الرحلةThe Journey

سحنون بن سعيد التنوخي

Sahnun (RH)

Sahnun ibn Sa'id al-Tanukhi

Also known as: Sahnoun

160–240 AH · 777–854 CE

Fiqh Maliki

Compiler of al-Mudawwana and the scholar who made Maliki law dominant in North Africa.

Sahnun ('Abd al-Salam ibn Sa'id) was born in al-Qayrawan, the centre of learning in Ifriqiya. Imam Malik died before he could reach him, so he travelled to Egypt and went through Malik's legal answers with Ibn al-Qasim, then returned home and organised them into al-Mudawwana al-Kubra.

In old age he became chief judge of Ifriqiya on condition that he take no salary, and he applied the law firmly even to the powerful. His students spread the Mudawwana across North Africa and al-Andalus, which is why the Maliki school prevails in the Maghreb and West Africa today.

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Life journey

  1. 777 CE al-Qayrawan القيروان
  2. 804 CE Fustat (Old Cairo) الفسطاط
    Travelled to Egypt to study with Ibn al-Qasim, and visited Madinah.
  3. 806 CE al-Qayrawan القيروان
    Died 854 CE · 240 AH

Teachers

  • Ibn al-Qasim (RH) c. 750–806 CE
    Sahnun travelled to Egypt and went through Malik's legal opinions with Ibn al-Qasim; the result became the Mudawwana.

Key works

  • al-Mudawwana al-Kubra المدونة الكبرى
    The Compilation
    Malik's legal answers as reported by Ibn al-Qasim; the foundational Maliki book.

Places in their life

The Great Mosque of al-Qayrawan
The Great Mosque of al-Qayrawan
Photo: Keith Roper, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Mosque of 'Amr ibn al-'As, al-Fustat
The Mosque of 'Amr ibn al-'As, al-Fustat
Photo: لا روسا, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

  • al-Qadi 'Iyad, Tartib al-Madarik
  • al-Dhahabi, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala'
Draft, awaiting scholarly review.