Muhammad Hayyat al-Sindhi (died 3 February 1750) was an Islamic scholar who lived in Hijaz during the period in which it was part of the Ottoman Empire. He belonged to the Naqshbandi order of Sufism.

Education and scholarship

Al-Sindhi was born in the Sindh region of modern day Pakistan. He traveled locally to get his basic education. Then he migrated to Madinah and studied closely with Ibrahim al-Kurani and his son Muhammad Tahir al-Kurani. In Madinah, he was initiated into the Naqshbandi Sufi order.

Notable students

One of his students was Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, whom he met in 1136 Hijri. It was Abdullah ibn Ibrahim ibn Sayf who introduced him to Hayyat al-Sindhi. Sindhi would make an immense influence on the theological formation of Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab and his fundamentalist views. Early Wahhabi chroniclers acclaimed Al-Sindhi as “the spark that lighted ibn ʿAbdul Wahhab’s path".

Views

Although a Hanafi in law, he was also a scholar in the Hanbali school. Al-Sindhi was a major reviver of hadith sciences during the 18th century.