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Abū ʿAmr ʿĀmir ibn Sharāḥīl ibn ʿAbd al-Kūfī al-Shaʿbī (), 641–723, commonly known as Imam al-Sha'bi or al-Sha'bi, was an
Arab Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...
and
jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyzes and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal education in law (a law degree) and often a Lawyer, legal prac ...
of the ''
tabi'un The tābiʿūn (, also accusative or genitive tābiʿīn , singular ''tābiʿ'' ), "followers" or "successors", are the generation of Muslims who followed the companions (''ṣaḥāba'') of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and thus received their ...
'', born during the rule of Umar ibn al-Khattab. As a prominent figure in
Kufa Kufa ( ), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates, Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Along with Samarra, Karbala, Kadhimiya ...
, al-Sha'bi was heavily involved in the political struggle in Iraq between
Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (; May 624October/November 692) was the leader of a caliphate based in Mecca that rivaled the Umayyads from 683 until his death. The son of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Asma bint Abi Bakr, and grandson of ...
, Mukhtar al-Thaqafi, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, and Ibn al-Ash'ath. Al-Sha’bi has been appointed among the first jurists of leading
Islamic law Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, intan ...
, including ʽAbd al-Razzaq al-Sanʽani and Ibn Abi Shaybah. Al-Sha'bi seems to have been interested in reconstructing chronologies of historical events. Accounts attributed to him primarily concern themselves with conquests in eastern provinces of the
caliphate A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...
, and one deals with the chronology of the life of
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
. Al-Sha'bi was known for his moderate view who denouncing extremism during the time of political upheavals.


Biography

ʿĀmir al-Shaʿbī belonged to the Banū Hassān ibn ʿAmr which also known as Banu Sha'bi, a division of a tribe from
Himyarite Kingdom Himyar was a polity in the southern highlands of Yemen, as well as the name of the region which it claimed. Until 110 BCE, it was integrated into the Qataban, Qatabanian kingdom, afterwards being recognized as an independent kingdom. According ...
that traced their ancestry to a clan chief named Hassān ibn ʿAmr Dhū al-Shaʿbain. However, the branch of Banū Hassān ibn ʿAmr which al-Shaʿbī belonged had already joined the tribe of Banu Hamdān in Yemen before al-Sha'bi born. Thus, causing the al-Sha'bi clan was nicknamed as "lesser Hamdāni" (šaʿb Hamdān aṣ-ṣuġrā). In 637, al-Shaʿbī's father, Sharāḥīl ibn ʿAbd al-Kūfī, fought in the Battle of Jalula in
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
, where he meet al-Sha'bi's mother who was captured in this battle and was given to Sharāḥīl as reward of his service. The early education of Amir al-Sha'bi was not much known, except by his owm admission that he studied under the discples of Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud and studying
Arithmetic Arithmetic is an elementary branch of mathematics that deals with numerical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In a wider sense, it also includes exponentiation, extraction of roots, and taking logarithms. ...
under al-Hārith al-Aʿwar, a disciple of Ali, fourth caliph of
Rashidun Caliphate The Rashidun Caliphate () is a title given for the reigns of first caliphs (lit. "successors") — Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali collectively — believed to Political aspects of Islam, represent the perfect Islam and governance who led the ...
. Physically, al-Sha'bi was described as skinny.
Ibn Qutaybah Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muslim ibn Qutayba al-Dīnawarī al-Marwazī better known simply as Ibn Qutaybah (; c. 828 – 13 November 889 CE/213 – 15 Rajab 276 AH) was an Islamic scholar of Persian people, Persian descent. He served as a q ...
recorded that during the
Second Fitna The Second Fitna was a period of general political and military disorder and civil war in the Islamic community during the early Umayyad Caliphate. It followed the death of the first Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya I in 680, and lasted for about twelve y ...
, al-Sha'bi initially served as secretary to the governors of Kufa appointed by
Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (; May 624October/November 692) was the leader of a caliphate based in Mecca that rivaled the Umayyads from 683 until his death. The son of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Asma bint Abi Bakr, and grandson of ...
, ' Abdallāh ibn Yazīd al-Khatami (684–685) and 'Abdallāh ibn Mutī' al-'Adawī (685). However, later, al-Sha'bi and his father changed allegiance to Mukhtar al-Thaqafi. During this period, al-Sha'bi was paid by al-Mukhtar and participated in his military operations. However, as the al-Mukhtār's movement became more radical, al-Sha'bi grew disillusioned with al-Mukhtar, thus he parted way with al-Mukhtar, and began to criticize the Shia movements under al-Mukhtar. Later, Al-Sha'bi later gained huge reputation that caliph ʿ
Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ibn al-Hakam (; July/August 644 or June/July 647 – 9 October 705) was the fifth Umayyad caliph, ruling from April 685 until his death in October 705. A member of the first generation of born Muslims, his early life in ...
entrusted him with the education of his children. Later, Al-Sha'bi began his career as judge in
Kufa Kufa ( ), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates, Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Along with Samarra, Karbala, Kadhimiya ...
after al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf entered Kufa in 694 as
Emir Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...
of Iraq. Furthermore, al-Hajjaj made al-Sha'bi as the administrator and leader of two tribe in Kufa, Banu Sha'bi and
Banu Hamdan Banu Hamdan (; Ancient South Arabian script, Musnad: 𐩠𐩣𐩵𐩬) is an ancient, large, and prominent Arab tribe in northern Yemen. Origins and location The Hamdan stemmed from the eponymous progenitor Awsala (nickname Hamdan) whose descent ...
. This happened during the tenure of Ziyad ibn Abihi as governor of the Kufa.
Ibn Sirin Muhammad Ibn Sirin (, romanized: Muḥammad Ibn Sirīn) (born in Basra) was a Muslim tabi' as he was a contemporary of Anas ibn Malik. He is claimed by some to have been an interpreter of dreams, though others regard the books to have been fal ...
met al-Sha'bi first time during his tenure in Kufa. In 699, however, al-Sha'bi joined the revolt of Ibn al-Ash'ath. He marched within the ranks of Quran memorizers under Ibn al-Ash'ath against al-Hajjaj and also attended the Battle of Deir al-Jamajim. After the rebellion collapsed and Ibn al-Ash'ath defeated, al-Sha'bi went into hiding for fear of reprisal from al-Hajjaj. When he learned that al-Hajjaj promised amnesty for those who joined the army of Qutayba ibn Muslim in
Khorasan province Khorasan ( ; also transcribed as Khurasan, Xorasan and Khorassan), also called Traxiane during Hellenistic and Parthian Empire, Parthian times, was a Provinces of Iran, province in northeastern Iran until September 2004, when it was divided in ...
, al-Sha'bi traveled east on a donkey. He followed the military campaign under Qutayba's command as far as
Fergana Fergana ( uz-Latn-Cyrl, Fargʻona, Фарғона, ), () or Ferghana, also Farghana is a district-level city and the capital of Fergana Region in eastern Uzbekistan. Fergana is about 320 km east of Tashkent, about 75 km southwest of A ...
, until Qutayba recognized him and employed him as his secretary. However, al-Hajjaj learned this and demanded Qutayba to send al-Sha'bi to his presence. Qutayba then had him brought to Wasit. After al-Sha'bi professing his repentance for his role in the rebellion, he was pardoned by al-Hajjaj. An important role in al-Hajjaj's rehabilitation was played by al-Hajjaj's foster brother and secretary Yazid ibn Abi Muslim, and a son of al-Hajjaj, where the two of them continues to beg the pardon for al-Sha'bi. At some point of his lifetime, there were emergence of four political-religious extreme movements; consisted of Qadariyah, Murji'ah,
Kharijites The Kharijites (, singular ) were an Islamic sect which emerged during the First Fitna (656–661). The first Kharijites were supporters of Ali who rebelled against his acceptance of arbitration talks to settle the conflict with his challeng ...
, and
Shiite Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...
. Al-Sha'bi was recorded being strongly condemned all of those movements. At some time he engaged in a debate against a Shia preacher named al-Mughira ibn Sa'id regarding a stance about Khulafa al-Rashidun (first four caliphs of Rashidun caliphate), where al-Sha'bi openly stated he supported and acknowledged all of the caliphs, unlike the Qadarites, Murji'ites, Kharijites, or Shiites followers who only acknowledged certain Rashidun caliphs partially; or even denouncing them all. However, his career as leading jurist in Kufa came to an abrupt end. One report states that al-Sha'bī left the mosque in resignation after the arrivals of new scholars in Kufa, such as Hammād ibn Abī Sulaimān, the teacher of Abū Hanīfa, or al-Hakam ibn ʿUtba (d. 733) According to one of his students named ʿAlī al-Ghudānī, Al-Sha'bi has met with more than 500
Companions of the Prophet The Companions of the Prophet () were the Muslim disciples and followers of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who saw or met him during his lifetime. The companions played a major role in Muslim battles, society, hadith narration, and governance ...
during his lifetime. There are different reports about al-Sha'bī's date of death, which range between 721 AD and 729 AD.


Influence and view

Al-Sha'bi was of the leading Muslim chronicler who focused on narratives on the Islamic history discipline of Maghazi (expeditions and conquests). His narrations are scattered in many books. His narration style were greatly religious driven.


Hadith science

Ibn Rajab has recorded a Hadith Qudse regarding the number of Zabaniyah, archangels of hell, from Al-Sha'bi; which was traced to the authority of Al-Bara' ibn Azib. Another hadith which recorded transmitted by al-Sha'bi was a hadith about archangel Jibril which traced on the authority of Jabir ibn Abd Allah.


Jurisprudence

Al-Sha'bi was considered influential jurist among his contemporary. Ibn Sirin was recorded to asking counsel about Islamic jurisprudence to al-Sha'bi. Makhūl ibn Abī Muslim al-Shamī, another Tabi'un contemporary and prominent Hadith scholar, has praised al-Sha'bi for his jurisprudensic expertise, and his knowledge of
sunnah is the body of traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time supposedly saw, followed, and passed on to the next generations. Diff ...
. Unlike his colleague Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, who relied primarily on
Qiyas Qiyas (, , ) is the process of deductive analogy in which the teachings of the hadith are compared and contrasted with those of the Quran in Islamic jurisprudence, in order to apply a known injunction ('' nass'') to a new circumstance and cre ...
(analogic deduction) in his scholastic method, al-Shaʿbī strongly relied primarily on scriptural traditions ( Atharism). He also tried to convince other scholars that Qiyās was not a valid argument. Al-Sha'bi was recorded to have said: "Beware of Qiyās. For when you use it, you make what is
halal ''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...
to be
haram ''Haram'' (; ) is an Arabic term meaning 'taboo'. This may refer to either something sacred to which access is not allowed to the people who are not in a state of purity or who are not initiated into the sacred knowledge; or, in direct cont ...
and what is haram to be halal.". Regarding inheritances, al-Sha'bi based his fatwa on the legal opinion of
Ibn Abbas ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās (; c. 619 – 687 CE), also known as Ibn ʿAbbās, was one of the cousins of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, prophet Muhammad. He is considered to be the greatest Tafsir#Conditions, mufassir of the Quran, Qur'an. ...
. In particular, the notable
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'', ...
produced by al-Sha'bi was the Fiqh ruling of the inheritance regarding intersex (Hermaphrodite) person, or ''Khunta Al-Mushkal''; which in Islamic jurisprudence means his or her physical (genital organs) and sexual characteristics (beard, voice, or menstruation) cannot be determined; hence the jurisprudensic consequence of this fatwa ruled that a hermaphrodite person has the rights of the half portion of each male and female inheritance portion from his or her parents. The exact rulings of al-Sha'bi was in the case if the inheritors were a son and a daughter, the daughter inherited is half of the son, that is the male the equivalent of the share of two females in iheritance, so it is as if the male is in the position of two females, and one of the two females in relation to the hermaphrodite is known, and the other female is fixed in a state without a state, so he is equal, so the hermaphrodite is in the position of a female and a half. Furthermore, Al-Sha'bi's rulings according to the later era scholars such as
Abu Yusuf Ya'qub ibn Ibrahim al-Ansari (), better known as Abu Yusuf () (729–798) was an Islamic jurist, as well as a student of Abu Hanifa (d.767) and Malik ibn Anas (d.795), who helped spread the influence of the Hanafi school of Islamic law, and w ...
was, if the hermaphrodite is a known for dominant male biological traits, then he gets a third of the money, and if he is a female, then she gets a third, so he is given.” Half of each case, so he gets half the money, and the rest is for the descendants, because in the event that he is entitled to a third of the money, which is if the hermaphrodite has dominant female traits, and in the event that he has nothing, then he gets half a third, which is one-sixth. The scholars of
Hanafi school 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 ...
, such as
Abu Hanifa Abu Hanifa (; September 699 CE – 767 CE) was a Muslim scholar, jurist, theologian, ascetic,Pakatchi, Ahmad and Umar, Suheyl, "Abū Ḥanīfa", in: ''Encyclopaedia Islamica'', Editors-in-Chief: Wilferd Madelung and, Farhad Daftary. and epony ...
, and his two students,
Abu Yusuf Ya'qub ibn Ibrahim al-Ansari (), better known as Abu Yusuf () (729–798) was an Islamic jurist, as well as a student of Abu Hanifa (d.767) and Malik ibn Anas (d.795), who helped spread the influence of the Hanafi school of Islamic law, and w ...
and Muhammad al-Hanafi, has adopted Al-Sha'bi fatwa for their rulings of hermaphrodite inheritance, as it was recorded by al-Sarakhsi in his work, ''Kitab al-Mabsut''. Ibn Qudamah has recorded the
Hanbali The Hanbali school or Hanbalism is one of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence, belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It is named after and based on the teachings of the 9th-century scholar, jurist and tradit ...
school of though also takes this rulings of Al-Sha'bi that if a questioned hermaphrodite still not reaching puberty when the inheritance from the parents is about to be shared. Shafiʽi school scholars also adopted this approach if a gender of a person cannot be described.


Politic

Al-Sha'bi also known for his oppositions against the four emerging political-religious view of Qadariyah, Murji'ah, Kharijites, and Shia during his lifetime. He particularly condemn those movements for their partial stance of the Islamic tenet, and for their hostile stance against the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs and the
Companions of the Prophet The Companions of the Prophet () were the Muslim disciples and followers of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who saw or met him during his lifetime. The companions played a major role in Muslim battles, society, hadith narration, and governance ...
. One of the most offensive view of the Shiite according to al-Sha'bi was the Kaysanites branch for their hatred to
Aisha Aisha bint Abi Bakr () was a seventh century Arab commander, politician, Muhaddith, muhadditha and the third and youngest wife of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. Aisha had an important role in early Islamic h ...
, the third wife of Muhammad, as al-Sha'bi goes as far as such though is considered the violation of
sunnah is the body of traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time supposedly saw, followed, and passed on to the next generations. Diff ...
. In this context, al-Sha'bi even expressed his contempt for the Shia followers and even commented derogatorily as he likened the Shia to vultures and donkeys. Due to this stance, modern historian and Scottish orientalist W. Montgomery Watt has regarded al-Sha'bi represented the centrist view of Islam and a moderate figure amid the political heat on the wake the extreme religious and political sectarian in the early Islam.


See also

*
Al-Shafi'i Al-Shafi'i (; ;767–820 CE) was a Muslim scholar, jurist, muhaddith, traditionist, theologian, ascetic, and eponym of the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence. He is known to be the first to write a book upon the principles ...
*
Ahmad ibn Hanbal Ahmad ibn Hanbal (; (164-241 AH; 780 – 855 CE) was an Arab Muslim scholar, jurist, theologian, traditionist, ascetic and eponym of the Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence—one of the four major orthodox legal schools of Sunni Islam. T ...
* Urwah ibn Zubayr


References

{{Authority control, state=collapsed Tabi‘un Tabi‘un hadith narrators Historians of the medieval Islamic world
Historians A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...
8th-century people from the Umayyad Caliphate Sunni imams People from the Rashidun Caliphate Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam 8th-century Muslim theologians