al-Tarifat al-Fiqhiyya
- Author died
- 1395 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmīyah
al-Tarifat al-Fiqhiyya (The Jurisprudential Definitions) is a specialized dictionary of Islamic legal and theoretical terminology compiled by the scholar and mufti Muhammad Amim al-Ihsan al-Barkati (d. 1395 AH / 1975 CE) .
Purpose and Scope
The author compiled the work as a reference dictionary (muʿjam) to explain the conventional terminology employed by jurists (fuqaha) and legal theorists (usuliyyun) . In his introduction, al-Barkati states that its aim is to clarify complex vocabulary and technical terms commonly encountered in classical scholarly works, drawing directly from authoritative texts .
In addition to core legal terms, transactional concepts, and substantive rulings (such as contracts, options, judicial claims, and territorial categories like dar al-Islam and dar al-harb), the work defines relevant theological, linguistic, and eschatological terms encountered in legal literature .
Structure and Method
The dictionary is organized in alphabetical order (al-huruf al-hijaiyya) to facilitate ease of use for students and researchers . For individual entries, the author frequently notes linguistic meanings alongside their specific technical definitions (istilah) in Islamic jurisprudence .
In presenting these definitions, al-Barkati cites classical authorities and prominent legal references, including al-Raghib al-Isfahani, al-Sharif al-Jurjani's al-Taʿrifat, Ibn Nujaym's al-Ashbah wa-l-Naza'ir, as well as standard Hanafi commentaries such as al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Radd al-Muhtar, al-Nahr al-Fa'iq, and Sharh al-Wiqaya .
Publication History
The work was originally published as the fourth treatise (al-risala al-rabiʿa) within al-Barkati's larger compendium Qawaʿid al-Fiqh (The Rules of Jurisprudence), issued by al-Sadaf Publishers in Karachi, Pakistan in 1407 AH / 1986 CE . It was subsequently re-typeset and published as an independent, single-volume book by Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya in Beirut in 1424 AH / 2003 CE .
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