Wahba al-Zuhayli
- Died
- 1436 AH
- Born in
- -
Wahba al-Zuhayli (1932–2015 CE / d. 1436 AH) was a Syrian jurist, scholar of Islamic legal theory, and professor who served as head of the Department of Islamic Jurisprudence and Its Schools at Damascus University, best known for his compendium al-Fiqh al-Islami wa-Adillatuh (Islamic Jurisprudence and Its Evidences) .
Early Life and Education
Wahba ibn Mustafa al-Zuhayli was born in 1932 in the town of Dayr 'Atiyya in the environs of Damascus . His father was a farmer and merchant who had memorized the Quran . After completing his primary education in his hometown, he studied for six years at the Sharia College in Damascus, graduating at the top of his class with distinction in 1952, while concurrently earning a general secondary certificate in the literary branch .
He subsequently moved to Cairo to pursue higher studies at al-Azhar, obtaining his degree with top honors from the Faculty of Sharia in 1956, followed by a teaching license from the Faculty of Arabic Language . During the same period, he studied law at Ain Shams University, graduating in 1957 . In 1959, he earned a master’s diploma from the Institute of Sharia at Cairo University’s Faculty of Law . He completed his doctorate in Islamic law at Cairo University in 1963 with first-class honors and a recommendation for thesis exchange with foreign universities; his doctoral dissertation was titled Athar al-Harb fi al-Fiqh al-Islami (The Effects of War in Islamic Jurisprudence), a comparative study between the eight Islamic schools of law and public international law .
Teachers
In Damascus, al-Zuhayli studied hadith under Mahmud Yasin, theology under Mahmud al-Rankusi, estate division under Hasan al-Shatti, Shafi'i jurisprudence under Hashim al-Khatib, legal theory and hadith nomenclature under Lutfi al-Fayyumi, Quranic exegesis under Hasan Habannaka al-Maydani and Sadiq Habannaka al-Maydani, and Arabic language and rhetoric under Salih al-Farfur .
During his studies in Egypt, his teachers included the Grand Imam of al-Azhar Mahmud Shaltut, Abd al-Rahman Taj, 'Isa Mannun, Mustafa Abd al-Khaliq, Abd al-Ghani Abd al-Khaliq, Muhammad Abu Zahra, and Ali al-Khafif in comparative jurisprudence and legal theory . At Ain Shams University, his professors included 'Iysawi Ahmad 'Iysawi, Zaki al-Din Sha'ban, and Sulayman al-Tamawi .
Academic Career and Standing
Al-Zuhayli joined the faculty of Damascus University in 1963 as a lecturer, became an assistant professor in 1969, and was promoted to full professor in 1975 . He served as the head of the Department of Islamic Jurisprudence and Its Schools in the Faculty of Sharia, teaching fiqh, comparative jurisprudence, and legal theory to undergraduate and postgraduate students in both the Sharia and Law faculties .
He was also an active contributor to contemporary juridical research and international councils, presenting papers and participating in sessions of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy on topics such as diminishing partnership (al-musharaka al-mutanaqisa), intellectual rights, organ transplants, and commercial options .
In addition to his juridical encyclopedia al-Fiqh al-Islami wa-Adillatuh, which was translated into Turkish, Malay, and Persian, he composed al-Tafsir al-Munir (The Illuminating Exegesis), a comprehensive commentary on the Quran that received an award for the best book in the Islamic world in 1995 . Al-Zuhayli died in 1436 AH (2015 CE).
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List of Works
al-Tafsir al-Wasit (The Intermediate Exegesis) is a three-volume commentary on the Quran written for readers of intermediate cultural education. It occupies a middle tier between the author's extensive sixteen-volume work, al-Tafsir al-Munir, and the single-volume summary, al-Tafsir al-Wajiz, aiming to make Quranic interpretation clear and accessible by combining simplicity with depth.
Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Samahatuh (The Moderation and Tolerance of Islam) is a treatise examining the foundational Islamic principles of moderation, tolerance, and constructive dialogue across personal, social, and international spheres. The work explores the balanced nature of Islamic teachings in areas such as creed, worship, law, and relations with other civilizations.
al-Tafsir al-Munir fi al-’Aqidah wa-al-Shari’ah wa-al-Manhaj (The Illuminating Exegesis on Creed, Law, and Method) is a contemporary sixteen-volume commentary on the Quran. It combines transmitted tradition with rational analysis, presenting a systematic, thematic examination of the text that covers theology, jurisprudence, ethics, and behavioral methodology.
al-Fiqh al-Islami wa Adillatuhu (Islamic Jurisprudence and Its Evidences) is a multi-volume comparative compendium of Islamic jurisprudence. It surveys the legal rulings of the four Sunni schools of law alongside their textual and rational proofs, offering a modern and systematic presentation that connects juridical rulings directly to their primary sources.