Muhibullah Bihari

Qāḍī
Muhibullah al-Bihārī
Qāḍī Muhibullah al-Bihārī
مُحِبُ‌الله البِهاری
Personal life
Born	Muhib, Alipur, Bihar (present-day India)
Died	1119 AH / 1707 CE
Main interest(s)	Islamic logic (Mantiq), Usul al-Fiqh
Notable work	Sullam al-ʿUlūm (“Ladder of the Sciences”)
Religious life
Religion	Islam
Denomination	Sunni
Jurisprudence	Hanafi
Muslim leader
	Influenced Later madrasa scholars and commentators on his work;

Qadi Muhibullah al-Bihārī (also known as Muḥibballāh b. ʿAbd Shakūr al-Bihārī; died 1119 AH / 1707 AD) was a Hanafi jurist, logician, and scholar active in late Mughal India. Known particularly for his contributions to Islamic logic and Usul al-Fiqh (principles of jurisprudence), he was a prolific author whose Salm al-Ulum became a basic textbook in the madaris of the Subcontinent, creating a vast exegetical tradition.

Early life and background

Muhibullah was born in Muhib, Alipur, Bihar (present-day India). In his early youth, he migrated to Awadh, where he pursued advanced studies in Islamic sciences and philosophy.

Scholarly career

Muhibullah emerged as a leading figure in the scholarly and religious circles of northern India during the late seventeenth century. He served as the Qadi of Lucknow under Mughal administration. His legal expertise is also noted in connection with the monumental compilation of the Fatawa 'Alamgiri, a comprehensive digest of Hanafi jurisprudence commissioned by Emperor Aurangzeb.

Works

Sullam al-ʻulūm: Muhibullah’s most renowned work is Sullam al-ʿUlūm (“The Ladder of Sciences”), completed before his death in 1707. It became an essential part of the Dars-i-Nizami curriculum and earned great popularity in madrasas and scholarly circles across India and beyond. The work attracted numerous commentaries by later scholars.
Musallim al-thubūt مسلم الثبوت. 1879.
"كتاب ال"مستصفى من علم الاصول. "ال"مطبعة الاميرية،. 1904.

Intellectual influence

Bihari is remembered as part of the tradition of Indian Muslim scholars who contributed to philosophy, metaphysics, and rational sciences. Alongside figures such as Mulla Mahmud Jaunpuri and Mulla Ghulam Yahya Bihari.

References

↑ Ahmed, Asad Q. (12 March 2014). "FINAL DRAFT: The Sullam al-'ulum of Muhibballah al-Bihari: A Milestone in Arabo-Islamic Logic, Oxford Handbook of Islamic Philosophy".
↑ Bahl, Christopher D.; Hanß, Stefan, eds. (2022). Scribal Practice and the Global Cultures of Colophons, 1400–1800. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-90154-7. ISBN 978-3-030-90153-0.
↑ Umar, Muhammad (1993). Islam in Northern India During the Eighteenth Century. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. ISBN 978-81-215-0549-9.
↑ Awan, Muhammad Tariq (1994). History of India and Pakistan: Pt. 1. Great Mughals. Ferozsons. ISBN 978-969-0-10035-1.
↑ "Sullam al-ʻulūm". 1878.
↑ Nadwi, Abul Hasan Ali (30 April 2019). Muslims in India. Claritas Books. ISBN 978-1-905837-53-3.
↑ "درس نظامی اور اس کی بابت خدشات کا ازالہ …(حصہ دوم)".
↑ Rahman, Afzalur (January 1988). Muhammad ﷺ Encyclopædia of Seerah: Volume 6. Seerah Foundation. ISBN 978-0-907052-84-5.
↑ Ahmed, Moinuddin (1990). Ulamā: The Boon and Bane of Islamic Society. Kitab Bhavan. ISBN 978-81-7151-103-7.

[1] Ahmed, Asad Q. (12 March 2014). "FINAL DRAFT: The Sullam al-'ulum of Muhibballah al-Bihari: A Milestone in Arabo-Islamic Logic, Oxford Handbook of Islamic Philosophy".

[2] Bahl, Christopher D.; Hanß, Stefan, eds. (2022). Scribal Practice and the Global Cultures of Colophons, 1400–1800. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-90154-7. ISBN 978-3-030-90153-0.

[3] Umar, Muhammad (1993). Islam in Northern India During the Eighteenth Century. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. ISBN 978-81-215-0549-9.

[4] Awan, Muhammad Tariq (1994). History of India and Pakistan: Pt. 1. Great Mughals. Ferozsons. ISBN 978-969-0-10035-1.

[5] "Sullam al-ʻulūm". 1878.

[6] Nadwi, Abul Hasan Ali (30 April 2019). Muslims in India. Claritas Books. ISBN 978-1-905837-53-3.

[7] "درس نظامی اور اس کی بابت خدشات کا ازالہ …(حصہ دوم)".

[8] Rahman, Afzalur (January 1988). Muhammad ﷺ Encyclopædia of Seerah: Volume 6. Seerah Foundation. ISBN 978-0-907052-84-5.

[9] Ahmed, Moinuddin (1990). Ulamā: The Boon and Bane of Islamic Society. Kitab Bhavan. ISBN 978-81-7151-103-7.

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