Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn al-Ṭayyib al-Bāqillānī, was a Sunni Muslim scholar and polymath who specialized in speculative Islamic theology, jurisprudence, logic, and hadith. He spent much of his life defending and strengthening the Ash'ari school of theology within Islam. An accomplished rhetorical stylist and orator, al-Baqillani was held in high regard by his contemporaries for his expertise in debating theological and jurisprudential issues. Al-Dhahabi referred to him as "the learned imam, incomparable master, foremost of the scholars, author of many books, and example of articulateness and intelligence."