Abu al-Qasim Mahmud ibn Umar al-Zamakhshari also called Jar Allah (Arabic for "God's neighbour") and known widely as al-Zamakhshari (1074 or 1075 – 1143 or 1144) was a medieval Iranian [Jane Dammen MacAuliffe, "Quranic Christians: An Analysis of Classical and Modern Exegesis",Cambridge University Press, 1991, pg 51] [By Norman. Calder, Andrew Rippin, "Classical Islam: A Sourcebook of Religious Literature", Routledge, 2003, pg 119] [ [http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v5f5/v5f5a015.html Encyclopedia Iranica, "The Chorasmian Language", D.N.Mackenzie] ] Hanafi scholar with Muʿtazilite theological influences.

Biography

Al-Zamakhshari was born in Zamakhshar, Khwarezmia, and became a renowned scholar of the Mutazilite school of IslamFact|date=April 2008. He used Persian for some of his work, although he was a strong supporter of the Arabic language as well as an opponent of the Shu'ubiyya movement. [1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, volume 1, al-Zamakhshari] After losing one of his feet to frostbite, he carried a notarized declaration that his foot was missing due to accident, rather than a legal amputation for any crime. [Samuel Marinus Zwemer, "A Moslem Seeker After God"]

He is best known for "Al-Kashshaaf", a seminal commentary on the Qur'an. The commentary is famous for its deep linguistic analysis of the verses, however has been criticised for the inclusion of Mu'tazilite philosophical views.

For many years he stayed in Makkah, for which he became known as Jar-Allah ("God's neighbour"). He later returned to Khwarizm, where he died at the capital Jurjaniyya.

He died in 1144 at al-Jurjaniya, Khwarezm.

He studied at Bukhara and Samarkand while enjoying the fellowship of jurists of Baghdad.

Works

Zamakhshari's fame as a commentator rests upon his commentary on the Qur'an. In spite of its Mu'tazili theology it was famous among scholars.

Works include:
*Al-Kashshaaf ("the Revealer", Arabic: کشاف ) — A "tafsir" of the Qur'an) [http://www.salaam.co.uk/knowledge/biography/viewentry.php?id=1757 Salaam Knowledge ] ]
*Rabi al-Abrar
*Asasul-Balaghat dar-Lughat (Arabic:اساس البلاغه) — Literature
*Fasul-ul-Akhbar
*Fraiz Dar-ilm Fariz
*Kitab-Fastdar-Nahr
*Muajjam-ul-Hadud
*Manha Darusul
*Diwan-ul-Tamsil
*Sawaer-ul-Islam
*Muqaddimat al-Adab [ [http://www.orient.pu.ru/old/Library/mscr2005/compilev.html] [http://www.orient.pu.ru/old/Library/mscr2005/176.jpg] ] مقدمه الادب (Arabic to Chorasmian Language dictionary)
*کتاب الامکنه والجبال والمیاه (Geography))
*مفصل انموذج ("Nahw": Arabic grammar)
*and more

Zamakhshari and the Chorasmian Language

The greater part of the now extinct Iranian Chorasmian language vocabu­lary is to be found in the form of interlinear glosses throughout a single manuscript (of ca. 596/1200) of the Moqaddemat al-adab by the native Chorasmian speaker, Zamakhshari [ [http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v5f5/v5f5a015.html Encyclopedia Iranica, "The Chorasmian Language", D.N.Mackenzie] ] . Some other manuscripts of the same work contain but a few such glosses. Thus the Moqaddemat al-adab is a very important primary source for the study of this extinct language.

ee also

*List of Iranian scientists
*Islamic scholars

References

Also:
* "ZAMAKHSHARI." LoveToKnow 1911 Online Encyclopedia. © 2003, 2004 LoveToKnow.
* [http://14.1911encyclopedia.org/Z/ZA/ZAMAKHSHARI.htm 1911 Encyclopedia.org]
* [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1130Zamakhshari.html Fordham.edu]

External links

*http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Zamakhshari
*http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9078218
*http://www.understanding-islam.com/related/text.asp?type=question&qid=3321
*http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1130Zamakhshari.html