Al-Ansari al-Harawi, Abd Allah ibn Muhammad

Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Ansari al-Harawi, a scholar from Herat. The source describes him as a memoriser, historian, hadith scholar, Sufi and Qur'an commentator, a Hanbali, who traces his descent to Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. He was born around 396 AH (1005 CE) and died around 481 AH (1088 CE). Both dates rest on one source and need an additional source. ¹

The Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.) entry, printed under the heading AL-HANBALI, treats the Harat mystic and Hanbali theologian 'Abd Allah al-Ansari, who was born at Kuhandiz, the citadel of Harat, on 2 Sha'ban 396 (4 May 1005). He studied hadith and tafsir with early teachers and turned to the Hanbali school with enthusiasm. He travelled to Nishapur, Tus and Bistam, and in 423/1031 went to Baghdad to hear Abu Muhammad al-Khallal; on his return he met Abu 'l-Hasan al-Kharaqani, who shaped his mystical career. He settled at Harat, taught, and polemicised against the theologians; threatened with death five times and exiled three times, he died in his birthplace as Shaykh al-Islam on 22 Dhu 'l-Hijja 481 (8 March 1089). ²

His works include the Munajat, prayers in rhymed prose and verse much admired in Persian literature; the Manazil al-sa'irin, a spiritual guide; and the Tabaqat al-sufiyya, which links al-Sulami's work to Jami's Nafahat al-uns and documents the dialect of Harat; and the Dhamm al-kalam wa-ahlih, a main source for the struggle against rational theology. ³