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One of the benefits of studying the biographies of thepeople that went before us is that our predecessorsinspire us by their lives and by their sacrifices. Amongthese inspirational people are the prophets, saints, scholars, and even righteous political rulers. One of themost righteous political rulers in the history of Islam wasNizam al-Mulk. He was the patron of the great Imam,Hujat al-Islam (the Proof of Islam), Al-Ghazali; may Allahbe pleased with him. Nizam al-Mulk believed that Imamal-Ghazali had the potential to refute the esoterics, theanthropomorphians, and the philosophers that werecausing so much confusion in the Muslim world at thattime.

N i z a m a l - M u l k i s called al-Wazir al-Kabir which means “TheGreat Minister.” His full name is Nizam al-Mulk, Qiwamu ad-Deen,Abu Ali al-Hasan bin Ali ibn Ishaaq at-Tusi. He was originally fromTus, which is the city of Imam al-Ghazali. Nizam al-Mulk was a brilliantman, a brilliant political leader, and an expert. He was felicitous in hisnature, deeply devout, religious, and of extreme modesty. He filledhis gatherings with the great reciters of Quran and the scholars of hisage and vicinity. He built the famous madrasa (university) in Baghdadwhich bares his name: An-Nizamia. He built other great schools aswell, one in Nisapur and another one in Tus. He strongly encouragedpeople to study the Islamic sciences and arts, and he used to spendmuch money on the seekers of knowledge. He also recited Hadithhimself and was well known as a great reciter during his time.

Nizam al-Mulk was born in 408h, and he died in 485h. His fatherwas Dahaqin Bayhaq. Nizam al-Mulk grew up learning grammar, rhet-oric, and political matters. After serving as a brilliant secretary inGhaznah, he became the wazir of the sultan, Alab Arsalaan. Later, healso served as the wazir to the sultan’s son, Malik Shah. Nizam al-Mulkhad a great ability in organizational matters and was also known forredressing the wrongs that occurred under his government. He wasextremely gentle with the citizens of the state, and he built many

Biography of Nizam al-Mulk By Imam Shams ad-Deen Muhammad az-ZahabiTranslated by Hamza Yusuf

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endowments. Many of the great peoplewould seek him out, and he continued serv-ing people in this manner for 20 years.

Nizam al-Mulk renovated the buildingsof Khawarizam and the Mashhad of Tus, andhe built hospitals. He also donated 50,000gold dinars to a hospital and built schools inthe cities of Marw, Harat, Balkh, Basra, andIsbahan. He was deeply forbearing, forgiv-ing by nature, extremely generous, andupright in his understanding. He was achivalrous man and demonstrated muchbearing and patience. His benevolence wasimmense, and he was always extremely gen-erous. It was said that he donated 100 golddinars every morning. He was also extreme-ly humble and manifested that in thepresence of righteous people.

Nizam al-Mulk had finished memorizingthe Quran when he was eleven, and he stud-ied the madhab of Imam Shafi’. He wasShafi’ in his jurisprudence and Asha’ri inhis creed. He studied with Imam al-Qusharias well as with Abu Muslim bin Mihrbzudand Abu Hamid al-Azhari. In fact, ’Ali binTirad al-Zaynabi, Nasr bin Nasr al-Ukbari,and others relate on Nizam al-Mulk’sauthority. In addition, Nizam al-Mulk wasbrilliant at mathematics and was extremelyeloquent in his writing. He was intelligentby nature, far sighted, vigilant, and upright.

It is said that Nizam al-Mulk never satdown unless he had wudu’, and he never didwudu’ except that he prayed two rak’atsafter doing so. He also used to fast onMondays and Thursdays. He had immensegood in his nature and was devoutly pious.He had a strong inclination towards beingin the company of righteous people. He wasdeeply moved by preaching and was alwaysimpressed by those who pointed out hisfaults to him and who caused him to feelhumility or made him weep.

Nizam al-Mulk died on a Thursday nightin 485h near Nurhawand. He was killedwhile fasting during Ramadan. The sus-

pected assassin, an esoteric, came in theform of a devout sufi and pretended to handNizam al-Mulk a gift. When Nizam al-Mulkreached out to take the gift from him, theman stabbed him with a knife in his chest,and Nizam al-Mulk died from the wound.His soldiers later killed the assassin. It hasbeen insinuated that Nizam al-Mulk wasmurdered from within the government atthe orders of a governor. This governor didnot live for more than a few months afterNizam al-Mulk’s assassination. The lastwords Nizam al-Mulk uttered were, “Pleasedo not kill my assassin because I have forgivenhim. There is no god but Allah.”

Ibn Aqil said about Nizam al-Mulk,

The biography of Nizam astonishes the

intellect due to his generosity, his nobility,

his justice, and his revivification of the sym-

bols of this religion. His days were the days

of the people of knowledge, and his end

was by assassination while he was on his way

to Mecca during Ramadan, so he died a

king of this world and a king of the next

world. May Allah have Mercy on him.

There is an extensive biography of Nizamal-Mulk in Tarikh ibn an-Najaar.

Adapted and translated from Imam ShamsAl-Deen Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Uthman Al-Zahabi. The Biographies of Our Noble Scholars.Vol. 19. (The author died in 748h.)