al-Baghawi

Al-Husayn ibn Masud al-Baghawi (436-516 AH / 1044-1122 CE) was a distinguished Shafii scholar, hadith commentator, and mufassir who earned the honorific Muhyi as-Sunnah (Reviver of the Sunnah) for his contributions to preserving and explaining prophetic traditions. Born in Bagh (or Baghshur) in Khorasan, he studied under the leading scholars of the region, including al-Husayn al-Marwazi, and dedicated his life to teaching and writing.

Al-Baghawi's most famous works are Maalim at-Tanzil (Signposts of Revelation), a concise and widely relied-upon tafsir of the Quran that draws primarily on narration-based (bil-mathur) interpretations from the Companions and Successors while avoiding theological controversy; and Sharh as-Sunnah (Explanation of the Sunnah), a comprehensive hadith commentary organized by legal topics that explains the meaning and legal implications of each narration. He also authored Masabih as-Sunnah (Lamps of the Sunnah), a popular collection of hadith organized by topic that was later expanded by al-Khatib at-Tibrizi into Mishkat al-Masabih.

Al-Baghawi was known for his asceticism, eating only dry bread with olive oil. He lived a scholarly life dedicated entirely to teaching and writing, avoiding political involvement. He died in Marw ar-Rudh (in present-day Afghanistan) in 516 AH (1122 CE). His tafsir remains one of the most commonly printed and studied commentaries on the Quran, valued for its clarity and reliability.