Online Lecture: "The Role of the Faqihs (Islamic Jurists) of Banu Moza (Oli Moza) in the Social and Cultural Life of Bukhara in the 11th-13th Centuries”
2. März 2021, von AAI Webmaster
On Mar. 02, 2021 from 1-3 p.m. CET, the fourth and final lecture of the Lecture Series on the History and Culture will take place. In this lecture, Ilhomjon Bekmirzaev (IBISRC) will discuss
"The Role of the Faqihs (Islamic Jurists) of Banu Moza (Oli Moza) in the Social and Cultural Life of Bukhara in the 11th-13th Centuries"
Abstract:
The Banu Moza and Sadrs are well-known families in Bukhara and Samarkand. This environment a played a great role in the upbringing of the founder of the Banu Moza and his becoming a prominent scholar of fiqh.
The tabaqot works (biographical dictionaries) name the founder of Banu Moza family with the honorifics such as al-Sadr al-kabir, Burhan al-kabir, Burhan al-a’imma, or al-Sadr al-Moza. Al-Kafavi stresses that ‘he came from Persians’. He must have spoken Persian. Indeed, his fatwas were either issued in Persian or in Arabic language.
In 495 H./1101-2 C.E., Burhan al-kabir was the first to achieve the rang and position of a Sadr and a Qadi al-quzot in Bukhara. The Banu Moza family fostered the development of culture, science, education and science of fiqh in Bukhara. This is suggested by fact that the Banu Moza family established the Hizonat al-kutub Library in the Sikkat ad-dehqon region in Bukhara. Members of the family, Burhan al-kabir, al-Sadr al-Shahid, and his brother al-Sadr al-Sa‘id played a great role in enriching its holdings. Many important faqihs of Bukhara explored the resources of the library when they authored their own works. For example, Imod ad-din Abu l-Muhammad ibn Mahmud ibn Ahmad ibn Abi l-Hasan al-Faryobi (died in 607/1210), who was an admirer of the Banu Moza family, authored his work in that library. The fact that this faqih was buried in the cemetery of the sadrs shows how close he had been to the Banu Moza family.
The Banu Moza family was famous for its generosity and support to the faqihs and the educated class. It has been stated that Banu Moza family supported about 6,000 faqihs until the Khorazmshahs occupied Bukhara in the early 13th century. The tabaqots provide us with many legends about al-Sadr al-Shahid’s son Muhammad Sadr al-Jahon (d. in 618/1221). Jalol ad-din Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Hoshimi al-Kunavi (died in 672/1273) transmitted one of the most famous legends about him: Poor learners and the needy were begging Sadr al-Jahon on the entire long journey from the faqih’s house to the madrasa. They were at a distance of 5 farsakhs (about 40 km/25miles). According to another source, in 603-604/1207, Sadr al-Jahon and his son undertook the pilgrimage to Mecca, and travelled via Baghdad. Because of his known generosity, a large crowd of people follwed the faqih from each city or village to the next.
The activities of Banu Moza family remained not undisputed in Bukhara. The Saffori family, which was founded by Abu Ishoq Ibrohim ibn Ismo’il as-Saffor (d. 534/1139), enjoyed an elevated status in the Bukharan society before the advent of Banu Moza family in the city. As a result, the Saffori family developed into a group of local ulama (scholars). They became vocal opponents to the Banu Moza family until the end of the latter’s activity in Bukhara.
The Lecture Series is a joint project by the İmam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Asien-Afrika-Institut of Universität Hamburg. To register, please send an e-mail to Natalie Kontny (natalie.kontny@uni-hamburg.de).