al-Hawi al-Kabir
- Author died
- 450 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah
al-Hawi al-Kabir (The Grand Comprehensive [Book]) is an encyclopedic commentary on Shafi'i jurisprudence by the jurist and judge Abu al-Hasan al-Mawardi (364–450 AH / 975–1058 CE; also reported 361–450 AH) . Composed as an extensive exposition of Mukhtasar al-Muzani by Isma'il ibn Yahya al-Muzani (a direct disciple of al-Shafi'i), it is one of the most comprehensive classical reference works on Shafi'i legal branches (furu') and comparative jurisprudence .
Scope and Methodology
al-Mawardi prefaced al-Hawi al-Kabir with an introduction detailing the purpose and method of the work . Spanning more than twenty volumes—estimated by the author at approximately four thousand folios—the book systematically addresses the various chapters of Islamic jurisprudence . In presenting each legal issue and its subordinate branches, al-Mawardi relies on evidentiary proofs from the Quran, the Sunnah, the traditions of the Companions and Successors, consensus (ijma'), and legal analogy (qiyas) .
Within the Shafi'i school, he differentiates between al-Shafi'i's earlier (qadim) and later (jadid) statements, records the differing opinions (aqwal) and derivative positions (awjuh) of the school's jurists, and weighs (tarjih) what he assesses to be correct while pointing out errors . In comparative legal discussions, al-Mawardi details the positions of other major schools—including the Hanafis, Malikis, Hanbalis, and Zahiris—debating their respective proofs while substantiating the Shafi'i position . He also frequently cites classical Arabic poetry to establish linguistic meanings and clarify legal terminology .
Abridgment and Reception
al-Mawardi produced an abridgment of al-Hawi al-Kabir titled al-Iqna', an extremely concise manual written at the request of the Abbasid caliph al-Qadir bi-llah .
Classical biographers and jurists held al-Hawi al-Kabir in high regard. Ibn Khallikan observed that no scholar examines the book without testifying to al-Mawardi's vast erudition (tabahhur) and complete mastery of the Shafi'i school . Ibn Kathir characterized it as peerless in its genre, and Jamal al-Din al-Isnavi stated that no work like it had been composed . Subsequent Shafi'i authorities, such as Abd al-Karim al-Rafi'i, regularly relied upon and transmitted legal positions from it across multiple chapters of jurisprudence . A notable modern edition of the text was prepared by Ali Muhammad Mu'awwad and Adil Ahmad Abd al-Mawjud .
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