al-Kashf al-Mubdi
- Author died
- 1355 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Faḍīlah
al-Kashf al-Mubdi (al-Kashf al-Mubdī li-Tamwīh Abī al-Ḥasan al-Subkī: Takmilat al-Ṣārim al-Munkī) is a theological treatise written by the Egyptian-born scholar Muhammad ibn Husayn al-Faqih (d. 1355 AH / 1936 CE) as a completion (takmila) to Ibn Abd al-Hadi's polemical work al-Sarim al-Munki .
Background and Composition
The book was conceived as a direct continuation of Ibn Abd al-Hadi's al-Sarim al-Munki fi al-Radd 'ala al-Subki, which had been written to refute Taqi al-Din al-Subki's Shifa' al-Siqam fi Ziyarat Khayr al-Anam regarding visiting graves (ziyarat al-qubur) and journeys undertaken for that purpose . Ibn Abd al-Hadi died before finishing his work, having reached only partway into al-Subki's ten-chapter treatise .
Al-Faqih noted that he initially encouraged fellow scholars to write a completion, but they declined due to the exacting standards of hadith criticism required and the difficulty of accessing the rare sources Ibn Abd al-Hadi had utilized . Consequently, al-Faqih undertook the task himself, reasoning that Ibn Abd al-Hadi had already dismantled al-Subki's primary foundation, leaving subsequent chapters as subsidiary arguments built upon invalid premises .
Themes and Methodology
In al-Kashf al-Mubdi, al-Faqih addresses the remaining chapters of al-Subki's work, including disputed theological and devotional topics such as intercession (shafa'ah), supplication, and seeking mediation (tawassul) .
Methodologically, the author emphasizes strict adherence to textual evidence from the Quran and authentic prophetic Sunnah over partisan allegiance to specific legal schools (madhahib) . He critiques scholastic theology (kalam) and speculative opinions, arguing that divergence among later jurists arose primarily from prioritizing personal reasoning over clear textual proofs .
Publication
The work was edited from manuscript form as part of master's theses by Salih ibn Ali al-Muhsin and Abu Bakr ibn Salim Shahhal and published in Riyadh by Dar al-Fadilah in 1422 AH / 2002 CE .
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