Imam `Abdul Ghani Al-Lubadi

1262-1319 AH

One of the Maraji` of Sham

He is `Abdul Ghani ibn Yasin ibn Mahmud ibn Yasin ibn Taha ibn Ahmad Al-
Lubadi (or Al-Labadi) An-Nabulsi.

The Legacy of Kafr Al-Lubad

This family is often referred to by the locals of Nablus as Al Ash-Shaikh Yasin due
to the deep wisdom and knowledge of the great Shaikh Yasin ibn Taha Al-Lubadi
who is the great grandfather of the aforementioned marja` but also one of the
teachers of another great marja`, the noble `alim, Imam Muhammad as-Saffarini
(d. 1188 AH).
Imam Yasin ibn Taha Al-Lubadi had a son by the name of Imam Mahmud Al-
Lubadi who was marja` and also the grandfather of Imam `Abdul Ghani Al-
Lubadi. Imam Mahmud taught fiqh, lectured on it and also gave rulings for Sham
and took questions from abroad in Arabia.
Imam Mahmud Al-Lubadi had a brother by the name of Imam Muhammad ibn
Yasin ibn Ahmad al-Lubadi who wrote an important commentary on the words
of Imam Mahmud and additional commentaries were written on the words of
Imam Ibn `Iwad by another Lubadi, this time by the name of `Abdul Hafiz ibn
Yasin ibn Taha Al-Lubadi.
These maraji` were and continue to be the most important voices in answering
questions from such far afield places Jerusalem, Damascus, Aleppo, Egypt and
Arabia.
Nablus province has produced so many great maraji` that to name all of the
scholars would require another website; but to give the reader some
understanding of the great maraji`, one can understand that this province
produced maraji` from the following hamlets and suburbs: Raamin, Mardaa,
Tulkaram, Burin, Kafr Saabaa, As-Saawiyah, Shuwaikah, Hajjah, `Anabtaa, Juraa`,
as-Silah, Saffarin, Dhinnabah, Burqaa, Kafr Qaddum, Haris as well as Zaitaa.
In fact in Kafr Al-Lubad the first one to bear the title Al-Lubadi in a scholarly
capacity was the great marja`, Imam Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Sa`id Al-Lubadi
(d. 855 AH), the one given authority over the scholars in Aleppo as well as
Makkah.
Then came the great scholar, Imam Yasin ibn `Ali ibn Ahmad Al-Lubadi (d. 1058
AH) who gave numerous rulings for Sham and elsewhere, wrote commentaries
on legal literature, and also was a source of authority for the people to come to in
the area.
There is also Imam Mustafa ibn `Abdul Haqq Al-Lubadi (1152 AH) who was one
of the teachers of Imam Muhammad as-Saffarini (d. 1188 AH). Thus the family
and the area of Kafr AL-Lubad indeed speaks for itself and has produced another
piece of fruit that we will mention shortly.

Birth and Upbringing

Imam `Abdul Ghani Al-Lubadi was born in the year 1262 AH in the hamlet of
Kafr Lubad which is on the outskirts of the city of Nablus in the province bearing
the same name. He learned from his father and other relatives while young and
memorised the Quran and numerous ahadith in his youth.
In the local area, not very far from Kafr Al-Lubad, was Kafr Qaddum and a
number of smaller hamlets that dotted the landscape. He made his way to them
and studied from authorities such as Ahmad ibn `Ubaid al-Qaddumi (d. 1314
AH), Muhammad ibn `Ubaid al-Qaddumi (d. 1318 AH), Ahmad ibn Hussain al-
Qaddumi (d. 1320 AH), `Abdullah Sufan al-Qaddumi (d. 1331 AH).
Before reaching his twenties, he decided to travel to Egypt and take from the
scholars there and benefited in a large way from the marja` of the time, Imam
Yusuf al-Burqawi Al-Azhari. These lessons took place on one of the four porches
in Al-Azhar.

Hajj and the Marja` in Makkah

In addition to learning from these great teachers, he studied from others and
then decided to make his way to Hajj in the year 1289 AH and came into the
presence of Imam Muhammad ibn Humaid an-Najdi (d. 1295 AH), the marja` of
Arabia who was based in Makkah.
Imam `Abdul Ghani Al-Lubadi had his marja` status again confirmed when he
was told by Imam Muhammad ibn Humaid an-Najdi to discuss fiqh and to write a
book about it. This led to the writing of the text Hashiyat ul-Lubadi `Ala Nail il-
Maarib fil Fiqh il-Hanbali (Marginal Notes by Al-Lubadi on the text of Nail al-
Maarib According to Hanbali Fiqh).

Notable Rulings
Imam `Abdul Ghani Al-Lubadi based his rulings on conservative social principles
but was extremely flexible in business, laws on food and marriage.

So with regard to food, the Imam mentioned that if food appears to be halal and
even if it is in a country that is not majority Muslim, then there should be no
suspicion about the food, even meat that was slaughtered.
[Source: Hashiyat ul-Lubadi `Ala Nail il-Maarib fil Fiqh il-Hanbali (Marginal Notes
by Al-Lubadi on the text of Nail al-Maarib According to Hanbali Fiqh),pp. 14-15]

Socially conservative without any apology, the Imam harangued the popular
fashion he saw appearing among Qadis where some of these men began to shave
their beards and grow long handlebar moustaches. The Imam feared that this
would be used as a proof by laymen for this dastardly deed.
[Source: Hashiyat ul-Lubadi `Ala Nail il-Maarib fil Fiqh il-Hanbali (Marginal Notes
by Al-Lubadi on the text of Nail al-Maarib According to Hanbali Fiqh),pp. 18-19]

It was also the position of Imam `Abdul Ghani Al-Lubadi that the one from the
cults that committed kufr and then said that he repented was not merely
accepted at face value having said that he repented. Rather, he had to renounce
the belief and also reaffirm the correct creed.
[Source: Hashiyat ul-Lubadi `Ala Nail il-Maarib fil Fiqh il-Hanbali (Marginal Notes
by Al-Lubadi on the text of Nail al-Maarib According to Hanbali Fiqh),pp. 412-413]

An issue was brought to the Imams attention by another great marja`, Imam
`Abdullah Sufan Al-Qaddumi. There were two people who wanted to be married
but they did not have a wali present and followed the position of some of the
scholars that it is permissible to marry without the permission and presence of
the wali.
Imam `Abdul Ghani Al-Lubadi stated his tacit approval of an Imam officiating
such a union as it is the depended upon position of one of the schools and
therefore may be respected.
[Source: Hashiyat ul-Lubadi `Ala Nail il-Maarib fil Fiqh il-Hanbali (Marginal Notes
by Al-Lubadi on the text of Nail al-Maarib According to Hanbali Fiqh),pp. 304-305]
This is particularly important in cases where families are not Muslim, used to be
but apostate or other complexities. In that case, the Imam ruled that the one to
officiate the wedding would have to act as stand in wali.
At the onset of industrial methods of slaughter, the Imam was outright in his
rejection of mechanical slaughter, stunning and electrical methods of killing
animals.
He had an excellent example to look at in the state of Israel as this was the first
taste he would be given of industrial meet packing.
[Source: Hashiyat ul-Lubadi `Ala Nail il-Maarib fil Fiqh il-Hanbali (Marginal Notes
by Al-Lubadi on the text of Nail al-Maarib According to Hanbali Fiqh),pp. 422-423]

Later Life and Death

Imam `Abdul Ghani Al-Lubadi went on to be given a post at Al-Masjid ul-Haram
and to teach there the text he had written and also others, like his creed book
and his text on Hajj known as Dalil un-Nasik Li-Ada il-Masasik (The Guide to the
Seeker in Performing the Hajj with its Holiness).
He always enjoyed helping people and went on Hajj frequently. Allah blessed him
on 16 Dhul Hijjah 1319 AH when he came back from Mina to Makkah and then
died in that blessed place. He was buried in the citys graveyard that bears the
name of Al-Ma`lah.
His children that he left behind were three boys and three girls. The three boys
were the following:

1) Mahmud ibn `Abdul Ghani Al-Lubadi (1360 AH), who was a scholar in his
own right after learning from his father learned and taught in Kafr Burqaa in his
later life and was selected as a marja`. His main effort was the teaching of
females and producing female maraji`. His classes were on Mondays and
Thursdays.
He would give rulings that at times were in conflict with his teacher and other
maraji` such as Imam Muhammad as-Saffarini (d. 1188 AH), but this is known of
the maraji` as their heavy research will produce different outcomes.

2) Salim ibn `Abdul Ghani Al-Lubadi (d. 1383 AH) was again another example
of a scholar who had a large amount of female students and he was dedicated to
disseminating knowledge among Muslim women in order to produce maraji` of
tomorrow.

Imam Salim then had a son by the name of `Abdur-Rauf ibn Salim Al-Lubadi
(1337-1425 AH), who is reputed to bear a strong resemblance to his
grandfather and was also an accomplished poet and teacher of Arabic grammar.

Above: Shaikh `Abdur-Rauf al-Lubadi

As for the three girls by the Imam, their names were:

Karimah, Asma, Fatimah, in order of age. These daughters memorised the Quran
and also taught other Slaves of Allah that needed instruction in the religion,
whether advanced or rudimentary. And may Allah bless this whole family.