Likewise, in the field of hadith literature, both Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and Yahya al-Nawawi were two remarkable figures and it is not surprising that today they are highly regarded by the scholars of Islam, but it is also a fact that the works of the latter are much more widely-known throughout the Muslim world and in the West than those of the former. In fact, al-Nawawi’s Kitab al-Arba’in (The Book of Forty hadith) and Riyadh as-Saliheen (The Garden of the Righteous) have not only been translated into all the world’s prominent languages, but they are also very popular across the globe. Consequently, I had no choice but to include al-Nawawi in this book and exclude Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani – despite being a big fan of the latter. In short, the one hundred people who feature in this book have been chosen and ranked on the basis of their all-round influence, which in turn was determined mainly – though not entirely – by their contributions and achievements. And although I have tried to be logical, critical and also fair and objective in my approach to, and exploration of, the lives, thoughts and achievements of all the people included in this book, I am aware that my method of selection and ranking may nonetheless generate some discussion and debate among scholars and lay people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Since one of the aims of this book is to popularise Islamic culture and history, and encourage both Muslims and non-Muslims to directly engage with Islamic thought and culture, I will feel my efforts duly rewarded if this book manages to generate some discussion and debate about the role played by some of the Muslim world’s most influential figures and personalities during more than fourteen centuries of Islamic history.
Issues of selection and ranking aside, exploring Islamic history through the lives of some of its most influential figures – whether that is ten people, fifty, or a hundred – does present a number of other challenges and difficulties. Not least of which was that I underestimated the amount of time, effort and energy that would be required to survey more than fourteen hundred years of Islamic history, beginning with the birth of the Prophet Muhammad and ending in our own time.
Additionally, given the multi-disciplinary nature of this book, I not only had to explore a large quantity of historical data and information; it was also necessary to acquire some understanding of kalam (Islamic theology), tafsir (Qur’anic exegesis), hadith literature, falsafah (philosophy), fiqh (jurisprudence), usul al-fiqh (science of Islamic jurisprudence), tasawwuf (mysticism), aspects of science, mathematics, Arabic literature, Persian poetry, heresiographical thought and architectural history among other subjects. What was even more difficult was selecting only a hundred people from the hundreds, if not thousands, of prominent and influential Muslims who have left their indelible marks in the annals of history. As one of the world’s great religions, Islam created a dazzling culture and civilisation which today extends from Morocco in North Africa, all the way to Indonesia in the Far East; and from Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, to as far as Uzbekistan in Central Asia.
Thus, consisting of more than fifty-five Muslim majority countries and over a billion people today, Muslims have left their fingerprints on every field of human endeavour. It is not surprising, therefore, that some of history’s most influential men and women have been Muslims. In the words of George Sarton, the renowned historian of science and author of Introduction to the History of Science, ‘The main task of mankind was accomplished by Muslims. The greatest philosopher, al-Farabi, was a Muslim; the greatest mathematicians, Abu Kamil and Ibrahim ibn Sinan, were Muslims; the greatest geographer and encyclopaedist, al-Mas’udi, was a Muslim; the greatest historian, al-Tabari, was still a Muslim.’ Chosen by the author, this book only briefly explores the lives, thoughts and achievements of one hundred such influential Muslim men and women. It should also be pointed out that Islamic scholars and historians have written extensively about most of the people covered in this book, so the readers should not take these biographies as the final word on the lives and thoughts of the people included here. Rather, I hope, this book will encourage and inspire the readers to pursue their own study and research into Islamic thought, history, culture and civilisation.
Due to geographical, cultural, intellectual and historical overlaps, it was not possible to avoid some repetition. Hopefully, the readers will understand and appreciate why this was unavoidable as they go through the book. I went to great lengths to avoid using unnecessary jargon and technical language, but in some places this was unavoidable (for instance, when discussing aspects of theology, philosophy or mysticism). In addition, all the chapters begin with an introductory statement which seeks to place the personality concerned within their socio-political or cultural context and I have ensured that all the entries are of roughly equal length. In order to simplify things, only the Gregorian dates have been provided within the main text of the book, but I have included their hijri (Islamic) equivalent in the chronology at the end of the book. Since the hijri year consists of twelve lunar months of 29 or 30 days each, the Islamic calendar is about 11 days shorter than its Gregorian equivalent; thus the converted dates – as they appear in the chronology – are approximate. Again, for the sake of simplicity, I have not used any diacritics except for such common words and names like the Qur’an, Mu’tazilah, al-Ash’ari and al-Ma’mun. Likewise, I have completely avoided footnotes because this book is aimed primarily at students and lay readers, but most of the books and articles I read and consulted are listed in the select bibliography. Nearly all the Arabic words and titles of books cited within the text have been translated into English for the benefit of the readers. Moreover, according to Islamic custom, when the name of the Prophet Muhammad is mentioned, the words sallallahu alaihi wasallam (peace and blessing of God be upon him) should be added. When the name of any other Prophet is mentioned, the words alaihis salam (peace be upon him) should be added. When the name of a male companion of the Prophet is mentioned, the words radiAllahu anhu (God be pleased with him) should be added. And, finally, when the name of a female companion of the Prophet is mentioned, the words radiAllahu anha (God be pleased with her) should be added. All Muslim readers are reminded to observe this Islamic custom, as I have not included these customary salutations within the main text of the book for the sake of brevity and simplicity.
My studies concerning Islamic thought, history, culture and civilisation have occupied me for nearly twenty years now, since I was about thirteen, and unquestionably this book could not have been written without the sources listed in the select bibliography. I am extremely grateful to the authors, editors, translators and publishers of these and other books and articles I have read, and should anything I say in this book appear in any way similar to their ideas and thoughts, it is because I have drawn my information from them. The first draft of this book was completed in November 2005, exactly a month before my thirty-second birthday, but due to a heavy workload it was not possible to thoroughly check and revise the manuscript at the time. However, during 2006 I revised the manuscript several times, and the final revision was completed in August 2007. And, given the nature