Ibn Nujaym al-Misri

Zayn ad-Din ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Nujaym al-Misri (926-970 AH / 1520-1563 CE) was an Egyptian Hanafi jurist who produced some of the most important works in Hanafi legal theory despite his short life. Born in Cairo, he studied under the scholars of al-Azhar and became a major authority in Hanafi jurisprudence before dying at approximately 43 years of age.

Ibn Nujaym's most important work is al-Bahr ar-Ra'iq Sharh Kanz ad-Daqa'iq (The Radiant Sea: Commentary on the Treasure of Subtleties), a massive commentary on Nasafi's Kanz ad-Daqa'iq that became one of the most authoritative references in Hanafi jurisprudence. This work is still cited as a major reference in Hanafi legal scholarship.

His second most influential work is al-Ashbah wan-Naza'ir fi Qawa'id Madhhab Abi Hanifah an-Nu'man (Legal Similars and Equivalents in the Rules of the Hanafi Madhhab), a collection of Islamic legal maxims (qawa'id fiqhiyyah) that systematized the principles underlying Hanafi legal decisions. This work became a foundational text in the study of Islamic legal theory and is the Hanafi equivalent of works by as-Suyuti in the Shafi'i tradition.

Ibn Nujaym also authored Rasa'il Ibn Nujaym, a collection of legal treatises on specific questions. His influence on Hanafi jurisprudence was enormous given his short life. He passed away in Cairo in 970 AH. His al-Ashbah wan-Naza'ir and al-Bahr ar-Ra'iq remain essential references in the study of Hanafi law.