Al-Garnaati’s Tuhfatu Al-Hukkaam

There is no doubt that Muslim Spain was one of Islam’s most beautiful Medieval Societies for it produced the great Scholars of both Earthly and Non-Earthly Sciences and it is known that much of European advance in Science permeated through Spain from the Muslim World.

And a mention of the great Ulama that this rich and abundant Muslim Civilization produced in the Cities of Spain: Qurtubah, Garnaatah, is beyond the scope of this writing. Something which, if dwelled on, will take the authorship of volumes of books.

Of the great Ulama to walk the streets of Garnaatah (Granada) is the enduring and clement Imam, the role model of his Era and the Icon of Fiqh and Jurisprudence , the Maliki Imam Muhammad bn Muhammad bn Muhammad bn Abi Bakr bn ‘Aasim Al-Qisi Al-Garnaati rahimahullah.

He was born in the City of Granada 760 years after the Hijrah and lived his life there, learning and studying from the Ulama there and traveling around the Study Circles of the great Imams. He excelled in the Sciences of Qiraa’ah, Fiqh, Hadith, Usul, Poetry and Grammer.

Of his teachers were the Front Row Imam Abu Is’haaq Ash-Shaatibi rahimahullah (passed 790 AH) the author of the Muwaafaqaat, Abu Abdillah Al-Qaytaaji, Abu Abdullah Sharif At-Tilmisaani (passed 792 AH), the two great Imams of Granada Abubakr and Muhammad, both sons of the Maliki Polymath and Khatib Ibn Juzayy Al-Kalbi, rahimahumullaah; the Imam of the Fuqahaa of his Era, Ibn Al-Lubb (passed 782 AH), the Maliki Polymath and Master, Abu Ishaaq Ibn Al-Haaj An-Namiri and many others.

Al-Garnaati led a very pious life full of wisdom and knowledge. In his later years, he was appointed by the Authorities to be one of the Judges in Granada. He accepted the position but led a very remarkable time as Qaadi.

Of the gems of what he produced and left behind for the Ummah of the Rasul salallahu alayhi wasallam after him is the excellent Poetry on Jurisprudence and Clergy. He called it Tuhfatu Al-Hukkaam Fi Nukati Al-‘Uquud Wa al-Ahkaam in 1,698 lines of Poetry consisting of an Introduction and Seven Chapters. It was otherwise known as the Aasimiyyah

It is known that of the Books of Qadaa and Jurisprudence, the’ Aasimiyyah excelled and floated to the top due to what it contains of most of the rulings of Qadaa, it’s simplicity to commit to memory and purity, the sweetness of its poetry and the expertise of its author in the Science of Qadaa.

And due to its acceptance and the love it earned from the Ulama, numerous Ulama from the eastern and western hemispheres of Islam have written various commentaries on it. Of these Ulama is the son and student of the Author Imam himself, Imam Abu Yahyah and the Maliki expert Mayyaaratu Al-Faasi rahimahullah.

Qaadi Muhammad bn Aasim Al-Garnaati passed away on a Thursday before Maghrib, on the 11th day of Shawwaal 829 years after the Hijrah after living a life of piety, knowledge seeking and teaching, rahimahullah.

If you want to excel today in the science of Qadaa, Uquud and Wiraathah, you need to study the ‘Aasimiyyah…

Barakallahu Fikum