2013 Volume 48 Pages 95-111
Shihāb al-Dīn Aḥmad al-ʻAynī, the younger brother of the famous historian Badr al- Dīn Maḥmūd al-ʻAynī, was almost anonymous among the ʻulamā’ society in his days. However, since he left self-reference descriptions in a dozen manuscripts, which he copied and excerpted from his brother’s chronicle, we can, reconstruct his career.Aḥmad learned Islamic knowledge such as Qur’ān recitation and jurisprudence from several masters during his early years, as well as he gained historical knowledge from his brother’s chronicle which he copied and excerpted. However, his lateness of learning, number of masters who taught him, and quality of texts he studied were inferior to those of his brother. Although Aḥmad sometimes demonstrated his knowledge by preaching before local audience and donating manuscripts of his work to a mosque or a school as waqf, he did not take any stipendiary posts, or earn income by using his knowledge. Rather, he exercised knowledge in charity or hoping that blessing would come to him. He was a notable whose prestige was raised by his Islamic knowledge, even though he was considered to be a merchant. His prestigious status gained from knowledge, wealth from commerce, and relationship with his brother provided his son, Qāsim, good educational circumstances.Though Aḥmad might be considered as a less-skilled intellectual in his day, he was not the sole exception of this social group. Aḥmad’s career provides a valuable model, which shows how a non-elite intellectual spent his life.
