No’mān
Ibn Muhammad Tamimi
Birth:
Abū
Hanifah ‘No’mān’, the son of Muhammad the son of Mansūr the son
of Ahmad the son of Hayyūn Tamimi Maghrebi, is accounted as one of the
greatest scholars of ‘Ismāeeliyyeh” sect at the beginning of their
appearance.
He
was born in 259 Hegira in Maghrib (Morocco) in an erudite and knowledgeable
family. His father was a great Sunnite sage and a follower of “Māleki”
sect, and has narrated lots of traditions (Hadiths).
No’mān
began to learn Islamic science and narrations at the age of childhood and
prepared himself to turn into one of the great ‘Ulemā’ (sages) of the
Islamic world.
Sect:
First,
No’mān was a follower of ‘Māleki’ sect but later he changed his
idea and became a ‘Shiite’ Muslim; however, he is said to be among the
followers of ‘Ismāeeliyyeh’ sect, that is, those who believe that
‘Ismāeel’ – the son of Imām Ja’far Sādiq (A.S.) – is
the occulted Imam (Imam Muntażar Al-Mahdi) for whom the Shiites are waiting
to reappear someday. Some of the Shiite Ulemā such as ‘Allāmah
Majlesi’ believe that No’mān has been a pure ‘Shiite’ Muslim, but
against the ‘Ismāeeliyyeh’ Sultans (kings) he was forced to recruit
precautionary dissimulation and pretend t
Personality:
No’mān
is a great Islamic scholar and has numerous writings and compilations.
He
has been one of the founders and legislators of the ‘Ismāeeliyyeh’
sect, and - according to the ‘Fātemi’ narrators he has not
written anything without referring to his Imāms; that is, Fātemi Ulemā.
The
Shiite writers call him “the Abū-Hanifah of Shiism’! He served
‘Al-Mahdi Billāh’ – the 1st Fātemi Caliph – for 9
years. At the age of ‘Al-Qāeem Billāh’ – the 2nd
Caliph – he was appointed as the ‘Judge’ of Tripoli, and at the age of 3rd
Caliph – ‘Al-Mansūr Billāh’ – he became the ‘Judge’ of
Mansūriyyeh city.
At
the age of ‘Fakhruddin’ the 4th Caliph, he achieved the highest
position as the ‘Chief Justice’ and ‘Public Prosecutor’.
Children:
He
had two sons named Ali & Muhammad, both being appointed at the position of
jurisdiction by the Fātemi Caliphs.
The
sayings of great men:
‘Allāmeh
Majlesi’ says about him, “Abū Hanifah ‘No’mān’, the son of
Muhammad, was the Chief Justice of Egypt at the era of ‘Ismāeeliyyeh’
caliphate. First, he was a follower of ‘Māleki’ sect, but then he was
led to the right way and became a follower of Shiism (Imāmiyyeh). Being
afraid of the ‘Ismāeeliyyeh’ caliphs, No’man does not narrate any
tradition (Hadith) from any of the Shiite infallible Imams who came after Imam Sādiq
(A.S.); however, he expressed the ‘right’ precepts and ideas by using
precautionary dissimulation.
‘Ibn-e
Khallakān’ in his ‘Wafayātul-A’yān’ says, “The Chief
Justice No’mān, was a sage. First, he was follower of ‘Māleki’
sect but later became a follower of Shiism (Imāmiyyeh).”
Ibn-e
Zowlāq’ says, “No’mān the son of Muhammad – the Chief Justice
– has been at the apogee of knowledge and wisdom; he has been a disciple of
the holy Quran, well-aware of its meanings, and knew the Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh),
and different ideas about Fiqh very well. He was also expert in terminology,
poetry, and history. No’mān always heeded wisdom and fairness in his
acts. He has left thousands of pages of eulogies on Ahl-ul-Bayt A.S. (the
infallible household of the holy prophet SA) after him.”
‘Ibn-e
Shar-Āshūb’ – compiler of the book ‘Ma’ālim-ul-Ulemā’
– says, “No’man was not a follower of ‘Imāmiyyeh’ (Shiite),
however, his writings are good and right.”
Compilations:
No’man
has 47 compilations of different books on ‘Fiqh’, ‘interpretation of the
holy Quran’, ‘exegesis of the holy Quran’, and ‘Akhbār or
Narrations’. Some of his compilations are as follows:
Da’āem-ul-Islam
Sharh-ul-Akhbār
Asās-ut-Ta’weel
Iftetah-ud-Da’wah
At-Tawhid
Wal-Imāmah
Mafāteeh-un-Ni’mah
Al-Eedhāh
Al-Yanbū’
Al-Majālis
Wal-Musāmirāt
One
of the notable points in the latter book (item 9) is that the compiler (No’mān)
has attributed the inventory of ‘fountain pen’ to ‘Al-Moezzu Li Dinellāh’
(a ‘Fātemi’ caliph).
Death:
No’mān
passed away in 363 Hegira at the age of 104 and flew to the other world.