al-Tayin fi Sharh al-Arbain
- Author died
- 716 AH
- Editions
- Mu’assasat al-Rayyān
al-Tayin fi Sharh al-Arbain (The Specification in the Commentary on the Forty) is a commentary on al-Nawawi’s celebrated collection of forty hadiths, authored by the Hanbali scholar Najm al-Din Sulayman ibn Abd al-Qawi al-Tufi (d. 716 AH / 1316 CE) . It is regarded as one of the early extensive commentaries written on the collection .
Composition and Context
Al-Tufi composed the work in a remarkably short span of sixteen days, beginning on 13 Rabi al-Thani 713 AH (September 1313 CE) and completing it on 28 Rabi al-Thani 713 AH . Despite its rapid composition, the book spans hundreds of pages and reflects his broad mastery of Islamic disciplines . Rather than heavily transcribing or relying on preceding compilations, al-Tufi relied substantially on his own analytical reasoning, intellect, and memory in constructing his explanations .
Method and Structure
Al-Tufi examines each narration in terms of its vocabulary and deeper legal and theological significances . His commentary is characterized by several core features:
- Legal Theory and Substantive Law: He systematically applies principles of legal theory (usul al-fiqh) to deduce both foundational rules and substantive rulings (furu), illustrating principles such as specifying the general, generalizing the specific, qualifying absolute texts, clarifying ambiguous expressions, and reconciling apparently conflicting texts between the Quran and the Sunnah .
- Universal Scope: He highlights the comprehensive character (jawami al-kalim) and overarching maxims (kulliyyat) embodied in the prophetic statements .
- Thematic Concordance: A distinctive hallmark of his arrangement is that at the end of each hadith commentary, he gathers and cites the various Quranic verses and supplementary hadiths that share the same theme or meaning .
Discourse on Public Interest (Maslahah)
A prominent section of the work is al-Tufi's extensive legal analysis under the thirty-second hadith ( لا ضرر ولا ضرار , "There should be neither harm nor reciprocating harm") . In this section, he articulated his distinctive theory prioritizing public interest (maslahah) in legal matters involving human transactions and customary dealings, which later became a major subject of scholarly discussion and controversy . In modern scholarship, this specific section was extracted and published independently by Dr. Mustafa Zayd in his study on al-Tufi and legal utility .
Reception and Publication
Later commentators drew upon al-Tufi's work; notably, the Shafi'i jurist Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Haytami frequently cited al-Tufi's explanations in his commentary al-Fath al-Mubin bi-Sharh al-Arbain, at times verbatim and at times by paraphrase, while referring to him anonymously with phrases such as "some of them said" (qala baduhum) and occasionally critiquing his positions .
A printed edition of the complete work was prepared by Ahmad Hajj Muhammad Uthman and published in 1419 AH / 1998 CE jointly by Muassasat al-Rayyan in Beirut and al-Maktabah al-Makkiyyah in Mecca .
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