Al-Burini | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 1556 (1556-07) |
| Died | June 11, 1615(1615-06-11) (aged 58) |
| Occupation(s) | Historian, Poet, Shafi'i Jurist |
| Notable work | Tarajim al-A'yan min Abna al-Zaman,al-Rihlat al-Tarabulusiyya,al-Rihlat al-Halabiyya |
Badr al-Din al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Dimashqi al-Saffuri al-Burini (July 1556-11 June 1615), commonly known asal-Hasan al-Burini, was aDamascus-basedOttoman Arab historian and poet andShafi'i jurist.
Al-Burini was born in mid-July 1556 in the village ofSaffuriya nearNazareth in theGalilee, hence hisnisba (epithet) "al-Saffuri".[1] His father Muhammad was originally from the village ofBurin nearNablus hence thenisba "al-Burini".[2] At the age of 10 he moved toDamascus with his father.[1]
Al-Burini learned theQur'an at theManjak Mosque in theMidan neighborhood in his adolescence.[2] Afterward, he received an education inArabic grammar,qanun (secular law) and arithmetic from Damasceneulema (religious scholars) at the Madrasa al-Umariyya in theSalihiyya neighborhood.[2] His studies there were interrupted by a famine, which prompted him to relocate toJerusalem from 1567 to 1571.[1] In Jerusalem he was taught by Muhammad ibn Abi al-Lutf.[2] He moved back to Damascus in 1571, settling in theSufi lodge of Samisatiyya where he expanded his education to literature,fiqh (jurisprudence),tafsir (Qur'anic interpretations), andhadith.[3] By 1580 he had masteredPersian, as taught to him by Persian author Hafiz Husayn al-Karbala'i (d. 1588) inAleppo or Damascus.[4] Later in life, he also learnedTurkish.[5]
After completing his studies, al-Burini became the head of theShafi'ifiqh in theUmayyad Mosque in 1580. About the same time he began making sermons at the Sultan Mosque and became a lecturer in a number of Damascus madrasas. He was known by his students for his eloquence, charisma and literary knowledge, while the historians and religious scholars of the period lauded al-Burini for the same qualities, as well as his interest in history and philology. The governors and judges of Damascus trusted and appreciated al-Burini, considering him an accomplished Shafi’i jurist with independent judgements.[4] He served as thekadi (Islamic head judge) of the OttomanHajj pilgrimage caravan from Damascus toMecca in 1611.[1] On 11 June 1615 he died in Damascus and was buried in the cemetery ofBab al-Faradis.[1][5]
One of al-Burini's main bodies of work wasTarajim al-A'yan min Abna al-Zaman, a collection of 205 biographies of notable contemporary scholars, rulers and artisans, completed in 1614 after ten years.[5] Fadl Allah ibn Muhibb Allah edited and published the work in 1667 with a supplement.[1] The work was republished in Damascus in 1959.[5]
Al-Burini often traveled to different parts of Syria, penning two works about his trips toTripoli in 1599/1600 and Aleppo inal-Rihlat al-Tarabulusiyya andal-Rihlat al-Halabiyya, respectively.[4] During his visits to Tripoli and itsAkkar countryside he was hosted by the chieftain and governorYusuf Sayfa Pasha.[6]
His poetry is mostly found in adiwan located inIstanbul. His epistle to As'ad ibn Muiin al-Din al-Tibrizi al-Dimashqi is located inGotha, hisMarathi poems for the Sufi Muhammad ibn Abi'l-Barakat al-Qadiri is preserved in Berlin and number of his poems are held in theBritish Museum in London.[1]
He penned a commentary on thediwan ofIbn al-Farid in 1591 and a commentary on the latter'sal-Ta’iyya al-Sughra in 1593.[5]
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