Mulla Ali al-Qari

Ali ibn Sultan Muhammad al-Qari al-Harawi (d. 1606 CE / 1014 AH), known as Mulla Ali al-Qari, was a prolific Hanafi scholar, hadith commentator, and expert in Quranic recitation (qira'at) who was born in Herat (modern-day Afghanistan) and settled in Mecca. He was called 'al-Qari' (the Reciter) for his mastery of the Quranic sciences and his beautiful recitation.

Mulla Ali al-Qari was extraordinarily prolific, authoring works in virtually every Islamic discipline. His Mirqat al-Mafatih is a massive and detailed commentary on Mishkat al-Masabih, one of the most important hadith compilations, and remains a standard reference. His Sharh ash-Shifa on Qadi Iyad's ash-Shifa is a beloved commentary on the Prophet's attributes and virtues. He also wrote al-Mirqat al-Mafatih on hadith, al-Asrar al-Marfu'ah on fabricated hadith, Sharh al-Fiqh al-Akbar on Imam Abu Hanifah's creedal text, and numerous works on qira'at and Arabic grammar.

Mulla Ali al-Qari was firmly committed to the Ahl us-Sunnah creed and his works on aqidah defend the positions of the Salaf and the Maturidi theological tradition within the Hanafi school. His combination of expertise in hadith, fiqh, aqidah, and Quranic sciences made him one of the most well-rounded scholars of the Ottoman period. He passed away in Mecca and his works remain widely studied throughout the Muslim world.