Biography of Ibn Hazm


Abu Muhammaed Ali Ibn Hazm was born in 384 AH (994 AD) in Cordoba, Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain). One of the ancestors of Ibn hazm was reverted to Islam from Christianity. His family were quite wealthy and held a high social position. His father, Ahmad Ibn Sa'eid, was a vizier in al-Mansoor Ibn Abi 'Amer's government. He was surrounded with educated and intellectual female slaves (al-jawari) who were responsible for bringing him up[1]. He enjoyed the wealth of his family and lived a luxurious life. At his early youth, riots and political chaos were spreading throughout Cordoba. His family was harmed in this movement, and he lost his brother and father. He began his Islamic education in his late 20’s and early 30’s. His time was a time of turmoil for Islamic Spain.

According to a saying of the period,"the tongue of Ibn Hazm was a twin brother to the sword of al-Hajjaj”[2][3]. His tongue and pen were sharp to points and he would speak very harshly in his writings at times. Ibn Hazm continued to speak in favor of a centralized Political Structure. He was accused of supporting the Umayyads, for which he was imprisoned many times. After years of imprisonment, exile and separation from his family, he decided to retire from political activities and concentrate on the acquisition of knowledge.

Ibn Hazm got attracted to Zahiri school of thought. He became a leading proponent of the Zahiri school of Islamic thought and sometimes refereed as Al-Andalusi az-Zahiri. Zahiri madh-hab mainly focuses on apparent meaning of the text without reasoning behind it ( علة ). The belief is that the Arabic language used in a hadith or Quran is sufficient for deriving all rulings and principles[4]. Thats why we see Ibn Hazm contradicts with major scholars of that time and have some strange opinions. An example is issue regarding silence of virgin [5].

No doubt, he was a great jurist with a number of great works to his credit. The most important of these is his legal encyclopedia entitled al-Muhalla, a substantial work of law containing numerous insights. However, it also contains its share of errors and mistakes: as all works of such scope do. Out of his reported 400 works, only 40 still survive, covering a range of topics such as Islamic jurisprudence, history, ethics, comparative religion, and theology, as well as The Ring of the Dove, on the art of love. Also he has written many valuable works in different areas of knowledge, but what he was most famous for was his Zahri jurisprudence and his bold juridical views.

Ibn Hazm's contributions spreads towards science and education. Several of his works such as al-Fisal, al-Akhlaq, al-Ikham, and Maratib al-'Ulum are related to education[6]. He divided the sciences into seven branches: religion, history, language, astronomy, math, medicine, and philosophy. According to him, the acquisition of Islamic jurisprudence is incomplete unless it is accompanied by the acquisition of the other sciences, because Islamic jurisprudence is related strongly to understanding of the other sciences and is supported by them. Ibn Hazm argues that to understand the law of descent and distribution one needs math skills so as to be able to determine the time of prayers, fasting, and al-Hajj. There is also a need for the skills of astronomy, and understanding the Qur'an needs the skills of language, and so on. Ibn Hazm presents the sciences as a chain with each end linked to the other, and because learning one helps and supports learning the other, it becomes necessary that all sciences be studied without neglecting any. Additionally, he explained many scientific theories of that time. For example – he explained the shape of earth as spherical, pointing Qur'anic verses[7].

Salman Alawdah explains nature of Ibn Hazm and some methedology to understand his works. “Considering his major work, al-Muhalla some students become totally enamored of him. Ibn Hazm has a very assertive style of writing, especially when it comes to refuting his opponents’ use of analogous reasoning. His specialty is showing how his opponents contradict themselves. Some students become enthralled by this style and end up judging by his decisions in all matters, whether or not his opinion agrees with that of the majority of the scholars. They accept from him even his strangest rulings. This behavior is incorrect. For this reason, I feel that a beginning student should not read al-Muhalla, but should start with other books that are more comparative, more balanced in their treatment of the issues, and less confrontational. In this way, the student will develop a broad perspective and learn the proper way in which matters should be discussed. I recommend the works of scholars like Ibn `Abd al-Barr, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Qudâmah, and Ibn Taymiyah. Afterward, the student will be more prepared to read whatever reputable books he chooses[8] ”.

The fact that Ibn Hazm was Zahiree does not mean he was not an ‘Aalim (Scholar), rather he was from amongst the Ulamaa. Yet Ibn Hazm had with him a point of note and it was: that he was Jahmee Mu’tazilee in ‘Aqeedah, and the reason for that: was the fact that he initially studied philosophy, so when he came to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah in order to learn them – he began entering into philosophy into the both of them. So he would lay open/present the Qur’aan upon the philosophy, so if the Qur’aan disagreed with the philosophy – then he would not take with regards the Qur’aan. Likewise is done by all the misguided sects; they learn philosophy before the Qur’aan[9].

On the whole, Ibn Hazm is considered one of the greatest Muslim jurisprudents and intellectuals of his time. He stood bravely against mere imitation and adoption of others' beliefs, and he called for free thought without hesitation or fear. Ibn Hazm contradicts with opinion of even major scholars; there exist certain laws in which he is correct and four school of thoughts pass wrong. He died in 456 H (CE 1064).


Sources:

Pit falls in the quest for knowledge - Salman Alawdah
Love Notes - Marriage and Family Life taught by Sheikh Yasser Birjas

References:

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