al-Durr al-Thamin wa al-Mawrid al-Muin
- Author died
- 1072 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Ḥadīth
al-Durr al-Thamin wa al-Mawrid al-Muin fi Sharh al-Murshid al-Muin ala al-Daruri min Ulum al-Din (The Precious Pearl and the Flowing Spring in Explaining the Helpful Guide to the Essentials of Religious Sciences) is a classical commentary on Islamic theology, Maliki jurisprudence, and Sufism by the Moroccan Maliki jurist Mayyara (Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Fasi, d. 1072 AH / 1661–1662 CE) .
Background and Purpose
The work is an exhaustive commentary on the celebrated didactic poem al-Murshid al-Muin ala al-Daruri min Ulum al-Din composed by Mayyara's teacher, Ibn Ashir (d. 1040 AH / 1631 CE) . In his preface, Mayyara states that close student companions repeatedly urged him to write an explanation of Ibn Ashir's poem due to its concise phrasing and rich compilation of core religious knowledge spanning creed, jurisprudence, and Sufism, especially as contemporary students lacked the resolve to tackle extensive multi-volume compendia . After initial hesitation, he undertook the composition seeking to elucidate the text and make its legal rulings accessible .
Scope and Contents
The commentary covers the three traditional pillars treated in Ibn Ashir's versification:
- Creed (Aqida): Ash'ari theology and foundational tenets of faith (usul al-din) .
- Jurisprudence (Fiqh): Rulings according to the Maliki school, covering acts of worship including ritual purification (tahara), prayer (salah), obligatory alms (zakat), fasting (sawm), and pilgrimage (hajj) .
- Spiritual Wayfaring (Tasawwuf): Ethical purification and spiritual conduct following the path of Abu al-Qasim al-Junayd .
Versions, Reception, and Supercommentaries
Mayyara authored two versions of the commentary: an expansive large commentary (al-Sharh al-Kabir), which is al-Durr al-Thamin, and a condensed abridgment (al-Sharh al-Saghir) entitled Mukhtasar al-Durr al-Thamin . Both versions achieved widespread circulation and broad acceptance across North Africa, becoming foundational educational references in Maliki curricula .
Numerous scholars authored glosses (hawashi) and continuations on Mayyara's commentary:
- Muhammad ibn Qasim Jassus (d. 1182 AH / 1768 CE) wrote Tasawwuf al-Durr al-Thamin, completing the Sufism section of his grandfather Mayyara's work, along with a separate commentary on its theology section titled Tawhid al-Durr al-Thamin .
- al-Talib ibn Hamdun ibn al-Hajj al-Sulami (d. 1273 AH) composed a hashiya on Mukhtasar al-Durr al-Thamin .
- Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Mukhtar al-Dir'i (known as Ibn al-Muqaddam, d. ca. 1290 AH / 1873 CE) wrote al-Nujum al-Sayyara ala Sharh Mayyara in a large volume .
- Abu Isa al-Mahdi al-Wazzani (d. 1342 AH / 1922 CE) authored al-Kawakib al-Sayyara wa al-Jawahir al-Mukhtara ala ma Tadammanahu al-Muin Sharh al-Shaykh Mayyara in two volumes .
- Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Kattani (d. 1345 AH / 1926 CE) composed an incomplete supercommentary titled Fath al-Fattah al-Mubin wa Nur al-Diya al-Mubin ala Sharh al-Durr al-Thamin .
Publication History
The major commentary (al-Sharh al-Kabir) was printed in Egypt in 1305 AH (1887 CE), and later reissued in Cairo by Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi in 1373 AH and by Dar al-Hadith in 1429 AH (2008 CE), as well as in Beirut by Dar al-Fikr . The abridged version (Mukhtasar al-Durr al-Thamin) saw numerous lithograph and movable-type printings in Fez (first in 1289 AH / 1872 CE, followed by editions in 1292 AH, 1313 AH, 1318 AH, and 1330 AH), Tunis (1293 AH), and Cairo (including 1301 AH and 1323 AH) .
Answer updated