Imam al-Haramayn

Abul Ma’ali Abdul Malek Imam al-Haramayn Joweyni, known as “Ziya al-Din” (1028 – 1058), Nishapur – Iran; celebrated theologian and jurisconsult from Ash’ariyya (the school of orthodox theology formed by Ash’ari). He was born in an educated family. He owes his honorary name Imam al-Haramayn “ Imam of the two Holy Cities” to the fact that he taught at Mecca and at Medina. Imam al-Haramayn studied under great masters: Abul Qasem Isfarayeni, Abu Na’im Isfahani and Abu Bakr Marvzi, then went to Baghdad and visited prominent scholars. He also#### traveled to Hejaz and stayed for forty years in Mecca and Medina and answered people’s religious questions. In the first year of Alp Arsalan’s (Saljuq sultan) era, returned to Nishapur and started teaching at “Nezamiyya school” which was built by “Nezam al-Mulk” (celebrated vizier of the Saljuq sultans Alp Arsalan and Malek Shah; 1018 – 1092) for him. Imam al-Haramayn was the principal of the school and taught up to the end of his life. Many scholars studied in his presence. Over 300 jurists attended his classes every day. Some of them are as follows:
Abu Hamed Ghazali, Imad al-Din Harasi, Abul Muzaffar Abiwerdi, Abul Qasem Hokmi, Abul Qasem Ansari, Abul Muzaffar Khafi, Ahmad Ibn Sahl Masjedi, Abu Abdullah Farawi and many others.

Works:
1- Guidance (on the principles of religion)
2- Theorem (on the principles of jurisprudence)
3- Al-Shamel (on the principles of religion, based on Ash’ariyya)
4- On Shafi’ites (the Sunni school of Islamic law)
5- Imamate
6- Nezamiyya treatise
7- On the principles of jurisprudence, etc.

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