الرحلةThe Journey

إمام الحرمين الجويني

al-Juwayni (RH)

Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni

Also known as: Imam al-Haramayn, 'Abd al-Malik al-Juwayni

419–478 AH · 1028–1085 CE

Fiqh Shafi'i Theology

'Imam of the Two Sanctuaries', master of Shafi'i law and Ash'ari theology, and teacher of al-Ghazali.

'Abd al-Malik al-Juwayni succeeded his father as a teacher in Nishapur while still young. When Ash'ari scholars were persecuted in Khurasan he left for the Hijaz, where he taught in Makkah and Madinah for some four years and gained the title Imam al-Haramayn, Imam of the Two Sanctuaries.

Nizam al-Mulk then built the Nizamiyya college of Nishapur for him, and he taught there for nearly thirty years. His Nihayat al-Matlab is a monumental work of Shafi'i law, al-Burhan a classic of legal theory, and al-Irshad a key text of Ash'ari theology. Al-Ghazali was his most famous student.

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Life journey

  1. 1028 CE Nishapur نيسابور
  2. 1054 CE Makkah مكة
    Taught in Makkah and Madinah for about four years, earning the title Imam al-Haramayn. The dates are approximate.
  3. 1058 CE Nishapur نيسابور
    Died 1085 CE · 478 AH
    Taught at the Nizamiyya of Nishapur for the rest of his life.

Students

  • Imam al-Ghazali (RH) 1058–1111 CE
    Al-Ghazali studied with al-Juwayni at the Nizamiyya of Nishapur until al-Juwayni's death.

Key works

  • Nihayat al-Matlab نهاية المطلب
    The Utmost Aim
    A monumental work of Shafi'i law.
  • al-Burhan البرهان في أصول الفقه
    The Proof
    A classic of legal theory (usul al-fiqh).

Places in their life

The Ka'bah in al-Masjid al-Haram, Makkah
The Ka'bah in al-Masjid al-Haram, Makkah
Photo: Adli Wahid (minor modifications by Basile Morin), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

  • Taj al-Din al-Subki, Tabaqat al-Shafi'iyya al-Kubra
  • Ibn Khallikan, Wafayat al-A'yan
  • al-Dhahabi, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala'
Draft, awaiting scholarly review.
Years in the Hijaz are approximate.