Muhammad ibn At-Tayyib, Abu Bakr Al-Baqillani was a renowned judge in Iraq in the second half of the fourth century of the Islamic era, corresponding to the tenth century of the Gregorian calendar. He was a man of great knowledge, well versed in a variety of Islamic disciplines. He is described as the ultimate authority in his time in all matters that may be unclear to others.
Al-Baqillani was a scholar of Hadith, having studied it under Abu Bakr ibn Malik Al-Qotaie, Abu Muhammad ibn Massi and others. Imam Ad-Darqutni, who was one of the leading scholars of Hadith, once kissed his forehead (which is a sign of genuine respect) and said of him: “This is a man who will refute the allegations of people of false beliefs.”
He prayed God to grant him all success and protection.
He wrote several books, many of which did not survive because of the waves of destruction that swept Baghdad and other regions of the Islamic state. Of his books we know At-Tabsirah, and Daqaiq Al-Haqaiq, or The Minute Facts. He also wrote a book of introduction to the basics of Fiqh, and another explaining a book called Al-Ibanah. He was a prolific author. It has been reliably reported that after offering the obligatory night prayer of Isha, he would sit down to write and he would not stop until he has completed 20 pages. This was his habit which he would carry out even when he is traveling. In the morning, after Fajr prayer, he would give one of his students what he had written down during the night. The student would read it aloud so that he would be able to review and edit it.
Scholars describe his work, Kashf Al-Asrar wa Hatk Al-Astar, as his best book. It is a well written work in which he replies to the claims and allegations of the advocates of secret beliefs. This shows that the prayer of Ad-Darqutni was answered, and Al-Baqillani was able to disprove the claims of those who professed to be Muslims while entertaining false beliefs.
Al-Baqillani was a man of great intelligence, alert to the subtle meanings of debate, and having a keen eye for the minute details and the small points that serve as clear evidence. Hence it was not surprising that he should rise to the position of a high judge in Baghdad and that the Minister, Adhud Ad-Dawlah, should rely on him in grave matters. However, As-Sairafi, a great scholar in his own right, says of him that “his piety is more than his knowledge. It is because of his sincerity and genuine desire to serve Islam that God has allowed his books to be widely read and the Muslim community to benefit by his knowledge and scholarship.” This view places Al-Baqillani among good scholars, but denies him a position among the elite.
Having said that, it is important to add that his books were widely circulated, and that his students were numerous. People loved him for his piety and his sharp intelligence which enabled him to make the right verdict in disputes that he adjudged. Some scholars say: “It has been made clear in a Hadith that God’s care of His creation is manifested in sending them prophets and messengers to guide them. When He has sent His final messenger, Muhammad, He now takes the same care of them by giving them most pious scholars to give a new impetus to scholarship and renew people’s awareness of Hadith and Islamic law. At the end of 400 years of the Islamic era, the scholar serving this role was Abu Bakr ibn At-Tayyib Al-Baqillani. He had countless students who read under him the basics of Fiqh and the principles of faith. Among these were Justice Abdulwahhab ibn Nasr, and Abu Imran Al-Fasi who came from Fez in Morocco and stayed in Al-Baqillani’s company in Baghdad for a long time. Al-Baqillani was a master theologian and a scholar of clear style and strong argument.
There is some controversy as to the school of thought Al-Baqillani followed. Most probably he belonged to the Shafie school, but some scholars maintain that he was a Maliki. He was probably well read in both schools of thought.
We have already mentioned that Adhud Ad-Dawlah, the minister in Baghdad, held Al-Baqillani in high esteem. He sent him on an ambassadorial mission to the Byzantine Emperor. It is reported that when it was time for the emperor to receive him, he found out that the door of entry was very short. Al-Baqillani immediately realized that this was done on purpose, so that he would bow down when he entered. As a Muslim, he would not bow before anyone other than God in prayer. Therefore, he turned his back to the door, and entered walking backward, until he drew nearer to the emperor and he turned to face him standing. The emperor admired his quick reaction and realized that he had an astute person to debate with.
There are several reports about how the debate went on between the emperor and his bishops on the one hand and Al-Baqillani on the other. It may be that there were several debates and Al-Baqillani had to argue against different people at different times. In order to give an idea of what took place between the two sides we will give the following report.
In reply to a question by the emperor about what Islam says concerning Jesus Christ, Al-Baqillani said: “He is God’s spirit, His word, servant, prophet and messenger. He created him like He created Adam out of clay and then He said to him, ‘Be,’ and he came into being.” He recited the relevant verses from the Qur’an that state this view clearly. The emperor questioned him thoroughly about Jesus’s status as God’s servant, and Al-Baqillani maintained that and refuted any claim that he was son of God. He recited the verse which says: “God has never taken to Himself a son, and has never had a partner.” (23: 91)
He also confronted them with the Qur’anic comment: “A monstrous blasphemy is that which you utter.” (17: 40) He followed that with the logical argument: “If you consider Jesus Christ to be God’s son, then who were His father, brother, grandfather, uncles, etc?”
That line of argument baffled them, but they persisted. The emperor said to him: “You Muslims claim that Christ was God’s servant. Does a servant create, bring the dead back to life, cause death, cure the blind and the leper, as you acknowledge in your book that he did? Al-Baqillani answered that no servant of God can accomplish any of these things by himself, but that happens by God’s grace. They insisted that Jesus did all that. Hence, he could not be merely a servant of God. Al-Baqillani maintained that Jesus did nothing of the kind. That brought furor in the gathering, with the emperor and his bishops showing great dismay that Al-Baqillani denies events which were not only common knowledge, but also stated in the Qur’an. He said to them: “What is mentioned in the Qur’an is that all this took place by God’s leave. Prophets do not bring about miraculous events by their own initiative. These miracles are granted to them by God, who allows unfamiliar events to take place through them to endorse their message. It is a sort of testimony given to them by God. What Christ accomplished of miraculous events, he could not do by his own volition, but by God’s will. Had it been his own doing, we would have said that Moses parted the sea by his power, which no one has ever suggested. Since all miracles granted to Prophets are attributed to God’s will, it is not possible to attribute those of Jesus Christ to him and not to God.”
The Byzantines were not ready to give up. Therefore they arranged another debate with the head of their church, in a great event attended by the emperor, politicians and people of influence in government and church. When Judge Al-Baqillani arrived, the emperor received him well and sat him in a position close to him. Then the Bishop arrived with his entourage. When they introduced him to Al-Baqillani, the latter greeted him in the best civilized manner, inquiring after his health and welfare, and showing much interest in his well being. Then he asked him: “How are your wife and children?” That question which Al-Baqillani asked aloud brought an immediate reaction of strong disapproval, with all priests making the sign of the cross over themselves. To them, it was unheard of that a bishop should be married and have children.
Al-Baqillani said: “Do you find it so singular that someone suggests that the Bishop should have a wife and children, while you allege that God in His glory should have a wife and a son? How utterly false your claim is!”
No one could come up with a satisfactory answer. They realized that what Al-Baqillani said showed the clear fallacy of their claims. So the emperor consulted the bishop about what to do with Al-Baqillani. The bishop advised that he should be well treated and his mission, which apparently wanted to secure the release of a number of Muslim prisoners, should be granted, and a friendly message should be sent with him to the Muslim rulers in Baghdad. The bishop further advised that Al-Baqillani should be allowed to leave as soon as possible, even on the same day if that was feasible. The emperor did that, and sent with him some soldiers to guard him until he reached the borders.
Al-Baqillani died in Baghdad in 403 A.H. May God bless his soul.
