Zakariyya al-Ansari

Shaykh al-Islam Zakariyya al-Ansari, Egyptian Shafi'i jurist who lived over a century, served as chief judge of Egypt, and left dozens of legal commentaries still studied at al-Azhar today.

الإنجازات

Served as chief Shafi'i judge of Egypt and was titled «Shaykh al-Islam»

Authored dozens of standard legal manuals and commentaries in the Shafi'i school

Taught at al-Azhar for decades, training many prominent scholars

Compiled a concise Quranic commentary titled «Fath al-Rahman»

Zakariyya al-Ansari was born in 823 AH/1420 CE in the village of Sunayka, Egypt. He arrived in Cairo as an impoverished student, at times sleeping in mosques, and studied under Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and other leading scholars of his day, eventually becoming one of the foremost authorities of his era in Shafi'i jurisprudence, Quranic sciences, and hadith.

He taught for many years at al-Azhar and served as chief Shafi'i judge of Egypt, earning the title «Shaykh al-Islam». Known for his prolific output and clear, accessible style, he authored dozens of commentaries and concise legal manuals, most notably «Manhaj al-Tullab» and its commentary, and his succinct Quranic commentary «Fath al-Rahman».

His Legacy

Zakariyya al-Ansari was known for his unusually long life, living past a hundred years and losing his eyesight late in life. He died in Cairo in 926 AH/1520 CE. His concise legal texts remained standard teaching manuals in Shafi'i schools of jurisprudence to this day.