Ibn al-Jallab
- Died
- 378 AH
- Born in
- -
Ibn al-Jallab (d. 378 AH / 988 CE) was a Maliki jurist and legal scholar from Basra, recognized as a prominent figure of the Iraqi Maliki tradition and best known for his foundational legal compendium, al-Tafri'.
Biography and Education
His full name was Abu al-Qasim 'Ubayd Allah ibn al-Husayn ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Jallab al-Basri, though his father's name is also given as al-Hasan in some reports. He studied jurisprudence under the leading Iraqi Maliki authority Abu Bakr al-Abhari, becoming regarded as one of his most retentive and accomplished students. In turn, he taught subsequent scholars of the school, most notably al-Qadi 'Abd al-Wahhab, who studied fiqh under him and his contemporary Ibn al-Qassar.
Jurisprudential Contribution and Standing
Ibn al-Jallab played a key role in structuring and codifying Maliki positive law (furu'). Whereas Iraqi contemporaries often focused on dialectical debate and legal theory, Ibn al-Jallab pioneered an organized, concise approach to compiling practical rulings across all legal chapters. His major legal manual, al-Tafri' (The Elaboration), comprised thirty-one thematic books covering worship and civil transactions, and was reported to contain eighteen thousand legal rulings traced to Malik ibn Anas and his companions. The manual gained broad reception throughout the Islamic East and West, drawing Andalusian scholars who traveled to transmit it and prompting extensive commentaries, including one by Shihab al-Din al-Qarafi. He also authored a treatise on disputed legal questions (Masa'il al-Khilaf).
Death
Ibn al-Jallab died in 378 AH (988 CE) on his return journey from the Hajj pilgrimage.
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Tafri fi Fiqh al-Imam Malik ibn Anas (The Elaboration on the Jurisprudence of Imam Malik ibn Anas) is a compendium of Maliki positive law (furu'). Commonly referred to as al-Jallab or Mukhtasar al-Jallab, the text serves as a comprehensive legal handbook within the school.