Muhammad Hayat al-Sindi

Muhammad Hayat al-Sindi was an Islamic scholar who lived during the period of the Ottoman Empire. He belonged to the Naqshbandi order of Sufism.

Education and scholarship

Al-Sindhi was born into the Chachar tribe of Adilpur, Sindh. His father was said to be a local noble of Bhakkar. Al-Sindi traveled locally to get his basic education. Then he migrated to Madinah and studied closely with Ibrahim al-Kurani and his son Muhammad Tahir al-Kurani. Here, he was initiated into the Naqshbandi tariqa.

Notable students

One of his students was Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, whom he met in 1136 Hijri. It was Abdullah ibn Ibrahim ibn Sayf who introduced him to Hayyat al-Sindhi. Sindhi would make an immense influence on the theological formation of Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab and his reformist views. Early Wahhabi chroniclers acclaimed al-Sindhi as “the spark that lighted ibn ʿAbdul Wahhab’s path."

Views

Although trained in Hanafi law, he was also a scholar of the Hanbali school. Al-Sindhi was a major reviver of Hadith sciences during the 18th century. Throughout his treatises al-Sindhi stressed the obligation of upholding the practice of Ijtihad, condemned Taqlid, called for a revival of the doctrines of the Salaf al-Salih and championed the superiority of Hadiths over past juristic opinions. Al-Sindhi was also known for his strong critique of folk practices associated with cult of saints and veneration of shrines.