أبو الحسن الماوردي

al-Mawardi (RH)

Abu al-Hasan al-Mawardi

364–450 AH · 974–1058 CE

Fiqh Shafi'i

Shafi'i chief judge of Baghdad and author of the classic work on government, al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah.

Al-Mawardi studied in Basra and Baghdad and served as a judge in several cities before becoming chief judge (aqda al-qudat) in Baghdad. The Abbasid caliphs and the Buyid rulers both used him as an envoy and mediator.

His al-Hawi al-Kabir is one of the largest works of Shafi'i law. His al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah sets out the rules of the caliphate, ministries, courts and public offices, and it remains a standard source on Islamic political thought. His Adab al-Dunya wa al-Din, on ethics and good conduct, is still widely read.

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