Muḥammad ibn Ali ibn Muḥammad ibn Abd Allah, better known asal-Shawkani (Arabic:الشوكاني) (1759–1834) was a prominentYemeniSunniIslamic scholar,jurist,theologian andreformer.^{[18][19][20][21]} Al-Shawkani was one of the most influential proponents ofAthari theology and is respected as one of their canonical scholars bySalafiMuslims. His teachings played a major role in the emergence of the Salafi movement.^[22][23][24] Influenced by the teachings of the medievalHanbali scholarIbn Taymiyya, al-Shawkani became noteworthy for his staunch stances against the practice ofTaqlid (imitation tolegal schools), calls for direct interpretation of Scriptures, opposition toKalam (speculative theology) as well as for his robust opposition to various Sufi practices which he condemned asShirk (idolatry).^{[25][26][27][28]}

His full name was Muhammad Ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Shawkani.^[29] The surname "ash-Shawkani" is derived from Hijrah ash-Shawkan, which is a town outsideSanaa.^[30]

Born into aZaydiShi'a Muslim family, ash-Shawkani later on converted toSunni Islam.^[18][31][21] He called for a return to the textual sources of theQuran andHadith. As a result, ash-Shawkani opposed much of the Zaydi doctrines and engaged in vigorous Sunnification campaigns across Yemen during his tenure as ChiefQadi.^[32][33] He also opposed Sufism and mystical practices ofSufi orders, considering them to be an affront toTawhid (monotheism).^[34][35] Ash-Shawkani is considered as amujtahid, or authority to whom others in theMuslim community have to defer in details of religious law. Of his work issuingfatwas (judicial verdicts), ash-Shawkani stated "I acquired knowledge without a price and I wanted to give it thus."^[36] Part of the fatwa-issuing work of many noted scholars typically is devoted to the giving of ordinary opinions to private questioners. Ash-Shawkani refers both to his majorfatwas, which were collected and preserved as a book, and to his "shorter"fatwas, which he said "could never be counted" and which were not recorded.^[37] Ash-Shawkani was known to be influenced by the thought ofDawud al-Zahiri school of jurisprudence and also practicing the jurisprudential independent thinking orijtihad.^[12]

He is credited with developing a series of syllabi for attaining various ranks of scholarship and used a strict system of legal analysis based on Sunni thought. He insisted that theulama were required to ask for textual evidence, that the gate ofijtihad was not closed and that the mujtahid was to do ijtihad independent of anymadhhab, a view which stemmed from his opposition totaqlid for a mujtahid, which he deemed to be a vice with which theShariah had been inflicted.^[38] Al-Shawkani asserted that the decline of theMuslim community was due to their distancing from the Scriptures, the principle sources of religion. Hence he condemned the principle oftaqlid and proposedijtihad (independent legal reasoning) as the solution of the problems faced by Muslims.^[39] Shawkani equated unyielding imitation to themadhhabs as a type ofshirk (polytheism) and accused scholars promoting such methodology ofapostasy.^[40]

Al-Shawkani wrote the bookNayl al-Autar, a major reference in Islamic law. He also wrote several treatises condemning various popular mystical practices which he viewed to beshirk (polytheism). He praised the contemporary Arabian Islamic reformerMuhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (1703–1792) who had advocated for similar views and refuted his Yemeni theological opponents in correspondence. Upon hearing the death of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, al-Shawkani wrote a poem praising his efforts to eradicate shirk, defendTawhid and his call to Quran and Hadith.^[41][42] Reviving the classical theologianTaqi al-Din ibn Taymiyya's (1263 - 1328 CE/ 661 - 728 AH) doctrines onTawḥīd and shirk, al-Shawkānī equated the adherents ofSufi orders to the pagan Arabs ofQuraysh.^[43]

The Imam of YemenMansur Ali appointed al-Shawkani as the ChiefQadi of Yemen in 1795, an office he held until his death.^[44] He made a powerful critique of Zaydism, arguing that many Zaydi theological and legal doctrines have no basis in Scriptures. Meanwhile, Zaydis believed that theirImams ofAhl al-Bayt (Prophetic family) had stronger authority than theSunni Hadith collections; which was the heavy focus of al-Shawkani's approach.^[45] Zaydi doctrines also stipulated that unjust rulers be removed and replaced by a justImam, through force, if necessary. In contrast, al-Shawkani supported theQuietist Sunni doctrine that necessitated obedience to rulers, even the unjust who lacked qualifications. Hence, the rulingQasimid dynasty ofYemen supported scholars like al-Shawkani who legitimized their dynastic rule.^[46]

As chief judge from 1795 until 1834, al-Shawkani implemented his reformist project with state-backing and placed many of his students in positions of influence, who subsequently carried on his legacy into the 21st century. During the 1796 and 1802 street clashes betweenSunnitraditionists andZaydiShi'is, al-Shawkani was able to convince the Qasimid rulers to side with the Sunnis. He also campaigned for the 1825 execution of the Zaydi scholar Ibn Hariwa who criticised al-Shawkani's Sunnification efforts and state policies. Due to the official patronage of al-Shawkani and other Sunni scholars, Zaydi clerics were unable to stop the spread of Hadith-centric approach of al-Shawkani and his students; who upheld the authority of SunniHadith over the opinions ofZaydi Imams. Hence, the Zaydis viewed al-Shawkani as seeking to undermine Zaydism by creating a sect modelled on theAhl al-Hadith school.^[46][47]

Acting as al-Mansur's secretary, Shawkani would often correspond with the leaders of theEmirate of Diriyah between 1807 and 1813.^[44] Defending the Saudi rulers, ash-Shawkani refuted the allegations that they were from the Khawarij since they followed Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab who learned Hadith from the scholars ofMedina and they campaigned against superstitious beliefs prevalent in Najd acting upon the views of the Hanbali scholars Ibn Taymiyyah andIbn Qayyim al-Jawziyya.^[48] The reform efforts of ash-Shawkani throughout the 39 years of his tenure as Chief Judge would fundamentally transform the religious landscape of Yemen. By his death in 1834, theQasimid rulers had fully turned fromHadawi principles to embrace Sunni-style traditionism.^[49]

Muhammad ash-Shawkani is widely regarded as one of the most prolificHadith scholars of his time; whose ideas influenced later Salafi movements. He played a major role in the revival of the works of medieval theologianIbn Taymiyya.^[50] He was one of the most prominent figures in the late lineage of hadith-oriented Sunni scholars that emerged inYemen with Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Wazir (d. 1436 A.C).^[46]Salafis inSa'ada, would later claim ash-Shawkani as an intellectual precursor. Future Yemeni regimes would uphold his Sunnization policies as a unifier of the country,^[51] invoking his teachings to undermine Zaydi Shi'ism under the broad label of "Islamic reform".^[52][53] Ash-Shawkani is popularly deemed as aMujaddid of his era by adherents of theWahhabi and variousSalafi movements.^[54]

Beyond Yemen, his works are widely used inSunni schools.^[17] He also profoundly influenced theAhl-i Hadith in theIndian subcontinent (such asSiddiq Hasan Khan) and Salafis across the globe.^[55] Much of theAhl-i Hadith literature condemning grave-visits (ziyarat) and idolatry (shirk) was modelled on the literature of Yemeni scholarship, most notably al-Shawkani, who followed the works of Ibn Taymiyya andIbn Qayyim. In recognition of his contributions, Siddiq Hasan Khan ranked al-Shawkani as amongst the "Huffāz al-Islām" (greatest guardians ofIslam) alongside Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn Qayyim and Ibn al-'Amir al-San'ani.^[56] Apart from theAhl-i Hadith, theWahhabis also often refer to al-Shawkani for legitimacy; citing his support forMuhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab.^[57]

Ash-Shawkani had been a prominent representative of thetraditionalist school that advocated Ibn Taymiyya's doctrines such as opposition toFalsafa (Islamic philosophy),Kalam (scholastic theology),Isrāʾīliyyāt, etc. emphasising literalist interpretations of theQur’an.^[58] AlongsideShah Waliullah Dehlawi (1703-1762 A.C), Shawkani made significant contributions to the field ofTafsir (Qur'anic exegesis) during the era ofrevivalist trends of 18th and early 19th centuries. He completed his seminalQur'anic commentaryFath al-Qadir in 1814, which demonstrated remarkable methodological similarities toFawz al-Kabir, theTafsir work compiled a few decades earlier by Shah Waliullah. Ash-Shawkani's Qur'anic interpretations demonstrated a firm belief in Scriptural perfection; which upheld that literal meanings of theQurʾān and theSunnah, are to be the sole authoritative sources of exegesis.Fath al-Qadir laid the groundwork for futurereformist exegetical endeavours; such as Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān’sFatḥ al-Bayān,SyrianSalafi reformerJamal al-Din al-Qasimi'sMaḥāsin al-Taʾwīl andMuhammad Rashid Rida'sTafsir al-Manar.^[59]

He has been described as "an erudite, prolific, and original writer who composed more than 150 books (many of which are multivolume works)",^[60] some of his publications including:

• Nayl al-Awtar
• Fath al-Qadir, a well knowntafsir (exegesis)
• al-Badr at-Tali
• Tuhfatu al-Dhakirin – Sharh Uddatu Hisna al-Haseen: a superb one volume commentary on the collection "Uddatu Hisna al-Haseen", on ahadith of Adhkar, by Ibn Al-Jazari (d. 833H)
• Al-Fawaid al-Majmu'ah fil Ahadith al-Maudhuah a collection offabricated hadith
• Irshad al-Fuhul –a book onUsul al-fiqh
• Ad-Durur al-Bahiyyah fil-Masaa'il il-Fiqhiyyah – a conciseFiqh manual
• Ad-Daraaree al-Mudhiyyah Sharh ad-Durur il-Bahiyyah – his detailed explanation of his Fiqh manual
• Adab at-Talab wa Muntaha al-Arab – advice on the etiquette and manners of one who is seeking Islamic knowledge
• Al-Qawl al-Mufeed fi Hukm at-Taqlid – an explanation of the ruling regarding blind following (Taqlid) of the opinions of Fiqh schools (Madhahib) and its harms.
• Al-Sayl al-Jarrar - includes the denunciation of a text written by the Zaydi ImamAl-Mahdi Ahmad bin Yahya.^[61]

ArabicWikisource has original text related to this article:

Shawkani

• List of Islamic scholars

• Revival and Reform in Islam: The Legacy of Muhammad al-Shawkani byBernard Haykel

• Book review: Revival and Reform in Islam: The Legacy of Muhammad al-Shawkani

• 1759 births
• 1834 deaths
• 19th-century Yemeni people
• Non-conformists
• Yemeni Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam
• Shaykh al-Islāms
• Atharis
• Mujaddid
• Proto-Salafists
• Quranic exegesis scholars
• Converts to Sunni Islam from Shia Islam
• Biographical evaluation scholars
• Hadith scholars

• CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list
• CS1 maint: location
• CS1: long volume value
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles containing Arabic-language text