 3 December 1447 – 26 May 1512) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512. During his reign, Bayezid consolidated the Ottoman Empire, thwarted a pro-Safavid rebellion and finally abdicated his throne to his son, Selim ...
,
Selim I Selim I (; ; 10 October 1470 – 22 September 1520), known as Selim the Grim or Selim the Resolute (), was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1520. Despite lasting only eight years, his reign is ...
,
Suleiman Suleiman (; or dictionary.reference.comsuleiman/ref>) is the Arabic name of the Jewish and Quranic king and Islam, Islamic prophet Solomon (name), Solomon. Suleiman the Magnificent (1494–1566) was the longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman E ...
,
Selim II Selim II (; ; 28 May 1524 – 15 December 1574), also known as Selim the Blond () or Selim the Drunkard (), was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1566 until his death in 1574. He was a son of Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Hurrem Sul ...
,
Murad III Murad III (; ; 4 July 1546 – 16 January 1595) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death in 1595. His rule saw battles with the Habsburg monarchy, Habsburgs and exhausting wars with the Safavid Iran, Safavids. The long-inde ...
,
Murad III Murad III (; ; 4 July 1546 – 16 January 1595) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death in 1595. His rule saw battles with the Habsburg monarchy, Habsburgs and exhausting wars with the Safavid Iran, Safavids. The long-inde ...
, and
Ahmed I Ahmed I ( '; ; 18 April 1590 – 22 November 1617) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 to 1617. Ahmed's reign is noteworthy for marking the first breach in the Ottoman tradition of royal fratricide; henceforth, Ottoman rulers would no ...
. The original works are located in the
Zahiriyya Library The Zahiriyya Library (), also known as the Madrasa al-Zahiriyya (), is an Islamic library, madrasa, and mausoleum in Damascus, Syria. It was established in 1277, taking its name from the Mamluk sultan Baybars al-Zahir (), who is buried in this ...
of Damascus. An edited version of ''al-Kawakib'' was published by J. S. Jabbur in
Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
in 1945–1958. ''Al-Kawakib'' was published, in Arabic, by the author Mahmud Shaykh in Damascus in two volumes in 1981 and 1982, respectively. Ghazzi also wrote three travelogues of his trips to Constantinople,
Baalbek Baalbek (; ; ) is a city located east of the Litani River in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about northeast of Beirut. It is the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. In 1998, the city had a population of 82,608. Most of the population consists of S ...
and the Hejaz. The Constantinople work ''Al-Iqd al-manzum fi al-rihla ila al-Rum'' is located in the
Köprülü Library Köprülü Library is a library in Istanbul. It was founded by Ottoman Grand Vizier Köprülü Mehmed Pasha in 1678. It was the first public library in the Middle East. The library currently contains 3,790 manuscript volumes. Foundation Located ...
in
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
. The Baalbek work is no longer extant, but was centered around an official mission he participated in to gauge the situation there in 1618 amid the domination of the region by the Druze chief and district governor
Fakhr al-Din II Fakhr al-Din Ma'n (; 6 August 1572 13 April 1635), commonly known as Fakhr al-Din II or Fakhreddine II (), was the paramount Druze emir of Mount Lebanon from the Ma'n dynasty, an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sanjak-bey, governor of Sidon-Beirut Sanj ...
. The Hejaz travelogue is centered around one of his Hajj pilgrimages, in which describes the way stations between Damascus and Mecca. It is located in the Zahiriyya Library in Damascus.


Descendants

A descendant of Ghazzi, Muhammad Kamal al-Din al-Ghazzi (1760–1799), wrote a long biography of another of his relatives, the
Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
scholar and traveler
Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghani ibn Isma′il al-Nabulsi (an-Nabalusi) (19 March 1641 – 5 March 1731), was an eminent Sunni Ulama, Muslim scholar, poet, and author on works about Sufism, ethnography and agriculture. Family origins Abd al-Ghani's family ...
called ''al-Wird al-unsi wa l-warid al-qudsi fi tarjamat al-arif Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi'' (The Intimate Invocation and Sacred Revelation in Writing the Life of the Knower Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi).


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * *{{cite book , last1=Taji-Farouki , first1=Suha , title=ʿIbn Arabī: A Prayer for Spiritual Elevation and Protection , date=2006 , publisher=Anqa Publishing , location=Oxford , isbn=0-9534513-0-5 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GplVDwAAQBAJ 1570 births 1651 deaths 16th-century Arabic-language writers 17th-century Arabic-language writers 16th-century biographers 16th-century historians from the Ottoman Empire 17th-century biographers 17th-century writers from the Ottoman Empire People from Damascus