al-Udhr bil-Jahl taht al-Mijhar al-Shari
- Author died
- 1435 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Kitab wa-al-Sunnah
al-Udhr bil-Jahl taht al-Mijhar al-Shari (The Excuse of Ignorance under the Legal Microscope) is a treatise on Islamic creed and jurisprudence by Midhat ibn al-Hasan Al Farraj (d. 1435 AH / 2013–2014 CE) that investigates the theological and legal ramifications of ignorance (al-udhr bi-l-jahl) regarding acts of polytheism (shirk) and nullifiers of Islam.
Publication and Structure
The book was published by Dar al-Kitab wa-al-Sunnah in Karachi, Pakistan, with its first edition appearing in 1414 AH (1993–1994 CE), accompanied by an introductory foreword by Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Jibreen.
The author organized the work into four main parts:
- Part One: Asserts that the designation and legal status of shirk apply to those who practice it even prior to the delivery of the prophetic message (al-hujjah al-risaliyyah) and in the presence of ignorance, holding that the proof against them is established through the primordial covenant (al-mithaq), intellect, and innate disposition (al-fitrah), while punitive torment in both abodes remains conditional upon the arrival of prophetic notification.
- Part Two: Examines the baseline definition of Islam required of every individual to transition outwardly from disbelief and polytheism into Islam, concluding with the parameters of faith (iman) and the doctrinal relationship between iman and islam.
- Part Three: Addresses the legal status of an individual who outwardly embraces Islam and then commits apostasy (riddah) or innovation (ibtida') as a result of ignorance, erroneous interpretation (ta'wil fasid), or mistake.
- Part Four: Addresses and refutes doubts and misconceptions surrounding the issue, while analyzing the positions of classical scholars, notably Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.
Reception and Critique
In his introductory foreword, Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Jibreen praised the work, noting that the author comprehensively gathered scriptural proofs and scholarly transmissions, clarified evidence, and addressed counterarguments raised by opposing viewpoints.
Conversely, the book was criticized by Abu Ishaq al-Huwayni, who asserted that it contradicts the stance of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-al-Jama'ah. Al-Huwayni faulted the author for a lack of fidelity in textual transmission, stating that he extracted passages from their original contexts in ways that altered their intended meanings, and concluded that the work is not an authoritative reference.
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