Ahmad ibn ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Kurdī (d. 591 AH): A Historical Study of Qur’anic Sciences and Tafsīr in Baghdad

, ,August 2026 ,Pages 301-312

Authors

Asst. Prof. Israa Tu‘mah Ali Al-Douri

DOI logo 10.17656/jzsb.12387

Keywords

Abstract

This study presented a historical–analytical examination of the figure of Ahmad ibn ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Kurdī (d. 591 AH), as one of the scholars whose scholarly presence was closely connected to the educational movement in Baghdad during the sixth century AH, with particular emphasis on his role in Qur’anic sciences and Qur’anic exegesis (tafsīr). The study began with an introduction that clarified the scholarly status of Baghdad as a major intellectual center that hosted the Niẓāmiyya schools and circles of learning, and that contributed to the integration of the Islamic religious sciences, especially tafsīr, jurisprudence, and ḥadīth. The research problem lay in the absence of a specialized contemporary academic study that reconstructs a coherent scholarly profile of Ahmad ibn ʿUmar al-Kurdī and evaluates his educational and exegetical contributions within the context of the Baghdadi scholarly environment, despite the frequent mention of his name in classical biographical and ṭabaqāt sources. The study demonstrated its significance by enriching the historiography of Qur’anic exegesis in Baghdad, highlighting the role of Kurdish scholars in the development of the Islamic intellectual environment, and providing a disciplined academic assessment of Ahmad ibn ʿUmar al-Kurdī’s scholarly standing beyond reliance on authorship alone. The study aimed to construct a documented scholarly biography of Ahmad ibn ʿUmar al-Kurdī, analyze the characteristics of the scholarly environment in which he was active, identify the forms of his contributions to Qur’anic sciences and tafsīr, and trace his scholarly influence through teaching and learning circles. It adopted the historical–analytical method, the inductive method, and a critical evaluation of biographical reports. The study concluded that Ahmad ibn ʿUmar al-Kurdī’s contribution to Qur’anic exegesis was primarily educational and methodological in nature, manifested in his teaching role within the Niẓāmiyya school; that his juristic and ḥadīth training enabled him to contribute to the transmission of exegetical knowledge; and that the absence of named students does not negate the extension of his scholarly influence within the Baghdadi educational movement. The study recommended expanding research on teaching scholars and deepening the study of Kurdish scholars’ contributions to Qur’anic sciences and tafsīr within major Islamic centers.

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  • First online2 August 2026
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