al-Baydawi ناصر الدين عبد الله بن عمر البيضاوي

al-Baydawi rahimahullah, full name Nasir al-Din 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar al-Baydawi, was a major classical Shafi'i jurist, theologian, and Qur'anic exegete who flourished in the seventh Islamic century (d. ca. 685 AH / 1286 CE). Born in the Bayda district of Persia (in present-day Iran), he served as chief qadi (judge) in Shiraz. He is most celebrated for his tafsir Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Ta'wil (The Lights of Revelation and the Secrets of Interpretation), a comprehensive yet concise exegesis of the Qur'an that drew upon earlier works, especially the Kashshaf of al-Zamakhshari, while correcting its Mu'tazilite tendencies. His tafsir became one of the most studied and commented-upon works in the traditional Islamic curriculum. He also authored works in theology (kalam), jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh), and grammar.