Al-Hakim al-Samarqandi
Al-Hakim Abu al-Qasim Ishaq al-Samarqandi (Arabic: الحكيم أبو القاسم إسحاق السمرقندي), was a Sunni-Hanafi scholar, qadi (judge), and sage from Transoxania who studied Sufism in Balkh with Abu Bakr al-Warraq. Some sources describe him as a student of al-Maturidi (d. 333/944-45) in fiqh and kalam.
Al-Hakim al-Samarqandi الحكيم السمرقندي | |
|---|---|
| Title | Al-Hakim (The Wise One) |
| Personal | |
| Born | Unknown [c. 874 A.D.] |
| Died | 342 A.H. = 953 A.D. 345 A.H. = 956 A.D. Samarqand |
| Religion | Islam |
| Era | Islamic Golden Age |
| Region | Transoxiana |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi |
| Creed | Maturidi |
| Main interest(s) | Sufism, Aqidah, Kalam (Islamic theology), Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), Tafsir, Hikmah (Wisdom) |
| Notable work(s) | al-Sawad al-A'zam |
| Muslim leader | |
Influenced by | |
Influenced | |
He was proficient in kalam and authored a Hanafi creedal statement that insists on the need for obedience to any duly appointed ruler. The creed criticizes the harsh asceticism of the Karramiyya and accepts traditional views of saintly marvels (karamat).
Abu al-Qasim's life marked a turning-point in the formation of the ascetic doctrines and teachings of Hanafi Sunnis in the east, and his al-Sawad al-A'zam (Arabic: السواد الأعظم) was for a long time a major reference source on doctrine for many Hanafis-Maturidis. Although it is not yet clear whether al-Hakim was a disciple of al-Maturidi, or whether his handbook was a mere traditional document on Hanafite doctrine.