About Sahnun
Lived 776 – 854 (aged 77–78). Sahnun was a judge, jurist, ulema, legal scholar, qadi and islamic jurist.
Theological Views
Sahnun was known for his strong orthodoxy, even to the point of refusing to pray behind a Mu'tazilite imam. He excluded heretical sects from the mosque, including the Ibadi, Mu'tazilites and others. The Encyclopedia of Islam states: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. Sahnun was one of the greatest architects of the exclusive supremacy of Sunnism in its Maliki form throughout the Muslim West.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Sahnun's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Sahnun?
Maliki jurist
When was Sahnun born?
Sahnun was born in 776 in Kairouan.
When did Sahnun die?
Sahnun died in 854.
What was Sahnun's occupation?
Sahnun was a judge, jurist, ulema, legal scholar, qadi and islamic jurist.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sahnun. https://biography.guide/sahnun/
MLA: "Sahnun." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sahnun/.
Chicago: "Sahnun." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sahnun/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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