Бурҳониддин марғиноний исми, унвони ва куняси хусусида

Legends about Burkhan al-din al-Marginani

As is known, the substitution of a name for an honorable nickname implied a particular respect; in Central Asia courtesy instructed not to call the individual, especially an honorable person, by his name. Instead of that, they used whether the designation of a degree of relationship, or a title, or a nickname.¹ Nicknames of al- Marginani were “Burkhan ad-din” (the Argument of Belief) and “Sahib-i Hidayah” (the author of the composition “Al-Hidayah”). The full name of the scholar is ‘Ali ibn Abi Bakr ibn ‘Abd al-Jalil al-Farghani ar-Rishdani.

Why was the great scholar named by a name of the fourth caliph ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (656-661)? As is known, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib was simultaneously both the cousin and the son-in-law to the Prophet Muhammad (d. 632). In due course, he was canonized as the fourth of “righteous caliphs”; (al- khulafa’ ar-rashidun) that ruled in 632-661). In the Sunni literature, Khazrat ‘Ali is presented as a true Companion and fellow-fighter (sahabah, Arabic SAHABAH, OR ASHAB) of the Prophet Muhammad, the great and brave warrior, the devoted propagator of Islam (fatih), having become known under the nicknames of “Asad Allah” (Arabic “The Lion of Allah”) and “Shahi mardan” (Persian “The King of Men”).
When Khazrat ‘Ali’s name is uttered it is necessary, for showing respect, to add the words “Karram Allahu wajhahu” (God’s Favor upon his face! or May Allah honor him!). ² The meaning of this honorific formula is “Allah save him of worshipping any other object, except Allah!” They say of ‘Ali that his face is honored – that is, it was never sullied by prostrations before idols. The accounts report that Khazrat ‘Ali had never worshipped idols ‘Ali himself stated that in his versified sayings.³
Thus, ‘Ali became known first, as a cousin, then as an adopted son and the son-in- law of the Prophet, and even later as the person who was awarded the standing of the friend and the sworn brother of the Prophet even in the next world (wali). Until the last days of the Prophet Muhammad he was his secretary.⁴ For this reason Abu-l-Qasem Firdawsi, or Firdousi, pseudonym of Abu Ol-qasem Mansur (ca. 940-1020) in his poem “Shah-nameh” gave such description, “if Muhammad is similar to the sun, ‘Ali is his star”.⁵ Words by Firdawsi about Khazrat ‘Ali later found reflection also in the


¹ Suxareva O.A. Potomki Xodja Axrara // Duxovenstvo i politicheskaya jizn na Blijnem i Srednem Vostoke v period feodalizma. M.: Nauka, 1985. p. 158.
² Osmanlıça ansiklopedik buyuk luğat. Ankara, 1993. p. 55.
³ Hazrat Ali ibni Abu Tolib. Devon / Jamol Kamol tarjimasi. T.: Movarounnahr, 2005. S. 52 (in

Uzbek).


⁴ Abu Mansur as-Saolibiy. Yatimat ad-dahr. T.: Fan, 1977. p. 36 (in Uzbek).
⁵ Firdawsi. Shah-nameh. Vol. I. M., 1957. p. 13.

hemistiches by the Sunni scholar Burkhan al-din az-Zarnuji (died after 1203), known under the honorable epithet “Sheikh al-Islam”.¹ The love of the Prophet Muhammad to Khazrat ‘Ali was reflected in the following hadith, “‘Ali loves Allah and the Messenger of God, Allah and the Messenger also love him. He, who loves ‘Ali, loves me, he, who loves me, loves Allah. I am from ‘Ali, and ‘Ali is from me. He, who is in love with ‘Ali, that is in love with me, too”. ²
In the Muslim world, ‘Ali became famous as a pious, open-hearted and simple- soul man.³ In matters of morals he was distinguished for high level of delicacy of rare occurrence, he did not know or show vanity and avarice.⁴ In this connection, Khisham ibn al-Kalbi (d. 820) gave him such a characteristic, “... After the Messenger of Allah (rasul Allah) the soul of honor among all the people... is ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib”.⁵
Narrative stories about Khazrat ‘Ali were widely spread through Central Asia. They were recited by storytellers in chaykhanas, at wedding-ceremonies celebrations, festivals, and assemblies (majlis). Rich people arranged special parties, at which they were listening to stories about ‘Ali’s fights up to the morning.⁶ People took great enjoyment in them and satisfied their spiritual needs.⁷ The Uzbek wedding songs have also frequent mentions of ‘Ali.⁸
Alongside with that Khazrat ‘Ali is described as an unprecedented hero and fighter, he was also a talented creative personality.⁹ There are known scientific treatises composed by him, as well as written works on issues of morals and ethics. Among them it is necessary to note the collection of verses Khazrat ‘Ali in which his scientific and religious views have found the reflection.¹⁰ According to legends, he had the ability to foresee all events, which would take place up to the Doomsday (ahirat). About that he wrote in his book entitled “Jafr-i jami‘”. This book formed the basis for occurrence of “‘Ilm-i huruf”, the science, in which by analyzing the digital values (numerical rating) of the Arabic letters (abjad) people predicted the future.¹¹ The Prophet Muhammad

Uzbek).
¹ Mahmud Hasaniy. Ustod va shogird. T., 2000. p. 26 (in Uzbek).
² Abdusodiq Iris. Op. cit. p. 42.
³ Yusuf Tovasliy. Hikmatlar xazinasi. T.: Qatortol-Kamolot, 1998. p. 5 (in Uzbek).
⁴ Imom Zarnujiy. Ilm olish sirlari / Tarjimon: Zokirjon Sharifov. T.: Movarounnahr, 2004. p. 60 (in


⁵ Abu Mansur as-Saolibiy. Ajoyib ma'lumotlar. T., 1995. p. 49 (in Uzbek).
⁶ Sarimsoqov B. Orta asrlarning nodir injulari / Ibrohim Adham qissasi. T.: Yozuvchi, 1991. p. 3

(in Uzbek).
⁵⁶ Sayfiddin Rafiddin. Hazrat Ali haqida qissalar. T.: Yozuvchi, 1992. p. 4 (in Uzbek).
⁸ Oy oldida bir yulduz. Ozbek xalq marosim qoshiqlari / Toplab nashrga tayyorlovchi, kirish sozi va izohlar muallifi M. Jorayev. T.: Gafur Gulom nomidagi Adabiyot va san'at nashriyoti, 2000. p. 43 (in Uzbek).
⁹ On this issue see: Xalidov A.B. Arabskiye rukopisi i arabskaya rukopisnaya traditsiya. M.: Nauka, 1985; Davidov A.S. Nekotoriye predstavleniya tadjikov, svyazanniye s jivotnim mirom // Etnografiya Tadjikistana. D.: Donish, 1985; Polosin V. V. Fixrist Ibn an-Nadima kak istoriko-kulturniy pamyatnik X veka. M.: Nauka, 1989; Mirzo Salimbek. Kashkoli Salimiy tavorixi muttaqadimin va muttaaxirin. Buxoro, 2003; Muhammad Husayn Obidiniy. Hazrati Ali – Rajab oyining farzandi, Ramazon oyining shahidi // Sino. 2007. №26; Mirzo Muhammad Haydar Koragon. Tarix-i Rashidiy. Urumchi: Shinjong xalq nashriyoti, 2008.
¹⁰ Sarvar Ochil. Hazrat Ali – she'r va ilm sarvari. T.: Minhoj, 2004. p. 17 (in Uzbek).
¹¹ Sharaf-xan ibn Shamsaddin Bidlisi. Sharaf-name. Tom I. Perevod, predisloviye, primechaniya i prilojeniya Ye. I. Vasilevoy. M.: Nauka, 1967. p. 535.

characterized wisdom and erudition of Khazrat ‘Ali, “If I am a city of science, ‘Ali is its gates, those who want to study the science, let him come through its gates”.
Khazrat ‘Ali was an expert on the Koran and hadiths, and a brilliant orator.¹ The Prophet Muhammad too highly regarded his son-in-law and the cousin, having made him as his sworn brother and his religious heir (wasi) in Medina (he said to ‘Ali, “You are my brother in this world and in the other world”). Among the numerous legendary stories about the Prophet’s love to ‘Ali, it is possible to cite the following hadith, included in the authentic collection compiled by At-Tirmizi (At Tirmidhi): “Truly, Allah ordered me to love the four (persons), and let me know that He loves them - among them is ‘Ali (and named him three times), Abu Zarr, al-Mikdad (al-Kindi) and Salman (al-Farisi)”. ²
In Sufi environment, ‘Ali was esteemed as the Master (instructor).³ As the sheikh ‘Ali ibn ‘Usman al-Jullabi al-Hujviri wrote, “for Sufis ‘Ali is the pattern of accuracy of external expression and subtleties of internal senses, the redemption of "alter ego" from love to the property in this world and in the after world, and giving heed to a disposition of Providence”.⁴
From the earliest times people of Central Asia, longing for their children to grow brave and courageous like Khazrat ‘Ali, named them by his names-epithets: Murtaza, Asadallah, Shah-i Mardan, Haydar-’Ali, ‘Ali-Sher, ‘Ali-jan, ‘Ali-Mardan and others.⁵ These names are widely spread in Central Asia and associated with the concept of a specific attitude to the personality of Hazrat ‘Ali.⁶ In the basis of tradition to add to the child’s multi-compound name the component “‘Ali” such beliefs are laid that ‘Ali should become the child’s defender in that case.⁷ For example, the names ‘Ali-Sher, Sher-’Ali meant the following: “May ‘Ali protect my son, courageous and brave as the lion!” People believed that such names protected their children and helped them to withstand in the first difficult years of life.⁸ For instance, an outstanding figure in cultural life of the 15^th century. Nizam ad-din Mir ‘Ali-Sher Nava’i (1441-1501) regarded Khazrat ‘Ali as his invisible religious instructor. It is confirms by the fact that his collection of verses “Nazm al-javahir” ‘Ali-Sher Nava’i wrote inspired with the Khazrat ‘Ali’s work “Nasr al-la’Ali”.<sup>9




1</sup> Goldsiger I. Islom haqida ma'ruzalar. T.: Akademiya, 2001. p. 18 (in Uzbek).
² Raxman. Ibid. p. 37.
³ Maxmud Muxammadi Iraki. Islamskiy mistitsizm // Sufizm v Irane i Sentralnoy Azii. Almati: Dayk-Press, 2007. p. 48.
⁴ Al-Xudjviri, Ali ibn Usman al-Djullabi al-Xudjviri. Raskritiye skritogo za zavesoy dlya svedushix v taynax serdtss (Kashf al-maxdjub li-arbab al-kulub). Stareyshiy persidskiy traktat po sufizmu. Perevod s angliyskogo A. Orlova. Izdaniye pervoye. M.: Yedinstvo, 2004. p. 74.
⁵ Mallitskiy N.G. Sistema naimenovaniya u korennogo naseleniya (gor T) // Izvestiya Sredne- Aziatskogo komiteta. Vipusk tretiy. T.: Sredazkomstaris, 1928. p. 243.
⁶ Suxareva O.A. Islam v Uzbekistane. T.: Izdatelstvo AN UzSSR, 1960. p. 25.
⁷ Begmatov E.A. O‘zbek ismlari. T.: Ozbekiston milliy ensiklopediyasi, 1998. p. 27 (in Uzbek).
⁶⁸ Gafurov A. Imya i istoriya. M.: Nauka, 1987. S. 40.
⁹ On this issue see: Filshtinskiy I. M. Arabskaya klassicheskaya literatura. M., 1965. Hasanxoja Nisoriy. Muzakkiri ahbob. T.: Abdulla Qodiriy nomidagi xalq merosi nashriyoti, 1993; Alisher Navoiy. Mahbub ul-qulub. T.: Gafur Gulom nomidagi Adabiyot va san'at nashriyoti, 1983; Alisher Navoiy. Nazm ul-javohir // Mukammal asarlar toplami. On beshinchi tom. T.: Fan, 1999.
It is assumed that Burkhan al-din’s parents also thought that giving the name of ‘Ali to a child would greatly influence on his further life, destiny, and happiness. Probably, they thought that the nickname with a component ‘Ali may provide that a child would have the virtues inherent in that legendary hero. Actually, ‘Ali, hailing from Rishtan, became a renowned Hanafi faqih, thereby having justified his parents’ expectations.