| Religion: | Islam |
| Occupation: | Scholar, Traditionist, Jurist, Theologian, Legal theory, Mufassir, Grammarian, Linguist, Rhetorician, Logician |
| Era: | Middle ages |
| Honorific Prefix: | Imam |
| Shams al-Din al-Kirmani Arabic: شمس الدين الكرماني | |
| Shaykh al-Islam Shams al-Din Al-Ḥāfiẓ | |
| Birth Date: | Kirman |
| Birth Place: | 1317 |
| Death Place: | Baghdad |
| Region: | Middle East |
| Denomination: | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence: | Shafi'i |
| Creed: | Ash'ari |
| Main Interests: | Hadith, Islamic Jurisprudence, Islamic theology, Legal theory, Tafsir, Grammar, Linguistic, Rhetoric, Logic |
| Notable Ideas: | Al-Kawkab al-Darrari |
| Influences: | Al-Shafi'i Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari Adud al-Din al-Iji |
Abū 'Abd Allāh Shams al-Din Muḥammad b. Yūsuf b. ʿAlī al-Kirmāni, better known as Shams al-Din al-Kirmani (Arabic: شمس الدين الكرماني|translit=Shams al-Dīn al-Kirmānī; 1317 – 1384) was a Sunni Muslim scholar originally from Kirman. He was a distinguished scholar who specialized in a number of Islamic sciences including Hadith, Islamic jurisprudence, legal theory, Quran exegesis, Arabic, and scholastic theology. He wrote Al-Kawkab al-Darrari, a classical and renowned commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari.[1]
Born around 717 AH/1317 CE in Kirman, he began his education there under the guidance of his father, Baha al-Din. Later, he studied rational and Arabic sciences for twelve years under Adud al-Din al-Iji in Shiraz. After that, al-Kirmani travelled to Egypt and Syria in order to study Hadith. He devoted his time there to learning the science, and as a result, he rose to prominence in his era as a muhaddith. He made his home in Baghdad and spent the final thirty years of his life there spreading knowledge. He lived in a humble, frugal and ascetic lifestyle. The sultans would visit his home seeking prayers and advice from him. Al-Kirmani performed Umrah and died returning from Hajj in the year 786 AH/1384 CE. His body was transported to Baghdad, and was buried in a grave he had prepared for himself, near Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi.[2] [3] [4]
Shams al-Din al-Kirmani is considered a versatile scholar who had mastery in both textual and rational sciences. He is described as a prolific author who wrote on a wide range of topics, including Hadith, theology, Arabic, jurisprudence, legal theory, and others.
Al-Kirmani is most notably known for his extensive 25-volume hadith commentary entitled "Al-Kawkab al-Darrari." It is regarded as one of the most popular and comprehensive commentaries of Sahih al-Bukhari. In addition to his famous commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, he authored a commentary on Ibn al-Hajib's Mukhtasar al-Muntaha entitled Al-Sab'a al-Sayyara. In this book, he collections seven commentaries and produces a comprehensive work. Al-Kirmani wrote several commentaries of well-known works written by his master Adud al-Din al-Iji including a commentary on ethics Akhlaq al-Adudiyya. He wrote a commentary on theology, Al-Mawāqif fī 'ilm al-kalām as well as Iji's work on rhetoric al-Fawa'id al-Ghiyathiyya. Al-Kirmani was known for his expertise in the interpretation on the Quran as he wrote a commentary on Anwar al-Tanzil wa-Asrar al-Ta'wil by al-Baydawi as well as a commentary on Al-Kashshaaf by al-Zamakhshari. Al-Kirmani classified Arabic works and composed a book on logic.