Qasim al-Qunawi
- Died
- 978 AH
- Born in
- -
Qasim al-Qunawi (d. 978 AH / 1570–1571 CE) was an Ottoman Hanafi jurist best known for his legal terminology dictionary Anis al-fuqaha' (The Jurists' Companion) .
Identity and Background
His full name is recorded as Qasim ibn Abd Allah ibn Khayr al-Din Amir Ali al-Qunawi al-Rumi al-Uthmani al-Hanafi . His nisbas associate him with Konya (al-Qunawi), the Anatolian territories (al-Rumi), and the Ottoman realm (al-Uthmani) . He died in 978 AH (1570–1571 CE) .
Scholarly Contribution
Al-Qunawi composed Anis al-fuqaha' fi ta'rifat al-alfaz al-mutadawalah bayn al-fuqaha' (also transmitted under the title Anis al-fuqaha' min lawazim al-mutafaqqihin) in the second half of the tenth century AH to resolve difficult specialized terms encountered across legal literature . In the introduction, he states that the difficulty of technical terms at the opening of legal chapters prompted him to consult established scholarly authorities in order to provide both literal interpretations and underlying rationales .
The work is arranged thematically according to the standard chapter sequence of Hanafi jurisprudence, placing the terminology of marriage directly after acts of worship, in contrast to the arrangements common among the Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools . In presenting definitions, al-Qunawi incorporates lexical meanings, supports them with textual evidence from Quranic verses and prophetic hadiths, and in most instances includes the differing viewpoints of the four Sunni schools of law based on an extensive synthesis of legal, lexicographical, and hadith texts . He is also credited with a separate short legal treatise titled Risalah fi al-fiqh .
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List of Works
Anis al-Fuqaha fi Ta'rifat al-Alfaz al-Mutadawala bayn al-Fuqaha is a specialized dictionary of Islamic legal terminology composed during the second half of the tenth century AH. Drawing on earlier scholarly writings, the work aims to resolve difficulties readers encounter with specialized terms in legal texts by explaining both their apparent definitions and underlying rationales. It is organized thematically according to the standard chapters of jurisprudence following the conventional arrangement of the Hanafi school.