al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab
- Author died
- 1298 AH
- Editions
- al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah
Al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab ("The Essence in Explaining the Book") is a commentary on Hanafi jurisprudence by the Damascene jurist Abd al-Ghani al-Ghunaymi al-Maydani (1222–1298 AH / 1807–1881 CE). It serves as an elucidation of al-Mukhtasar, the foundational legal manual widely known as al-Kitab by Abu al-Husayn Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Quduri (362–428 AH / 972–1037 CE).
Content and Method
The work covers the substantive branches of Islamic law (furu' al-fiqh) across the chapters established in classical Hanafi manuals. It begins with the Book of Purification (Kitab al-Taharah), explaining the linguistic and legal definitions of purity, distinguishing between minor and major ritual impurities and dry ablution (tayammum), and detailing the mandatory (fard) and recommended (sunnah) elements of ritual acts with their textual proofs.
In composing his commentary, al-Maydani systematically unpacks al-Quduri's concise prose, defines legal and linguistic terminology, and clarifies the reasoning and conditions behind individual rulings. He frequently draws upon and cites authoritative Hanafi reference works, including al-Hidayah, Fath al-Qadir, al-Jawharah al-Nayyirah, al-Muhit, al-Tuhfah, and Qasim ibn Qutlubugha's al-Tashih wa-al-Tarjih.
Reception and Publication
Al-Lubab was received with broad acclaim among scholars of the Hanafi school as one of the clearest, most accessible, and most reliably transmitted commentaries on Mukhtasar al-Quduri. Owing to its pedagogical clarity, the administration of al-Azhar Mosque adopted it as an instructional text for students in its curriculum.
The work has been published in four volumes, including an edition verified and annotated by Mahmud Amin al-Nawawi.
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