Abdul-Fattah Abu Ghuddah

Abd al-Fattah ibn Muhammad Abu Ghuddah (1336-1417 AH / 1917-1997 CE) was a Syrian Hanafi hadith scholar from Aleppo who became one of the most influential Islamic scholars and editors of the 20th century. Born in Aleppo, he studied under leading scholars of Syria including Sheikh Ragib at-Tabbakh and Sheikh Isa al-Bayanuni, and later traveled to Egypt to study under al-Kawthari in Cairo.

Abu Ghuddah mastered both the Hanafi legal tradition and the hadith sciences. He became a prolific editor of classical texts, producing critical editions of numerous important works including the Muwatta' of Imam Malik, the Muwatta' of Imam Muhammad ash-Shaybani, and works by al-Lucknawi, al-Kawthari, and many others. His editorial methodology was meticulous, and his footnotes and introductions to edited works are often scholarly contributions in themselves.

He authored important original works including al-Ulama al-Uzzab alladhina Atharut-Talim ala az-Zawaj (Celibate Scholars Who Preferred Knowledge over Marriage), a biographical study of scholars known for their devotion to learning; and Rasul Allah ﷺ wa Asatidhatihi al-Arba'ah (studies on the teachers of the Prophet ﷺ). He also authored detailed studies on hadith methodology.

Abu Ghuddah taught in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, training many students including Muhammad Awwamah. He was known for his scrupulous adherence to the Hanafi madhhab and Maturidi theology. He passed away in Riyadh in 1997. His editorial work and his personal scholarship make him one of the most important Islamic scholars of the 20th century.