Background
His father was a soldier from Homs in Syria.
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Sahnun ibn Sa'id ibn Habib at-Tanukhi
Edit ProfileEducation
In his youth Ibnu Sahnun studied under the scholars of Qayrawan and Tunis. Later on he continued to Medina and studied under other prominent scholars, returning to North Africa in 191 AH.
Career
His original name was Mohammed Ibn Said Ibn Habib. He gained the nickname 'Sahnun' (a type of sharp bird) because of his quickness of mind. The family claimed descent from Tanukh, a tribal confederation that originated in the south of the Arabian Peninsula.
In particular, he learned from the Tripolitanian scholar 'Ali bin Ziyad, who had learned from Imam Malik. In 178 AH he traveled to Egypt to study under other pupils of Malik, who died before Sahnun had the financial means to reach them. At the age of 74 Sahnun was appointed Qadi (judge) of North Africa by the Aghlabid emir Muhammad I Abul-Abbas.
Death
Sahnun died in Rajab of 256 in the Hejira calendar. The men surrounding the emir refused to join his funeral prayer, due to his harshness against them. Yet the emir conducted the funeral prayers in person, and the people of Qayrawan were greatly upset by his passing.
Hitherto, in the multiple circles of scholarship, representatives of all tendencies were able to express themselves freely in the Great Mosque of Kairouan. In a process amounting to a purging of the community of scholars there, Sahnun put an end to this "scandal". He dispersed the sects of the ahl al-bida.
The leaders of heretical sects were paraded ignominiously, and some were compelled to recant in public.
Membership
He had refused the appointment for a year, only accepting after the emir swore to give him a free hand in matters of justice, even if this involved prosecuting members of the emir's family and court.
