al-Kasb - bi Sharh al-Sarakhsi
- Author died
- 483 AH
- Editions
- t Zakkar
al-Kasb - bi Sharh al-Sarakhsi (The Book of Earning [of Livelihood] with the Commentary of al-Sarakhsi) is an early treatise on Islamic economic ethics, lawful livelihood, and financial jurisprudence authored by the Hanafi jurist Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani (131–189 AH / 749–805 CE) and commented upon and dictated by Shams al-A'imma al-Sarakhsi (d. 483 AH / 1090 CE) .
Background and Composition
The core text was transmitted from al-Shaybani by his student Muhammad ibn Sama'ah (d. 233 AH / 848 CE) . According to classical accounts, when people asked al-Shaybani to write a book on scrupulous piety (wara'), he responded, "I have authored a book on sales," meaning that wholesome earnings lead to righteous deeds . When they persisted in their request, he began composing Kitab al-Kasb, though reports indicate he died before bringing it to full completion .
Because prominent students of al-Shaybani, such as Abu Hafs al-Kabir and Abu Sulayman al-Jawzjani, did not directly hear the text from him, the work was classified outside the primary Zahir al-Riwayah corpus of the Hanafi school and was omitted by al-Hakim al-Shahid from his compendium al-Kafi . Centuries later, while dictating his monumental commentary al-Mabsut, al-Sarakhsi decided to append a full commentary on al-Shaybani's Kitab al-Kasb at the conclusion of his work . In doing so, al-Sarakhsi built upon oral explanations and traditions transmitted by his own teacher, Shams al-A'imma al-Halwani (d. 448 AH), adding legal reasoning (usul), rational proofs, and interpretive commentary .
Scope and Content
The work defines al-kasb (or al-iktisab) as the acquisition of wealth through legally permissible avenues . It systematically analyzes the legal status, ethical dimensions, and social necessity of labor and financial gain :
- Legal rulings on earning: Seeking a minimal livelihood sufficient to sustain oneself, support one's dependents, and settle debts is classified as an individual religious obligation (fard 'ayn), because fulfilling mandatory acts of worship and duty is impossible without physical sustenance . Earning beyond this amount to assist the needy or support relatives is recommended (mustahabb), and earning for reasonable comfort and beautification is permissible (mubah), whereas accumulating wealth out of pride, ostentation, or arrogance is strictly prohibited (haram) .
- Avenues of earning: The text delineates four primary lawful means of earning: hired labor (ijarah), commerce (tijarah), agriculture (zira'ah), and crafts or industry (sina'ah), holding that all four are fundamentally equal in their baseline permissibility according to the majority of jurists .
- Debate over the most virtuous occupation: The commentary reviews differences among scholars regarding which trade is superior, highlighting arguments favoring agriculture due to its universal benefit to humans, animals, and birds, alongside arguments favoring commerce or manual craftsmanship .
- Labor and reliance on God: The book refutes the notion that engaging in worldly labor contradicts reliance on God (tawakkul), demonstrating that all prophets practiced manual labor and trades to earn their food .
- Social solidarity and mutual aid: The author underscores that diverse professions—from weaving garments to crafting water jugs—constitute essential forms of mutual cooperation (ta'awun) that facilitate religious duties such as prayer and ritual purity .
Abridgments and Editions
An early abridgment of the work was made by Muhammad ibn Sama'ah under the title al-Iktisab fi al-Rizq al-Mustatab . In modern scholarship, Kitab al-Kasb with al-Sarakhsi's commentary has been published as part of the concluding volume of al-Sarakhsi's al-Mabsut and also issued as an independent monograph, including editions prepared by Suhayl Zakkar (Damascus, 1400 AH / 1980 CE) and Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah .
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