Al-Qassab

Abu Ahmad Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad al-Karaji, better known as al-Qassab, was a Muslim warrior-scholar, exegete and specialist in Hadith studies.^[1][2] He has, at times, been confused with his son Abu al-Hasan Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad al-Karaji.

Life

Qassab lived in Karaj in Central Iran. He died in the year 360 according to the Islamic calendar, corresponding to 970 on the Gregorian calendar.^[3] Having been a soldier under the Abbasid Caliphate, he received the nicknamed Qassab or "the butcher" due to his skill on the battlefield and the large number of opponents he slayed.^[4]

Qassab was considered upon mainstream dogmatics, and was staunchly opposed to both the Mu'tazila and the Jahmites.^[5][6][7] In his exegesis of the Qur'an, he would often refer to linguistic arguments in order to prove his point.^[1] Qassab was noted among Muslim theologians as holding the view that the testimony of a convicted criminal could later be accepted in unrelated cases if they performed a public repentance from their own crime.^[8] Like Ibn Hazm who would come after him, Qassab did not accept the Hadith regarding rejection of the convict's testimony as authentically linked to the prophet Muhammad.^[9] The issue is a much debated one in Islamic law.

Works

Qassab authored an exegesis of the Qur'an centered on its applications in Islamic law.^[10]

Edited works

• Nukat al-Qur'an al-Dallah 'ala al-Bayan. Eds. Ali al-Tuwaijiri, Ibrahim al-Junaydil and Shayi' al-Asmari. Dammam: Dar Ibn al-Qaiyim; Cairo: Dar Ibn 'Affan, 2003. 4 volumes.^[2][11]

Citations