Hākim Haskāni

Birth

Qāzi AbulQāsīm, Ubeidullāh, son of Abdullāh son of Ahmad, son of Muhammad, son of Ahmad, son of Muhammad, son of Haskān Qurashī Āmirī Neishābūrī, known as Ibn-e-Haddād, is one of the great Ulamā (Islamic scholars) of the fifth century Hejira. Ubeidullāh was born in a science-associated family in Neishābūr. Since childhood his father began to teach and prepare him to become one of the great scientific figures of the Islamic world.

Family

His ancestors were reputable and knowledgeable luminaries. The grand ancestor of the family, Amīr Abdullāh son of Amīr son of Karīz, had conquered Khorasan province at the time of Uthmān (the third caliph), and under his rule the people of that region had converted into Muslims. Therefore, his family enjoyed special honor and respect by the public.

His grandfather, Ahmad son of Muhammad son of Ahmad (320-423 Hegira), was one of the narrators of Hadīths (Traditions of the holy Prophet and the infallible Imāms A.S.), and cited some narrations from Abū Ishāq-e Bazzāzi, Abū Amr son of Matar, and Abul-Hasan son of Bindār-e Seirafī.

Also his father, Abdullāh son of Ahmad son of Muhammad (363-450 Hegira), was a famous preacher who held sessions for sermon in Murabba’a mosque in Neishābūr every Sunday. He was actually a businessman.  Then he undertook governmental positions. But later he isolated himself, and engaged himself in worshipping Allah.

His paternal uncle, Abdul-Rahīm son of Ahmad son of Muhammad, was a righteous, virtuous, and pious man who had learned some narrations from the Ulamā of Neishābūr, Irāq, Hijāz and Syria.      

His Sons

Three of his sons are accounted as narrators of Hadīth:

1- Muhammad son of Ubeidullāh son of Abdullāh Haskānī (Hākim Abū Alī Hidha’); he was a man of virtue and humbleness, and a scholar of the science of Hadīth.

2- Sā’id son of Ubeidullāh Haskānī (Abū Sa’īd Hidhā’); he was a man of piety, and a knowledgeable scholar in the field of Hadīth.

3- Wahab son of Ubeidullāh Haskānī (Abulfazl Hidhā’); he was also a man of knowledge, Hadīth and preaching. He was the youngest son of the family and had learned a lot of narrations from his father. Wahab then adhered himself to worship in a monastery where he narrated Hadīths for his pupils.

Personality

Hākim Haskānī was one of the renowned Ulamā of his age. Many of the Hadīth narrators attended his classes to either learn Hadīths or get authorization to narrate Hadīths. He was a well-educated Sheikh and held preaching sessions. He himself had also either learned narrations from numerous Ulamā or had authorization to narrate Hadīths. 

Religion

Some people consider him amongst Sunnī Ulamā and a follower of Hanafī sect (one of the Sunnī branches), while some others consider him amongst Shi’a Ulamā who kept his real belief in secret.

Ibn-e-Tāwūs says about him: “Hākim Haskānī was one of the brilliant dignitaries of Sunnī sect.”

Dhahabī – on the other hand - writes in his book Tadhkirat-ul-Hifāz: “I found one of his books named as Tas’hīh-e Radd-ush-Shams, which indicates that he has been a Shi’a scholar.”

Trip to “Marv”

He went to Marv city to take advantage of the Ulamā of that city and learn narrations. Furthermore, he held classes and attracted those enthusiastic pupils who were thirsty for Islamic science, and trained a large number of scholars. 

Permission of Narration

Hākim Haskānī got authorization to narrate Hadīths from many great scholars of Hadīth of his era as follow:

1-    Abū Abdullāh Hākim Neishābūrī

2-    Abul-Hasan Alawī

3-    Abdullāh son of Yūsuf Isfahānī

4-    Abul-Hasan son of Abdān

5-     Ibn-e Fat’hiwayh Dīnvarī

Teachers

Hākim Haskānī acquired knowledge from a number of Ulamā as follows:

1- His father, Abdullāh son of Ahmad son of Muhammad

2- His grandfather, Ahmad son of Muhammad

3- Abū Tāhir son of Mahmash

3- Qāzi Abul-Alā Sā’ed

4- Hākim Abū Abdullāh Hāfiz

Pupils

Many scholars profited from his teaching; some of them are as follow:

1-    Abdul-Ghāfir son of Ismā’īl Fārsī (451-529 Hegira)

2-    Mahdī son of Abī Harb

3-    Sayyid Abū Muhammad Huseinī Qāyenī

Compilations

Abdul-Ghāfir son of Ismā’īl, the outstanding pupil of Hākim Haskānī, in his book ‘The history of Neishābūr’ states: “I have seen my teacher’s (Hākim Haskānī’s) compilations with his own handwriting, the number of which amounted to 100 titles and precious articles could be noticed within them.”

Among his compilations we can point out the following. 

1-Shawāhid-ut-Tanzīl Li Qawā’id-ut-Tafzīl Fil Āyāt-in-Nāzilah Fi Ahl-ul-Bayt(A.S.) (Verses of the Holy Qur’an which have been revealed in order to disclose the high dignity of the Ahl-ul-Bayt A.S.)

2-Fazāil-e Shahr-e Rajab (Excellences of the Arabic lunar month ‘Rajab’)  

3-Khasā’is Alī Ibn-e Abī Tālib (A.S.) Fil Qur’ān (A Survey On The Brilliant Characteristics of Imām Alī (A.S.) In The Holy Qur’an)

4- Tas’hīh-e Khabar-e Radd-ush-Shams Wa Targhīm-in-Nawāsib-ush-Shums (Shums is the plural form of Shumūs which means fanatic rancorous people). [The whole meaning of the title is: “A Correction of The Story of ‘Sending Back The Sun’; And, Refutation of The Rancorous Enemies”]

Death

        Finally, Hākim Haskānī passed away in 490 Hegira, after an entire life of devotion to promulgate the knowledge of Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.) and his infallible descendants (A.S.).