Imam al-Qushayri was a theologian, jurist, usuli scholar of the Shafi’i maddhab, mufassir of the Qur’an, Muhaddith, and great master of the Islamic sciences.
His full name is Imam Abu al-Qasim ‘Abd al-Karim b. Hawazin b. ‘Abd al-Malik b. Talhah b. Muhammad al-Istiwa’i al-Qushayri al-Naysaburi al-Shafi’i.
Early Life
A mosque in eastern Iran, near the region of Khorasan
Imam al-Qushayri was born in the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal in the year 376 AH (July, 986 CE), in the town of Istiwa, in the region of Khorasan in Persia.
His ascription “al-Qushayri” refers to his ancestors, the Bani Qushayr b. Ka’b. Imam al-Qushayri was raised as an orphan, as his father passed away while he was still a young child.
Education & Training
In order to understand al-Qushayri’s life & education, one must first understand the culture of his time. Al-Qushayri was born into an extraordinary Muslim civilization that is difficult to imagine today.
Shaykh Amin Kholwadia of Darul Qasim College describes this civilization as follows:
You had a Muslim civilization, that was all Muslim, and everybody in the community, from North Africa, the Atlantic all the way to China, we're practicing one deen, one religion. And all Muslims were very much into practicing the deen. And at that time, there might have been a few pockets of people who are not practicing, obviously. And that's just how human beings behave.
But the majority of the community would offer salat in Jama’at in the masjid. People would observe all the necessary rites and rituals of Islam. Haraam meat was never an issue. Dealing with interest was never an issue. Being Muslim was never an issue. Wearing Muslim clothing was never an issue. Being hygienic and pure in the home, and everywhere else, was never an issue. Staying away from filth, and filthy ideas, was never an issue.
So if you can imagine a community this way, that everybody and anybody who was in Islam at that time, very well to do Muslims in the sense of the Islamic practice, was genuine, authentic, and so on. So you didn't have anyone who was not into a sense of piety.
Perhaps in the US, and maybe one or two other countries in the world, there seems to be a plethora of medical doctors….It is quite normal to have, you know, conversations with doctors, where have you go with Muslim doctors. And likewise, at that time, it was very common for all Muslim households, to have a grand scholar, who studies the deen, who then teaches the deen. And that was the culture….So if you weren't a scholar you were learning. And the level of learning was incredibly high.
IGI’s collection of du’a Morning & Evening Invocations contains several du’a and dhikr from Imam al-Qushayri. It is available both in paperback and as a free PDF edition.
Al-Qushayri’s distinction and natural ability were evident in him from his early childhood. He was educated in literature and the Arabic language in his hometown.
However, there were limited opportunities to study mathematics locally, and therefore he traveled to Nishapur to learn some of the branches of mathematics, so that he might attain a position in the administration of the town of Istiwa.
However, fate would have it that he was present in one of the lessons of Imam Abu ‘Ali al-Daqqaq. Al-Qushayri saw sincerity and God-consciousness, as well as the silhouette of light surrounding the face of the Imam. That light also shone forth with the Imam’s words, illuminating the hearts of the listeners and pulling them towards Allah.
Al-Qushayri was naturally pure and entirely prepared for wayfaring on the path. Imam Abu ‘Ali al-Daqqaq saw his distinction, and accepted him among his elect students, and also married him to his daughter, despite her having many close [marriageable] relations.
Shaykh Amin describes this phase of Imam al-Qushayri’s life as follows:
[Al-Qushayri] actually spent most of his free time in the company of this great saint, and this great wali of Allah, and remained in his company for over decade. And that is quite mind boggling, that after realizing that [his] education about Islamic law, Islamic theory, Islamic usul, and theology, and kalam, is not enough, [he] held on to those people who understood ihsan in the community. And that is where the role of the Sufis came in.
So Imam al-Qushayri was a dedicated student of tasawwuf, along with his other academic accolades. And then after Imam Abu ‘Ali al-Daqqaq passed away, then he held on to another Sufi Shaykh, Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, who was also a great muhaddith. And in the realm of Hadith, he was an expert, as many people attest to about his scholarship also.
So Imam al-Qushayri didn't feel that he had enough in himself to become an independent thinker yet…In the greatest civilization of Muslims, in the past, we must appreciate that they held on to the mentorship of others who are ahead of them in life, and not only just ahead of them, but [their mentors] actually forge their thinking.
His Teachers & Contemporaries
In Imam al-Qushayri’s time, the city of Nishapur was a major center of scholarship. Al-Qushayri studied with a number of direct students of Imam al-Ash’ari, and lived alongside such famous scholars as Imam al-Juwayni & Imam al-Bayhaqi.
However, at some point the ruler of the region, Tughril Bey, initiated a practice of cursing various groups publicly. Initially the Shi’a were targeted, and later the followers of the Ash’ari creed were targeted as well. This persecution forced many scholars to migrate from the region.
Imam al-Qushayri migrated to Baghdad, which was both the political and scholarly center of the Muslim world at that time. Along with a vast number of scholars of the time, Imam al-Qushayri benefited from the patronage of Nizam al-Mulk, the great vizier to the caliph of the time.
Shaykh Amin describes the scale & significance of the so-called Nizamiyya institutions of higher learning as follows:
Nizam al-Mulk was criticized for having a budget for scholarship, and developing scholarship, that almost matched the defense budget….The amount of investments that these early Muslims made into scholarship is simply astronomical. And it is because of those monetary investments that scholars became scholars.
And his sultan, Arslan, asked him, “Why are you doing this? Why are you spending the state coffers on developing scholarship?”
So Nizam al-Mulk said, “You have an army in the day. I'm giving you an army of the night. These scholars are the jaysh al-layl. They are the army of the night. Because what they do at night, and what they do in terms of reviving scholarship, promoting scholarship in their du’a, and their dhikr, and their ‘ibadat, is what keeps your government in power.”
While Imam al-Qushayri was not a teacher of Imam al-Ghazali, they were contemporaries, with Imam al-Ghazali being born approximately 15 years before Imam al-Qushayri’s death.
Status & Legacy
Al-Qushayri’s affair reached the point that he became, as Imam ‘Abd al-Ghafir al-Naysaburi said:
The Imam, in the absolute sense, Jurist, Theologian, Jurisprudent, Mufassir, Erudite Scholar, Grammarian, the Poet and Composer, Tongue of His Age, Master of His Era, Secret of Allah in His Creation, Pole of Reality, Source of Felicity, Pole of Mastery, one who joined between the Law and Reality. He was knowledgeable in theology according to the school of al-Ash’ari and jurisprudence, according to the school of al-Shafi’i.
The author of the book Dimyah al-Qasr, Abu al-Hasan al-Bakhirzi, said about him:
[He was] one who gathered all kinds of goodness, the one to whom all things were facilitated, and who held the bridle of every lowly thing. So, if he were to shout at a stone, it would dissolve. And if Iblis were to attend his gathering of remembrance, he would repent. He was extremely distinguished with sound logic, and an expert in the theology of the school of al-Ash’ari. The breadth of his knowledge was almost beyond human capacity. His words were beneficial and precious gems for the seekers of benefit. Verily, the feet of his pulpit are the pillows of the Gnostics.
When the Sufi Shaykhs had agreed upon the favor he possessed and saw his nearness and allotment from the al-Haqq, they faded before him and disappeared in comparison with him. His carpet rolled them up in its margins. They were divided between looking at him and contemplating him. He has poems that crown the heads of his noble ministers. Thus, his furthest hopes are achieved through him.
Shaykh Amin considers Imam al-Qushayri’s work to be foundational to the better-known work of Imam al-Ghazali:
If you understand the times of Imam al-Qushayri, I think it is a prelude to Imam al-Ghazali, and his book [al-Risala al-Qushayriyya], actually is, I would say, a blueprint for Imam al-Ghazali’s Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din.
His Death
Imam al-Qushayri was able to return to Persia in the last decade of his life
Following the succession of Alp Arslan as the ruler of the Seljuk Dynasty, the persecution of Ash’ari scholars ceased, and Imam al-Qushayri was able to return to Nishapur.
Imam al-Qushayri passed away in the city of Nishabur on Sunday morning, the 16th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, 465 AH (30 November, 1072). And he was buried next to his Shaykh, Abu ‘Ali al-Daqqaq.
Selected Works
Among Imam al-Qushayri's writings are the following, which were mentioned by Isma’il Basha al-Baghdadi in “Hadyah al-‘Arifin”:
Arba’un fi al-Hadith
Istifadah al-Muradat
Balaghah al-Maqasid
Al-Risalah al-Qushayriyya (Shaykh Amin’s series of lectures discussing this work & its significance can be found here)
Al-Ta’khir fi ‘Ilm al-Tadhkir fi Ma’ani Ism Allah Ta’ala
Al-Taysir fi ‘Ilm al-Tafsir
‘Uyun al-Ujubah fi Funun al-As’ilah
Al-Fusul fi al-Usul
Kitab al-Mi’raj
Al-Muntaha fi Nukat Ula al-Nuha
Nasikh al-Hadith wa Mansukhihi
Nahw al-Qulub
Hayat al-Arwah wa al-Dalil ila Tariq al-Salah
Shikayah Ahl al-Sunnah bi Hikayah Ma Nalahum min al-Mihnah
Manthur al-Khitab fi Shuhud al-Albab
IGI is in the process of translating portions of several of Imam al-Qushayri’s works of tafsir. Some excerpts from these works are available on the IGI blog, including:
The full translations of these works will be published in IGI’s upcoming Tafsir Reimagined series.
IGI Patrons get first access to new translations & other resources, twice each month.
IGI’s collection of du’a Morning & Evening Invocations contains several du’a and dhikr from Imam al-Qushayri. It is available both in paperback and as a free PDF edition.