The famous Iranian Sunni Muslim scholars

Compiled by: Syed Ali Shahbaz

The prominent Iranian Sunni Muslim scholar, Abu Hamed Mohammad Ghazzali Toosi
On 14th of the Islamic month of Jamadi as-Sani in 505 AH, the prominent Iranian Sunni Muslim scholar, Abu Hamed Mohammad Ghazali Toosi, passed away. At the age of 28 years he became a prominent scholar, whose fame led the Seljuqid vizier, Khwajah Nezam ol-Molk Toosi, to invite him to take charge of Baghdad’s Nezamiyah Academy.
After several years in Iraq, he left for Syria, lived in Bayt ol-Moqaddas for some years. After performing the Hajj pilgrimage, he returned to his native Iran where he spent the rest of the years of his life until his death in Toos at the age of 53 years. He was known as “Hojjat ol-Islam” (Authority on Islam). He was proficient in jurisprudence and Sufism as well as scholastic theology. He wrote both in Arabic and Persian, and among his books, mention could be made of “Ihya Oloum od-Din” (Revival of Religious Sciences) and “Kimiya-e Sa’adat” (Alchemy of Happiness).

The renowned Iranian Sunni Muslim authority on hadith, Mohammad ibn Eisa Tirmizi
On 13th of the Islamic month of Rajab in 279 AH, the renowned Iranian Sunni Muslim authority on hadith, Mohammad ibn Eisa Tirmizi, passed away. He was born and died in Bagh, near Tirmiz in Greater Khorasan (now in southern Uzbekistan near Afghanistan's border). He travelled widely to Kufa, Basra and Hijaz, in pursuit of knowledge. His teachers included Mohammad Bukhari, Muslim Naishaburi and Abu Dawoud Sijistani – all three of whom were renowned Iranian Sunni Muslim compilers of hadith. Tirmizi, who became blind in the last two years of his life, is the author of "al-Jame' as-Sahih", popularly called "Sunan at-Tirmizi", one of the six canonical hadith compilations of Sunni Muslims.
He has included in his compendium authentic narrations on the unrivalled merits of the blessed household of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), and has said that the term "Ahl al-Bayt" as used by God in the holy Qur'an (33:33) and by the Prophet in several hadith, is exclusive for Imam Ali (AS), Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA), Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husain (AS), and does not include the Prophet's wives, as some allege. Tirmizi's grave is in Sherobad, 60 km north of Tirmiz, where he is popularly called Tirmiz Baba. Tirmiz is the hottest point in Uzbekistan with temperatures as high as 46 degrees centigrade, and the city traces its origin to Alexander's Greeks who called the place "thermos", meaning "hot".

Al-Qushayri Nayshapouri, the author of “Sahih Muslim”
On 25th of the Islamic month of Rajab in 261 AH, the Iranian Sunni scholar and compiler of hadith, Abu'l-Hussain Muslim ibn Hajjaj al-Qushayri Nayshapouri, the author of “Sahih Muslim”, passed away at the age of 55 years in his hometown Nayshapour in Khorasan, northeastern Iran. He was a student of the other famous Iranian Sunni Muslim hadith compiler, Mohammad bin Ismael Bukhari, and among his students was the third famous Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Mohammad bin Eisa Tirmizi. After travelling throughout Iran, the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Iraq and Syria, he settled down in his hometown. Of the thousands of hadith he collected in his "Sahih", 2000 are common with Bukhari's "Sahih". There are many hadith in “Sahih Muslim” on the merits of the Ahl al-Bayt including the unrivalled position of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) compared to the companions of the Prophet. He has stated that the term "Ahl al-Bayt" as referred to by God Almighty in ayah 33 of Surah Ahzab exclusively pertains to Imam Ali (AS), Hazrat Fatema (SA), Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husain (AS) and does not include the Prophet’s wives.

The prominent Iranian Sunni Mu’tazalite theologian and exegete of Holy Qur’an, Az-Zamakhshari
On 27th of the Islamic month of Rajab in 467 AH, the prominent Iranian Sunni Mu’tazalite theologian and exegete of Holy Qur’an, Abu’l-Qasim Mahmoud az-Zamakhshari, was born in Zamakhshar, Khwarezm. He lived most of his life in Bukhara, Samarqand, and Baghdad, and because of his long stay in Mecca near the Sacred Mosque that houses the holy Ka’ba, he was known as “Jar-Allah” (God's Neighbour).
He was prolific writer in both Persian and Arabic, and is best known for “al-Kashshaaf”, a seminal commentary on the Qur'an, famous for its deep linguistic analysis of the ayahs, and which makes note of God’s revelation regarding the unsurpassed merits of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). His other works include “Asaas al-Balaghah” on Arabic literature, “Moqaddamat-al-Adab” – an Arabic-Persian lexicon – and the voluminous “Rabi al-Abraar”, in which among other interesting information, he has exposed the doubtful parentage of Mu’awiyya the founder of the usurper Omayyad dynasty. He passed in 538 AH.

The Iranian Sunni Muslim hadith scholar, historian and genealogist, as-Sam’ani
On 21st of the Islamic month of Sha’ban in 506 AH, the Iranian Sunni Muslim hadith scholar, historian and genealogist, Abdul-Karim Ibn Mohammad as-Sam’ani, was born in the Khorasani city of Marv, which is currently in Turkmenistan. After basic Islamic studies in Nishabour, he travelled widely throughout Iran, Iraq, Syria, Hejaz, and Transoxiana to acquire more knowledge. His most important book is “al-Ansaab” on the genealogy of the notables. He has also left behind other valuable books such as “Tarikh-e Marv” (History of Marv).

The Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Ibn Majah al-Qazvini
On 22nd of the Islamic month of Ramadhan in 273 AH, the Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Mohammad Ibn Yazid Ibn Majah al-Qazvini, passed away at the age of 64 in his hometown Qazvin – west of modern Tehran. His grandfather had converted from Zoroastrianism and was a client of the ar-Rabi' Arab tribe. He traveled widely over Iran, Iraq, Arabia, Syria and Egypt in search of hadith, before returning to his birthplace Qazvin. Although he has admitted some of the merits of Prophet Mohammad's (SAWA) Ahl al-Bayt, he, like his five contemporary compatriots, Mohammad Bukhari, Muslim Nishapuri, Abu Dawoud Sijistani, Abu Isa Tirmizi, and Ahmad Nisa'i, failed to have direct contact with the Infallible Imams of the Prophet’s Household or their disciples – probably because of the fear of incurring the wrath of the usurper Abbasid regime – and thus could not collect authentic hadith from the right source. His collection known as "Sunan Ibn Majah" is regarded by Sunni Muslims as one of their six canonical hadith books (Sihah as-Sitta) – the authors of which were all Iranians and grandsons of recent converts to Islam. Ibn Majah also wrote “The History of Qazvin”.

The Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Abu Hatem Mohammad ibn Hibban al-Basti
On 21st of the Islamic month of Shawwal in 354 AH, the Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Abu Hatem Mohammad ibn Hibban al-Basti, from Bast in Khorasan, passed away. He was a Shafe'i hadith specialist, and the actual name of his compilation is "at-Taqasim wa'l-Anwa", which is commonly referred to as "Sahih ibn Hibban".
Many Sunni scholars regard it next only to the "Sahihs" of the two other prominent Iranian Sunni Muslim hadith compilers, Bukhari and Muslim, while the prominent Egyptian scholar, Jalal od-Din Suyuti, places it fourth after Ibn Khuzayma Nishapur's "Sahih", and above the hadith collections (Sunan) of the five other Iranian Sunni Muslim authorities – Ibn Maja Qazvini, Abu Dawoud Sijistani, Termizi, Nisai, Hakem Nishapuri, and Bayhaqi.
It is interesting to note that despite mentioning some of the unsurpassed merits of the Ahl al-Bayt or blessed household of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), all these Sunni Muslim hadith authorities, who were Iranians, failed to have any direct contact with the Infallible Imams or their disciples regarding the genuine statements, practice and behaviour of their illustrious ancestor, the Prophet, whose legacy was a household affair for them.

The prominent Iranian poet and literary figure, Abdur-Rahman Jami
On 23rd of the Islamic month of Sha’ban in 817 AH, the prominent Persian poet and literary figure, Noureddin Abdur-Rahman Jami was born in the city of Jam, in Khorasan Province. He went to Samarqand to learn Islamic sciences, literature and history, and visited several other lands, before settling in Herat. He has left behind a large number of works in prose and verse, including “Baharestan”. Abdur-Rahman Jami who passed away in 898 AH at the age of 81 years, has also composed beautiful odes in praise of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and the Ahl al-Bayt.

The acclaimed Iranian Shafe’i jurisprudent Ibn al-Mundhir Nishaburi
On 29th of the Islamic month of Sha’ban in 318 AH, the acclaimed Iranian Shafe’i jurisprudent Mohammad Ibn Ibrahim Ibn al-Mundhir Nishaburi, passed away in holy Mecca at the age of 77. He was born in Nishapour in Khorasan, and after mastering hadith and Qur’anic sciences, travelled to the Hejaz where he spent the rest of his life in Mecca, as “Shaikh al-Haram”. He was quite knowledgeable of the differing opinions amongst the various scholars about hadith, and wrote several books, the largest of which was titled “al-Mabsout”, which is no longer in existence. He abridged this book as “al-Awsat”, but only a few volumes of this book have been found and even fewer have been printed. He also abridged this book into a still smaller work titled “al-Ishraaf”, which is widely acclaimed as the best book of its kind as he briefly mentions within it all of the different opinions regarding each topic and occasionally mentions which opinion he chose as the most correct.

The Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Mohammad ibn Ishaq Ibn Khuzaymah Nishapuri
On 2nd of the Islamic month of Ziqadeh in 311 AH, the Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Mohammad ibn Ishaq Ibn Khuzaymah Nishapuri, passed away at the age of 88. After basic studies in his homeland he travelled to Iraq, Syria, and Egypt, collecting hadith from different sources before returning to Iran, where he took up residence in Gorgan.
He is the compiler of the book "Mukhtasar al-Mukhtasar min al-Musnad as-Sahih", which is known as "Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah". Though not included in the "Sihah as-Sitta" or the Six Canonical Hadith Compendiums of the Ahl as-Sunnah, it is considered by many prominent Sunni figures such as the medieval Egyptian scholar, Jalal od-Din Suyuti, as next only to "Sahih Bukhari" and "Sahih Muslim". Like all other compilers of Sunni hadith – all of whom were Iranians and are held in high esteem by the modern day Arab Salafis – Ibn Khuzaymah failed to have any direct contact with the Infallible Imams or their disciples for determination of authentic hadith, although he has mentioned some of the unsurpassed merits of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). He also authored the book "Kitab at-Towheed wa Ithbat Sifat ar-Rabb".