Al-Baghawi

[3] Al-Baghawi was known by several titles and was referred to as the "Supporter of the Religion" (Dhahīr al-Dīn) by Ibn Khallikān, who describes him as an ocean in the religious sciences.

Al-Baghawī is also known as Ibn al-Farrāʾor al-Farrāʾ, which means “the furrier” or “son of the furrier.” Scholars disagreed as to whether this denotes his own occupation or his father's.

However, subsequent sources, like Miftāḥ al-Saʿāda by Ṭāsh Kopruzādeh and al-Aʿlām by Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli, report that he was born in 436 AH.

Qāḍī Ḥusayn's influence on al-Baghawī can be assessed by the many ḥadīths that he transmitted in Sharḥ al-Sunna and the frequent references to his legal judgements in al-Tahdhīb.

Al-Qushayrī is considered a great Sufi master, but his knowledge encompassed fiqh, legal theory, ḥadīth, Quranic exegesis, and adab.

[13][8] Taqi al-Din al-Subki said: “Very little do we see al-Baghawi choosing something unless if he researched it he would find one that was stronger than the others, besides that he could also express it concisely, this shows that he was given extraordinary intelligence, and he is careful in such matters.”[10] Al-Dhahabi said: “Al-Baghawī was an imam who had a lot of knowledge, a role model, an expert on hadith, Shaikh al-Islām, life of the Sunnah, and many of his compositions.”[10] Al-Dhahabi said: “His works were blessed and received complete acceptance due to his righteous purpose and sincere intention.”[14]