al-Iqna fi Masail al-Ijma
- Author died
- 628 AH
- Editions
- t al-Saeedi
al-Iqna fi Masail al-Ijma (The convincing exposition on issues of scholarly consensus) is a specialized treatise on theological and juridical consensus (ijma) compiled by the Moroccan Maliki jurist and hadith scholar Ibn al-Qattan (562–628 AH / 1167–1231 CE) .
Structure and Content
The work gathers matters subject to scholarly consensus across theological doctrine and the standard branches of Islamic jurisprudence . It opens with the "Book of Faith" (Kitab al-Iman), covering agreed-upon creedal tenets such as the definition and constituents of faith, its increase through obedience and decrease through sin, the status of major sinners among Muslims, the created nature of the cosmos, the affirmation of divine names and attributes, and their scriptural transmission (tawqif) . The subsequent sections assemble points of agreement across legal chapters, ranging from worship to commercial contracts, leasing, and judicial transactions .
Methodology and Sources
Ibn al-Qattan's method in the work consists of reviewing reported points of consensus among scholars on doctrinal and legal questions directly, without interjecting his own commentary or personal evaluations . In compiling these positions, he draws extensively on earlier authorities and works, frequently citing:
- Ibn Abd al-Barr (principally through al-Tamhid and al-Istidhkar)
- Ibn Hazm (notably from Maratib al-Ijma and al-Muhalla)
- al-Shafi'i (from al-Risalah)
- Ibn al-Mundhir
The text is occasionally referenced under alternate titles, including Maratib al-Ijma, simply al-Ijma (such as in biographical works on Maliki scholars), or al-Iqna ala Masail al-Ijma .
Standing and Editions
Scholars categorize al-Iqna fi Masail al-Ijma alongside Ibn al-Mundhir's al-Ijma and Ibn Hazm's Maratib al-Ijma as one of the specialized classical compilations exclusively dedicated to transmitting consensus in Islamic law .
The book has appeared in several academic editions:
- An edition prepared and analyzed by Faruq Hamadah, published by Dar al-Qalam (Damascus, 1424 AH / 2003 CE) .
- An edition based on a unique manuscript by Hasan Fawzi al-Sa'idi, published by Dar al-Faruq al-Hadithah (Cairo, 1424 AH / 2004 CE) .
- An unpublished master's thesis edition edited by Majid al-Faryan at the College of Sharia, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University .
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