Welcome to Stories of The Seekers, a series exploring the incredible lives of our scholars and their sacrifices for the Deen!
People ask for all sorts of things as mahr; cash, gold, jewellery etc.
But this is the story of a dowry that has impacted generations of Muslims, and it starts with a woman named Fatima al Samarqandiyya.
Born in the year 500 After Hijra (1106 CE), she was a great scholar, the daughter of another great scholar of the city of Samarkand (modern-day Uzbekistan), and she was known for her brilliant mind, beauty, and piety.
In those days, Samarkand was a bustling centre of knowledge. Situated right along the Silk Road, it was a place where not only merchants, but scholars would meet, connect, and exchange ideas.
Her father, Muhammad ibn Ahmad al Samarqandi, was a renowned scholar in the Hanafi madhab, and the author of the book Tuhfat al Fuqaha, a manual in fiqh which many used to teach at the time.
Fatima was nurtured under her father’s tutelage before growing into a promising jurist in her own right.
Many men sought Fatima’s hand in marriage, including princes and noblemen, and all were rejected until…
‘Ala al Din al Kasani, a student of her father, made his proposal.
He presented Fatima with a commentary on her father’s work.
Al Kasani’s commentary impressed al Samarqandiyya and her father so much that it was accepted as her mahr (bridal gift) and the two of them married thereafter.
That book, Bada’i al Sana’i, became a classical text in the Hanafi school, one that has educated generations of students.
Imagine the reward this scholarly couple is receiving every time this book is opened!
Knowledge is one of the ongoing deeds that the Prophet ﷺ told us about in the famous hadith:
“When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him.”
[Sahih Muslim]
Fatima al Samarqandiyya would spend her later years in the city of Aleppo, where he was held in high esteem as a leading jurist, and even became an advisor to none other than Nur al Din Zengi; the ruler of Syria and the mentor of Salahadin Ayyubi!
May Allah reward Fatima al Samarqandiyya, make her a continuous source of inspiration for our sisters seeking knowledge today, and grant us all ceaseless deeds that continue beyond our deaths.
