Sahnun ibn Sa'id

Sahnun ibn Sa'id al-Tanukhi al-Qayrawani was the foremost Maliki scholar of the Maghreb and the greatest compiler of Maliki fiqh. He traveled to Madinah and Egypt to study, receiving from Ibn al-Qasim the teachings of Imam Malik. He compiled the al-Mudawwanah al-Kubra, a comprehensive record of Maliki legal opinions that became the primary reference of the Maliki school. He served as the chief judge (qadi) of Kairouan (Qayrawan) in Tunisia. He died in 240 AH. The Maliki school's dominance in North Africa is largely due to his efforts.