Burhān al-Dīn Ibrāhīm ibn Ḥasan al-Kūrānī | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1615 (1615) |
| Died | 1690 (aged 74–75) |
| Era | Early modern period |
| Main interest(s) | Sufism,Fiqh andTawhid |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Shafi'i |
| Tariqa | Shattari,Qadiri andNaqshbandi Sufi orders |
| Creed | Athari[1][2] |
| Muslim leader | |
Ibrāhīm al-Kūrānī (Arabic: إبراهيم الكوراني), full nameBurhān al-Dīn Ibrāhīm ibn Ḥasan al-Kūrānī was a 17th-centurySunni Muslim scholar andAthari theologian[3][4] ofKurdish descent who was an expert inSufism.[5] He is a celebrated figure throughout the Muslim-majorityNusantara region as well, due to his influence on many Nusantaran Muslim scholars such asAbd al-Rauf al-Sinkili.[6][7]
Ibrahim al-Kurani was born in the year 1615. His birthplace was the village ofShahrani located in the plains ofShahrazur.[8] Hence, he was known by the epithetsAsh-Shahrānī andAsh-Shahrazūrī. He was ofKurdish descent.[5]
Al-Kurani started his education inTurkey, but later moved to the countries ofIraq,Syria andEgypt to further his education. In Egypt, he was enrolled in the university ofAl-Azhar, where he studied the book "Taysir fi al-Qira'at al-Sab'a" with the scholar Nur al-Din Ali ibn Ali al-Shabramallisi.[8] Other scholars he studied with included 'Azayim Sultan ibn Ahmad al-Marakhi and the renownedHadith scholar Muhammad ibn 'Ala' al-Din al-Babili. Ibrahim al-Kurani finally moved toMedina, now in modern-daySaudi Arabia, and he stayed there until his death in the year 1690.[9]
In the city ofMedina, Ibrahim al-Kurani studied with theSufi masterAhmad al-Qushashi. The latter would initiate him into theShattari order of Sufism, and would be an influence on his decision to join to theNaqshbandi andQadiri orders as well. In his middle-age years, Ibrahim al-Kurani became a respected scholar and taught at theProphet's Mosque. Students from various countries, including theMalay Archipelago, would travel to theHijaz to get the opportunity to study under him.[10] Some of his students included the famedAbd al-Rauf al-Sinkili andYusuf al-Makassari. He maintained a friendly and genuine relationship with the former, and remained in touch after Al-Sinkili returned toAceh.[7][8]
Ibrahim al-Kurani was a prominent supporter of Sufism and Islamic mysticism. He delved into the teachings of the mysticsIbn 'Arabi andAbd al-Karim al-Jili, but also emphasized more on compatibility of following the viewpoints of both of them instead of merely choosing one viewpoint.[9][8] This attitude is reflected in al-Kurani's decision to join more than one Sufi order, a practice which was also done by his teacher,Ahmad al-Qushashi. Later in the year 1682, al-Kurani wrote a treatise in defence of Ibn 'Arabi and his followers, entitledTanbih al-'Uqul 'ala Tanzih al-Sufiyya 'an I'tiqad al-Tajsim wa al-'Ayniyya wa al-Ittihad wa al-Hulul (Arabic:تنبيه العقول على تنزيه الصوفية عن اعتقاد التجسيم والعينية والاتحاد والحلول), which absolved them from any accusations of corporealism,anthropomorphism,pantheism,immanentism, andincarnationism.[11][8]
Ibrahim al-Kurani considered the creedal views ofAthari theologianIbn Taymiyya as "the standard Islamic theological vision" and advocated a revival of the doctrines of Ibn Taymiyya.[12] Al-Kurani's position was similar to that ofSalafis, emphasizing constantly that one should adhere to the principles of the righteous predecessors, or theSalaf.[13] Declaring his adherence to Salafi doctrines, Al-Kurani wrote robustly in support of the creedal doctrines ofAthari theologianIbn Taymiyya and his student Ibn Qayyim.[14] He also took a stance against the Ash'aris, criticizing them for their metaphorical interpretations of Qur'anic verses.[15]
However, Ibrahim al-Kurani does state that he followsAbu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari.[13] He confirms to have followed the book "Ibanah"[13] which is attributed to Al-Ash'ari, and asserted that it represented the primary source of Ash'arite creed.[16] The book is often disregarded by Ash'aris due to its questionable authenticity[17] as well as containing many sayings relating to creedal matters which are more in line with the creed of prominentHanbalis.
On topics related to the nature of Divine Attributes, Al-Kurani strongly disputed the Ash'ari view and followed the stances of Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim.[18] Adopting the stance of Ibn Taymiyya, Ibrahim al-Kurani asserted that the true doctrine ofAbu Hasan al-Ash'ari was to affirm the Attributes of God without needing to question them or even allegorically interpret them, something which is not usually done by Ash'aris.[19]
Ibrahim al-Kurani was criticized by the followers of theSenussi Sufi order for having teachings that were similar to those of theQadariyya, who were a sect which was declared heretical by major scholars.[8] He was also accused to have hadMu'tazilite leanings on the discussion of the faith ofThutmose II.[8] In modern times, people with more extremistJahmi tendencies called him a heretic.[10]
Ibrahim al-Kurani had many works, some of which have not been published and hence have not made it to the modern day. Amongst his published works include:
His means were the invocation and restoration of the Hanbali/Taymiyyan legacy and the re-introduction of it as the standard Islamic theological vision.
al-Kurani declared his adherence to the Salafi position.. he staged a powerful defense of Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya and their theological views.
Al-Kūrānī disagrees with later Ashʿarite allegorical interpretations of the ambiguous verses, nor was he satisfied with the attitude of tafwīḍ...
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)... al-Kurani's highliting ofal-Ibana (to which he would refer directly in later works) and considering it the principal source of the Ash'ari theology, would subsequently lead him to a closer identification with the salafi-Hanbali position.
Al-Kūrānī instead embraces the position of the radical Ḥanbalites like Ibn Taymiyyah, and claimed that accepting these ambiguous verses and apparently anthropomorphic descriptions of God without any allegorical interpretation is the true position, not only of the salaf, but even of Abū al Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī himself.
