Mulla Abdul Rahman al-Buti al-Khandaki

This study explores the life and scholarly legacy of the Kurdish scholar Mullah Abdulrahman Al-Buti Al-Khandaki Al-Jazari, one of the distinguished graduates of traditional Kurdish religious schools, who devoted his entire life to serving knowledge, religion, and the Kurdish cause. The research begins by introducing his upbringing in a scholarly family on both his father’s and mother’s sides, and how his deeply religious environment directed him toward the pursuit of knowledge from childhood. He memorized classical texts and studied under prominent scholars in Botan, Jazirat Ibn ʿUmar, Zakho, and Duhok, until he received his scholarly ijazah (certification) in 1963 at the hands of Sheikh Muhammad Saeed Sida, after a long journey of study and travel that lasted nearly fourteen years, during which he memorized dozens of foundational texts in grammar, morphology, logic, jurisprudence, principles, and creed.

The study then highlights his scholarly stature through the testimonies of his contemporaries and students, portraying him as a widely knowledgeable scholar, strong in memorization, deeply devoted to teaching and reading, and inseparable from books. He would teach from dawn until evening prayer and combined multiple commentaries and glosses in his explanations, making him a major reference in grammar, morphology, and the core sciences taught in Kurdish religious schools. The research further emphasizes his role in education within the mosques and religious schools of his village, Khendak, and other regions, including his service as imam, preacher, mufti, and mediator in social disputes—roles that made him a significant religious and social figure in his community. A substantial section of the study is devoted to his national and political character, demonstrating how Mullah Abdulrahman linked the defense of Kurdish rights to the Islamic texts that prohibit injustice and command justice. He viewed the pursuit of Kurdish freedom and dignity as both a religious and humanitarian right. For this, he was subjected to imprisonment and torture by the Turkish authorities, and his son Abdullah was martyred in this cause. He later fled to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where he continued teaching in Zakho. In conclusion, the study finds that Mullah Abdulrahman represents the model of the devout, righteous scholar who combined knowledge, practice, and sincere commitment to religion and homeland. His biography affirms that devotion to learning and teaching, and standing with the oppressed, grants a person a lasting influence in the nation and in history.