Sheikh Muhammad Abid Al Sindi is famous scholar within South Asia and beyond who authored thirty seven books on various topic of Tafseer, Hadith, Fiqa, Linguistics, medicine.
Allama Sheikh Muhammad Abid Al-Sindi (Sindhi), a prominent Muslim scholar of twelfth century A.H, was originally from Sehwan town of Sindh, and settled in Madina, where he was not only appointed as the ‘Leader Scholar’ but he also served as the Ambassador of Egypt.
Muhammad ‘Abid al-Sindi al-Ansari was a Hanafi jurist (faqih), hadith expert (muhaddith), judge (qadi), and the Sheikh of the ‘Ulama (Leader Scholar) of his time in the city of Madina during the Ottoman Caliphate.
He followed the Naqshbandi Sufi path. He was appointed Qadi of Zabid. In 1232 A.H. he was appointed the leader of the scholars of Madina by the ruler of Egypt, Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha.
Life and Academic Services
It is very evident while exploring the pages of history that when the whole globe was immersed in the darkness of barbarism, Sindh was illuminated with the knowledge. The sons of this land proved their talent in all fields of knowledge and art. The world is well aware of their meritorious knowledge. Among those figures of Sindh is Sheikh Muhammad Abid Sindhi who was born in a famous academia- rich family of Sehwan Sharif.
Abu Abdullah Muhammad Abid s/o Ahmed Ali, simply known as Muhammad ‘Abid Al – Sindi, was the grandson of Muhammad Murad Ya’qub al-Hafiz b. Muhamud b. ‘Abd al-Rahman, al-Sindi al-Ansari al-Khazraji al-Madani al-Hanafi al-Naqshbandi.
His great grandfather had migrated to Middle East and was known as Shaykh al-Islam.
Muhammad Abid Al – Sindi was born in 1190 AH/1776 AD at Sehwan, a historic town of Sindh on the bank of the Indus, north of Hyderabad. He was educated at Zabid, and married to a daughter of the then minister of San’a’ and was appointed by the Imam of al-Yemen as his ambassador of Egypt. He then had a sojourn to his native land where after staying for a while, he left for al-Hijaz and was appointed by the Egyptian government as the chief of the ‘Ulama’ of al-Madina. He died at al-Madina, and was buried in al-Baqi’ in Rabi’ I (Rabi’ al-Awwal), 1257 AH/April 1841 AD.
He got most of knowledge of hadith from his uncle Muhammad Hussain Bin Muhammad Murad. Also got benefit from other religious scholars of Hijaz and Yemen. His whole life spent in the Journeys for getting and spreading the knowledge. He first travelled to San’aa. Then went to Makkah Mukarrama for pilgrimage and then travelled to Egypt and back to Madina Munawwarah. From Madina he came to Sindh but then again travelled to Arab countries. In the end he got residence in Madina.
He earned name and fame for his profound knowledge and that is why, was bestowed with the title of “The leader Scholar of Madina” which was a very top tittle of the age. This status is source of pride for the people of Sindh. He used to be approached for all sort of religious and spiritual enquires.
Al Sindi had a number of works to his credit which include: Al-Mawahib al-Latifa ‘ala Musnad al-Imam Abi Hanifa; Tawali’ al-Anwar ‘ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar gloss by al-Sindi on al-Durr al-Mukhtar, which is a commentary by al-Haskafi (d. 1088/1677) on Tanwir al-Absar wa-Jami’ al-Bihar by al-Timirtashi (d. 1004/1595); Sharh Taysir al-Wusul by Ibn Diba’ al-Shaybani (d. 944/1537); he wrote a commentary on over 1600 hadith; Sharh Bulugh al-Maram by Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani; Tartib Musnad al-Imam al-Shafi’I; Al-Tawassul wa-Ahkamuh wa-Anwa’uh.
From his many works he wrote, Tawali’ al-Anwar, the commentary of the famous Hanafi fatwa book ‘al-Durr al-Mukhtar’ is most famous. The manuscript of this book consists of 9522 folios distributed in 16 volumes and if published after due editing it may appear in around 50 volumes. The manuscripts are available in Maulana Azad Arabic & Persian Research Institute Tonk (Rajasthan), Al-Maktaba al-Azhariya Cairo, Umm al-Qura University Library Makkah and Topkapi Palace Turkey. Thus it is most comprehensive work on ‘al-Durr al-Mukhtar’ than the famous Hashiya of Ibn ‘Abidin al-Shami (d. 1836).
According to some researchers, Muhammad Abid Al Sindhi authored more than thirty books while certain researchers say that thirty seven books were written out of his pen on various topic of, Tafseer, Hadith, Fiqa, Linguistics, medicine and so on.
Some Indian and Pakistani researchers state that Sheikh Muhammad Abid Al Sindi was expert in many branches of Islamic sciences like Tafsir (Quranic Exegesis), Hadith (Prophetic Traditions), Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), Ayurvedic Medicine, Debate, Islamic Calligraphy etc. He wrote thirty seven valuable books in those fields. On Prophetic Traditions, he wrote fourteen books. The Indian researchers have gathered information on all fourteen books with relevant information like where these books currently are available, have they been published or are yet in handwritten form?
Sheikh Muhammad Abid Al Sindi is famous scholar within South Asia and beyond. Like al-Suyuti, al-Ghazali and Shah Waliullah, he worked almost in every field of Islamic sciences.
His work produced in the field of Fiqh Hanafi, is largely followed in this region. The manuscript of work in the field of Fiqh Hanafi, is one of his last and the biggest works of the author which took him ten years to complete.
Some research organizations have reproduced some of the works of Sheikh Muhammad Abid Al Sindi besides publishing several other books under the title of ‘Rasa’il Imam Abid Sindhi’ which contains assortment of questions and scholarly answers from the works of Al-Sindi.
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Source: Al-Maktaba, NoorLib, Books.Google, Wikipedia, Islam786 Books, Al-Debal, Arjish, Research Gate, Every Thing and duhoctrungquoc
