al-Laqqani

Ibrahim ibn Ibrahim ibn Hasan ibn Ali al-Laqqani al-Maliki (975-1041 AH / 1567-1632 CE) was an Egyptian Maliki scholar and theologian who taught at al-Azhar. He is best known for his didactic poem Jawharat at-Tawhid (The Jewel of Monotheism), a concise versified presentation of Ash'ari theological doctrine.

Al-Laqqani's Jawharat at-Tawhid is one of the most widely memorized and commented-upon texts in Islamic theology. The poem presents in approximately 144 verses the essentials of Ash'ari doctrine on the divine attributes and the articles of faith, organized in a format suitable for memorization and systematic teaching. It became the standard introductory theology text in al-Azhar's curriculum and spread throughout the Islamic world, particularly in North Africa, West Africa, and Southeast Asia, generating hundreds of commentaries.

Among the most important commentaries on it are the Umm al-Barahin commentary by al-Bajuri, and Ithaf al-Murid by al-Bajuri, which became perhaps the most authoritative annotation of the text. Al-Laqqani also authored a commentary on his own poem.

He taught at al-Azhar and trained many students in Maliki jurisprudence and Ash'ari theology. He passed away in Cairo in 1041 AH. His Jawharat at-Tawhid is his primary legacy — a poem that has been memorized and studied by millions of Muslims across the world and remains a foundational text in the Ash'ari theological curriculum of al-Azhar and affiliated institutions.