Muhammad Birgivi | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | March 1523 (1523-03) |
| Died | 1573 |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi[1][2](withHanbali influences)[1] |
| Tariqa | Bayrami[2][3][4] |
| Creed | Maturidi[1][2] |
| Muslim leader | |
Influenced by | |
Influenced | |
Muhammad Birgivi (1523–1573), full nameTaqī al-Dīn Muhammad ibn Pīr ʿAlī al-Birgivi and known simply asImam Birgivi, was aHanafi Muslim jurist and scholar who lived during the rule of theOttoman Empire inAnatolia.
Imam Birgivi was born in 1523 atBalıkesir, but learned and studied his religion inIstanbul.[6] He also became a member of theBayrami order ofSufism.[3][2][4]
Imam Birgivi and his disciples were vocal critics of degeneracy within theOttoman Empire, particularly decrying the twisting of Islamic teachings for the benefit of the rich. At one point Birgivi traveled to the capital of the Empire and personally took the prime minister to task. This reprimand was taken well by the minister, who consulted him on how to cure the degeneracy affecting the Islamic values.[7] One of his biggest supporters in the Ottoman court wasSokollu Mehmed Pasha.[8]
He stayed inİzmir, working there as a religious teacher, until his death in 1573.[6] He was buried in the private cemetery named after him, theİmam-î Birgivi Hazretleri Kabri, which is adjacent to a religious school complex named after him.[9]
Imam Birgivi was aMaturidi in creed, and aHanafi in his jurisprudence and doctrine.[1][2] However, Birgivi was against the usage ofKalam and found it unnecessary.[1][10][11] Birgivi's views of Sufism were influenced byIbn Taymiyyah,[5] and his writings also influenced theKadizadeli movement which opposed Sufism.[5]
Birgivi was a critic ofIbn Arabi and refuted him on theological standpoints, including the faith of thePharaoh of the Exodus.[12]
Birgivi is famous for hiseṭ-Ṭarîḳatü' l-Muḥammediyye, a book which explains his views onSufism, innovations, Islamic sects and Prophetic traditions, through the viewpoints of the Hanafi school and the Maturidi creed. Some of his views in the book were inspired by Ibn Taymiyyah.[5]
In addition toeṭ-Ṭarîḳatü' l-Muḥammediyye, Birgivi also wrote books on language, grammar, and the etiquette when visiting graves.[5]
