Al-Eithawi
- Died
- 801 AH
- Born in
- -
Hasan ibn Husayn al-Eithawi (d. 801 AH / 1398–1399 CE) was a Shafi'i jurist from the Beqaa Valley, best known for his legal responsa on Shafi'i jurisprudence .
Life and Scholarship
Al-Eithawi derived his nisba from 'Aytha, a village in the Beqaa Valley located between Beirut and Damascus . While modern biographical records frequently state his death around 740 AH (c. 1339 CE) or after that date, other records place his death in 801 AH (1398–1399 CE) . The later dating is supported by his citations of contemporary scholars in his writings, such as Siraj al-Din al-Bulqini (d. 805 AH / 1403 CE), whom he quotes from the theological work Manhaj usul al-din .
Al-Eithawi was a specialist in Shafi'i legal doctrine whose authoritative answers were sought across regional centers . His best-known compilation, al-Ajwiba al-Aythawiyya 'an al-masa'il al-Trabulusiyya ("The Aythawi Answers to the Tripoli Questions"), addresses 114 legal inquiries sent to him from Tripoli, delivering concise legal rulings grounded in the relied-upon positions of the Shafi'i school . He also authored another collection of responsa titled al-Ajwiba al-Aythawiyya 'an al-masa'il al-Tajiyya, manuscripts of both works being preserved in the Chester Beatty Library .
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Ajwiba al-Aythawiya 'an al-Masa'il al-Trabulusiya (The Aythawi Answers to the Tripoli Questions) is a collection of legal responsa (fatwas) in Shafi'i jurisprudence. The treatise addresses 114 legal questions sent from Tripoli, covering diverse topics of Shafi'i jurisprudence (fiqh) as well as legal theory (usul al-fiqh). It offers concise answers based primarily on the relied-upon positions of the Shafi'i school, beginning with matters of ritual prayer before addressing marriage, contracts, and other legal subjects.