ORIENTAL STUDIES / SHARQSHUNOSLIK /
ВОСТОКОВЕДЕНИЕ
2017,
№
4
79
KARIMOV NODIR
Researcher, TSIOS
Hakim Tirmizi in Egypt
Abstract.
This article highlights the issue of studying the scientific heritage of Hakim Ter-
mizi in the Arab Republic of Egypt. In the study, information about more than thirty books of
Hakim Tirmizi which studied by Egyptian scholars is given and some analyzes are made.
Keywords and expressions:
Hakim Tirmizi, Hanafite school, “al-hakimiya vat-ter-
miziyya”, Arab Republic of Egypt, “Bayan al-Farq”, Gnostic pathway (tariqah) (Gnostic
journeys and pathways), qalb and Nafs, Sufism, Muhammad Ibrahim al-Geyoushi, Arber-
ry and Abdulqodir.
Аннотация
.
Ушбу
мақолада
Ҳаким
Термизий
илмий
меросининг
Миср
Араб
Рес
-
публикасида
ўрганилиши
баён
қилинган
бўлиб
,
мисрлик
олимлар
томонидан
яратилган
барча
илмий
ишлар
жалб
қилинган
ҳамда
кўплаб
янги
илмий
хулосалар
келтирилган
.
Таянч
сўз
ва
иборалар
:
Ҳаким
Термизий
,
ҳанафийлик
мактаби
, “
ал
-
ҳакимия
ват
-
термизия
”,
Миср
Араб
Республикаси
, “
Баён
ал
-
фарқ
”,
тариқа
,
қалб
ва
нафс
,
сўфийлик
,
Муҳаммад
Иброҳим
ал
-
Жиюший
,
Арберри
ва
Абдулқодир
.
Аннотация
.
В
статье
дан
анализ
научного
наследия
Хаким
a
Термизи
в
Араб
-
ской
Республике
Египет
и
сведения
о
более
тридцати
трудов
Термизи
,
изученных
в
Египте
,
так
же
сделаны
научные
выводы
.
Опорные
слова
и
выражения
:
Хаким
Тирмизи
,
ханафийская
школа
, «
ал
-
хакимия
ват
-
термизия
»,
Арабская
Республика
Египет
, «
Баян
ал
-
фарк
»,
тарика
,
сердце
и
нафс
,
суфизм
,
Мухаммад
Ибрахим
ал
-
Жиюши
,
Арберри
и
Абдулкадыр
.
Tirmizi is an extremely interesting figure. Like many contemporaries he is an
example of the high level of culture and education of the former Bactria at his
time. Hakim Tirmizi’s scientific works have been studied for centuries in the East
and in the West. Among world researchers, however, Egyptian scholars have been
playing a vital role in studying his works. The reasons for that, Abd-Allah
Muhammad ibn Ali at-Tirmizi, better known as al-Hakim at-Tirmizi was one of
the great Sufi leaders of the third century A.H and the most distinguished savants
among the early mystics, is generally known as a muhaddith, a jurist of the
Hanafite school of law and a Sufi. Hakim Tirmizi was born in 132
–
142/750
–
760
in Tirmizi (a city in modern Uzbekistan) and died in 255/869 year. He was given
“Hakim (Sage)” as a nickname by people of his era. The number of his scientific
works was more than 80 (400 in some books). Most of the later Sufis owe a great
deal to him. The books in which he expressed his opinions attracted of later Sufis,
who directed their efforts towards analyzing and explaining them. As Egyptian
scholar Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim al-Geyoushi said that (1971): “Biographical
material on al-Hakim al-Tirmizi is found scattered in biographies and notes on
Sufi literature, but all is scarce. Such data do not give an adequate idea of the
elevated level of thinking or of his views and his teachings, nor do they indicate
ORIENTAL STUDIES / SHARQSHUNOSLIK /
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2017,
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the great influence which he and they had on Sufism”
1
. That’s way 1970s was a
period that scientific legacy of Hakim Tirmizi was much more popular than ever
before in Egypt. So far, thousands researches have been carried on Hakim
Tirmizi’s heritage in this country. However, most of them are devoted to learn his
Sufi concepts. As Egyptian scholars said he was the first to clarify and formulate
certain ideas on Sufism, saints and sainthood, to which his successors subscribed
and on which they relied. For above mentioned reasons, in this article, as well as
analyzing the works of Egyptian researchers on Hakim Tirmizi, some exact infor-
mation about his scientific works in Egypt will be given.
The work and studies of at-Tirmizi were not known in Egypt until Abdulmuhsin al-
Husaini published Riyazatu-n-nafs in Alexandria in 1942. As it is known that this book
is famous with other titles like “Ar-Riyazat” and “Kitabu-r-riyazat fi taaluqi-l-amr bi-
lkhalq”. Its written version is kept in Awqaf museum, number 32,2g 272
–
286, 120h in
Paris
2
. In 1947, English scholar Arthur Aberry and Egyptian scientist Abdulqodir
published that book second time with explanations. This book is a precise source which
reviews the issues of human study and spiritual path (Tariqah). Tirmizi himself calls
this book a teaching guide in his other works. In terms of issues of human studies and
mystical path, “Riyazatu-n-nafs” is Tirmizi’s most complete and clear book about the
structure of human div and all essence, parts and intellectual facilities
3
. And that year
(1947), Arberry and Abdulqodir printed Tirmizi’s second book called “Adabu-n-Nafs”.
This book is about a set of questions about Gnosticism and particularly about the
meaning of the truth. This book is kept in the form of manuscript in As’adi Afandi
library under the #1312 in 32 pages without any division. There is Minavi journal 1/159
and 4/1957 m 53
–
54 in the list of manuscripts of Tehran Institute of Literature
4
. In
1947 Tirmizi’s “Sifatu-l-qulubi va ahvaluha va hayatu tarkibiha” and “Sharhu sualat fi-
t-ta’biroti (at-tadbirat)-l-ilahiya” were issued by Arberry and Abdulqodir in Cairo.
The “Bayan al-Farq” is catalogued in Brockelman. Little appears to be known
about the date of its origin (it is not really possible to accurately point to a year any of
Tirmizi's books were written.) Nicholas Heer prepared the edited version of the
treatise from the only known existing manuscript in the “Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyah”
in Cairo, where it is listed as “tasawwuf 367”. This manuscript is apparently proble-
matic as it is carelessly written and contains errors. Despite these flaws, Heer still
edited the text and published in in 1958 in Cairo with his corrections and reconstruct-
tions. Perhaps due to these errors and the necessity of corrections cited by Heer,
Radtke and O'Kane maintain that the Bayan al-Farq is not an authentic work by
Tirmizi. However, no explicit reason is given for this statement. Research has yielded
1
El-Geyoushi Muhammad Ibraheem // Al-Hakim Al-Tirmidhi: his works and thoughts.
“
Islamic
Quarterly”, 1970.
–
P. 159.
2
Baraka Abd al-Fatt
ā
ḥ
. al-
Ḥ
ak
ī
m al-Tirmidh
ī
wa na
ẓ
ariyyatuhu f
ī
l-wil
ā
ya. 2 vols.
–
Cairo:
“Majma al-Bu
ḥ
ū
th al-Isl
ā
miyyah”, 1971.
–
S. 654.
3
Arthur John Arberry: “Notes on a Tirmidhî's manuscript” in Rivista degli Studi Orientali 18
(1940) 315
–
327.
4
Emomali Rahmon. The life and works of Hakim (sage) Tirmizi // Historical and cultural traditions of the
Hakim Tirmizi’s epoch and its importance in the world civilization. – Dushanbe, 2016. – P. 18.
ORIENTAL STUDIES / SHARQSHUNOSLIK /
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no further information on their supposition and in fact, Radtke, in an earlier work,
lists the Bayan al-Farq among Tirmizi's works. Othman Yahya lists the Bayan al-Farq
in his bibliographic essay Prefaced to the essay, he mentions not only the four ways
he compiled his list, but also maintains that he does not include edited works, lost
manuscripts, and apocryphal works. The researcher has thus been placed in a position
of difficulty. Radtke's opinion is a weighty one, but as no information has been pro-
vided by him in the book this statement is mentioned in and there have been no later
references to it in his later work it appears prudent to proceed with the assumption
that the Bayan al-Farq is indeed actually Tirmizi's
1
.
In 1965 year, Husni Zaidan published Tirmizi’s well-known work called
“Sharhu-s-salat va maqasiduha” in Cairo. After a half decade, Tirmizi’s another
work “Tahsilu nazoiri-l-Qur’an” was published in 1970 in Daru-s-saadat by Husni
Nasr Zaidan. The manuscript is kept in Alexandria, Baladiya 3585, 2 (g79
–
48
–
593h). Tirmizi interprets vujuh and nazairs in Qur’an in his book based on eso-
teric emotions and spiritual experiences in different words.
A. S. Furot issued “Ash-Shifa va-l-ilal” by Tirmizi in 1966 in Mutia Hasson
publication in Cairo. “Ash-Shifa va-l-ilal” is known as “Ar-Radd ala-r-rafiza”
2
.
Al-Geyoushi played a vital role in studying Tirmizi’s works. About five books
of his appeared in the world because of Geyoushi’s efford such as “Sharhu qavlihi
“Ma-l-imanu va-l-islamu va-l-ihsan” (1960), “Ma’rifatu-l-asrar” (1977) (The
whole book consists of 95 pages in two parts. The Knowledge of Secrets stresses
that the status of prophets is higher than the status of saints (it is stated in detail in
part of opinion, judgments), “Al-Masailu-l-maknuna” (1980) (It is a collection of
thesis about law, interpretation, hadith and mysticism), “Manazilu-l-ibad” (1977).
In 1977 year, Muhammad Ibraheem al-Geyoushi discovered the book called
“Manazilu-l-ibad”. This book is also known as “Manazilu-l-ibad va-l-ibadat” and
“Manazilu-l-qasidin ila-l-Lah”. This is a short book about seven stations of Sufis
tariqahs (paths) or stations of journeys.
Egyptian scholar al-Geyoushi spent more than 20 years on studying Hakim
Tirmizi’s heritage. During this period, he wrote approximately fifty articles on
Tirmizi’s works, namely “
ﺞﻬﻨﻣ
ﻢﻴﻜﺤﻟا
ىﺰﻣﺮﺘﻟا
ﻲﻓ
ﺮﻴﺴﻔﺘﻟا
” (the method of Hakim
Tirmizi in tafsir
–
K.N.
)
3
, “
مﻼﻜﻟا
ﻢﻟﺎﻋ
ﻲﻓ
ىﺰﻣﺮﺘﻟا
ﻢﻴﻜﺤﻟا
ﺞﻬﻨﻣ
” (the method of
Hakim Tirmizi in the world of speech
–
K.N.
)
4
, “
ﻪﻘﻔﻟاو
ﺚیﺪﺤﻟا
ﻲﻓ
ىﺰﻣﺮﺘﻟا
ﻢﻴﻜﺤﻟا
ﺞﻬﻨﻣ
” (the method of Hakim Tirmizi in hadith and fiqh
–
K.N.
)
5
, Tirmizi's concept
1
Pavlis N. A. An Early Sufi Concept of Qalb: Hakim al-Tirmidhi's Map of the Heart. Institute of
Islamic Studies McGill University.
–
Montreal: PQ, June, 2001. – P. 17
–
18.
2
Fuat Sezgin. Qur’ânwissenschaften, Hadît, Geschichte, Fiqh, Dogmatik, Mystik bis ca. 430 H.
Bd. 1. – Leiden, 1967. (ISBN 90-04-02007-1).
3
رﻮﺘآﺪﻟا
ﺪﻤﺤﻣ
ﻢﻴهاﺮﺑا
ﻰﺷﻮﻴﺠﻟا
//
ﺞﻬﻨﻣ
ﻢﻴﻜﺤﻟا
ىﺰﻣﺮﺘﻟا
ﻲﻓ
ﺮﻴﺴﻔﺘﻟا
.
ةﺮهﺎﻘﻟا
. “
ﺔﻠﺠﻣ
ﺮهزﻷا
”. 1981.
53/5. 888–912.
4
رﻮﺘآﺪﻟا
ﺪﻤﺤﻣ
ﻢﻴهاﺮﺑا
ﻰﺷﻮﻴﺠﻟا
//
ﺞﻬﻨﻣ
ﻢﻴﻜﺤﻟا
ىﺰﻣﺮﺘﻟا
ﻲﻓ
ﻢﻟﺎﻋ
مﻼﻜﻟا
.
ةﺮهﺎﻘﻟا
. “
ﺔﻠﺠﻣ
ﺮهزﻷا
”. 1981.
53/8. 1473
–
1484.
5
رﻮﺘآﺪﻟا
ﺪﻤﺤﻣ
ﻢﻴهاﺮﺑا
ﻰﺷﻮﻴﺠﻟا
//
ﺞﻬﻨﻣ
ﻢﻴﻜﺤﻟا
ىﺰﻣﺮﺘﻟا
ﻲﻓ
ﺚیﺪﺤﻟا
ﻪﻘﻔﻟاو
.
ةﺮهﺎﻘﻟا
. “
ﺔﻠﺠﻣ
ﺮهزﻷا
”.
1981. 53/6. 1069
–
1074.
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of
Wilay
1
,
his influence on Sufi though
2
, his concept of the struggle of
qalb
and
Nafs
3
,
a
summary of Tirmizi's map of the heart
4
and
other studies.
In 1975, Ali Muhammad al-Bajovi published Tirmizi’s another highly impor-
tant book called “Al-Amsal mina-l-kitab va-s-sunnat”. It is also known as “Al-
Amsal li-ahli haqaiq”. The manuscript is kept in Paris, the National library,
#5018, list 185
–
141p. The is a big set of examples about explaining the nature of
mystic practices and Sufis tariqahs (path)
5
.
Tirmizi’s another work “Kitabu-l-akyas va-l-mughtarin” was pulished in publi-
shed with a wrong title of “Taboe’u-n-nufus” in Cairo in 1989. But it was republished
with a correct title “Al-Akyas va-l-mughtarin” in 1990 with the efforts of Ahmad ibn
Abdurrahim as-Saiyo’ and Sayid al-Jamili. The written form of this book is kept
under the # 1571,1,69b, in Ankara, Turkey. This book reviews correct and wrong
deeds according to specific religious norms (in doing religious obligations, ablution,
worship, wedding, reading/reciting Qur’an, mosque building, study sciences, hajj etc)
and accounting Gnostic pathway (
tariqah
) (Gnostic journeys and pathways), the
wrong deeds which are usually done by pious (
zahed
), beginners (
mubtadi
) etc. Imam
Muhammad Ghazzali also mentions the extra situations in his book “Ehyau-ul-ulumi-
d-din” (399
–
435 pp.). The author criticizes different kinds of show off, cheating,
hypocrisy in religious matters and fights cheaters, fraudsters and charlatans.
Egyptian scholar Ibrahim al-Jamal issued Tirmizi’s very crucial legacy named
“Asraru mujahadati-n-nafs” in 1409/1989 in Darulmashriq al-arabiya, Cairo. This
reviews the same topics in “ar-Riyzah” and “Adabu-n-nafs”.
Hakim Tirmizi’s other books are “Ilm-ul-Awliya” was published by the efforts
of Sami Nasr Lutf in Cairo in 1981, “Bayanu-l-kasb” was printed in Egypt in with
the attempts of Abdulfattah Baraka
6
, “Arshu-l-muvahhidin” was issued in Cairo
because of Ismail Saib.
“Isbatu-l-ilal” is one of Tirmizi’s heritage. This book is well-known with other titles
as well like “Ilalu-l-ubudiya” and “Ilalu-sh-shariat” and “al-Ilal”. It is kept in a written
form under the
№
770, 134 a–83b in Istanbul due to Valiyuddin. The book was
published with the efforts of Kholidi Zahri in 276 pages in Cairo in 1998
7
.
1
El-Geyoushi Muhammad Ibraheem // Al-Tirmidhi's Theory of Saints and Sainthood. “Islamic
Quarterly” XV no. 1. 1971. – P. 17–61.
2
El-Geyoushi Muhammad Ibraheem // The Influence of al-Tirmidhi on Sufi Thought. “Islamic
quarterly” XX no. 3. 1978. – P. 104–115.
3
El-Geyoushi Muhammad Ibraheem // AI-Tirmidhi's Conception of the Struggle Between Qalb
and Nafs. “Islamic Quarterly” XVIII no. 3&4. 1974. – P. 3–14.
4
The same source.
5
Fuat Sezgin. Qur’ânwissenschaften, Hadît, Geschichte, Fiqh, Dogmatik, Mystik bis ca. 430 H.
Bd. 1. – Leiden, 1967. (ISBN 90-04-02007-1).
6
Baraka Abd al-Fatt
ā
ḥ
. al-
Ḥ
ak
ī
m al-Tirmidh
ī
wa na
ẓ
ariyyatuhu f
ī
l-wil
ā
ya. 2 vols. – Cairo:
“Majma al-Bu
ḥ
ū
th al-Isl
ā
miyyah”, 1971.
7
Historical and cultural traditions of the Hakim Tirmizi’s epoch and its importance in the world
civilization. – Dushanbe, 2016. – P. 19.
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After mentioning of researches on Hakim Tirmizi’s heritage in Egypt, it can be
made some conclusions.
First of all, about forty Tirmizi’s works have been published in Egypt in
different periods. But most of them were issued in 1970s and 1980s.The reason
for being popular of Tirmizi’s heritage in Egypt in that time, there has been a
revival of interest in Sufism since the early 1970s. As we know that estimates of
the number of Sufis in Egypt include at least a third of the adult male Muslim
population in Egypt, (six million men) being members of a Sufi order; fifteen
million of the country’s roughly 80 million citizens “claim” Sufism “as a prac-
tice”, still another says while 15 million are registered as Sufis, “the true figure is
likely to be higher”. Thus, most Egyptian scholars studied only Tirmizi’s Sufi
concepts and ideas. However, Hakim Tirmizi is well-known in European coun-
tries with his
anthropologic, cosmologic
ideas. A few number of Egyptian scien-
tists tried to learn Tirmizi’s those concepts.
Second of all, Al-Hakimiyya became one of the most common Sufi Order
1
in
Egypt because of Tirmizi’s works. The founder of this Sufi order is Hakim Tirmizi.
Positive principles of Hakim Tirmizi led to the progress of Egyptian society by
emphasizing that the individual should be accountable to himself continuously.
Third of all, most Sufi expressions were defined by Tirmizi’s heritage in Egypt
such as “Qalb”, “Sard”, “Fuad”, “Lubb”, “wali”, awliya and e.t.c. While resear-
ching Hakim Tirmizi’s works in Egypt, it can be assessed the contribution of
Central Asian scholars not only in Egyptian society but in the world. So, com-
prehensive studies on Tirmizi’s works are waiting for us in the near future.
1
An order means path or Sufi way that a particular master of Sufism founded. The shaykh gains
followers and increases after his death. They continue to remember him by doing birthday party,
by gathering around his grave
