al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Tanqih al-Fatawa al-Hamidiyya

al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Tanqih al-Fatawa al-Hamidiyya (The Luminous Necklaces in the Refinement of the Hamidiyyan Fatwas) is a comprehensive reference work of Hanafi jurisprudence by the Damascene jurist Ibn Abidin (1198–1252 AH / 1784–1836 CE) al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ta…+1. It constitutes an extensive reorganization, critical refinement, and expansion of the legal responsa collection (al-Fatawa al-Hamidiyya) of the Damascene mufti Hamid ibn Ali al-Imadi (1103–1171 AH / 1692–1758 CE) al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ta…+1.

Origin and Purpose

The foundational text of the work consisted of the legal rulings issued by Hamid al-Imadi during his tenure as the Hanafi mufti of Damascus al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ta…+1. Al-Imadi's fatwas, originally collected in his lifetime in two large volumes, covered eighteen years of his muftiship between 1137 AH and 1155 AH al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ta…+1.

When Ibn Abidin assumed the responsibility of issuing legal verdicts, he regarded al-Imadi's collection as one of the most dependable and beneficial resources to consult, praising al-Imadi's vast erudition, his meticulous transmission of the relied-upon positions of later authoritative scholars, and his treatment of contemporary legal cases al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ta…. However, Ibn Abidin noted that al-Imadi had not organized the responsa according to the standard thematic sequence of legal treatises, had not eliminated redundant or commonly known issues, and frequently cited a ruling in one chapter while placing its corresponding supporting evidence elsewhere al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ta…. Prompted by an esteemed patron whose request he could not decline, Ibn Abidin undertook a thorough revision and refinement of the entire corpus al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ta….

Structure and Methodology

Ibn Abidin structured the book following the traditional thematic chapters of Islamic substantive law (kutub wa-abwab al-fiqh) al-Durar al-Bahiyya min a…+1. He opened the text with introductory guidance regarding the proper conduct, ethics, and conventions of the jurisconsult (adab al-mufti), followed by the standard legal chapters beginning with ritual purity (Kitab al-Tahara) and proceeding through civil, financial, personal, and procedural law al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ta…+1.

In refining the original material, Ibn Abidin applied a distinct editorial and analytical method:

• Reordered scattered entries, placed related legal questions together, and paired rulings directly with their appropriate source transmissions al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ta…+1.
• Excised redundant and trivial passages while adding necessary qualifications (taqyidat), critical rectifications (istidrakat), and corroborative proofs al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ta…+1.
• Incorporated insights and verifications from his own major legal works, including his gloss on al-Bahr al-Ra'iq titled Minhat al-Khaliq ala al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, his magnum opus Radd al-Muhtar ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar, and his specialized legal treatises (rasa'il) on complex legal problems al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ta….
• Maintained a strict stylistic distinction throughout the text by prefixing al-Imadi's original responsa with «قال المؤلف» (the author said) and his own commentary, additions, and corrections with «أقول» (I say) al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ta….

Editions

The work was printed in two volumes at the Bulaq Press in Cairo in 1300 AH, edited by Muhammad al-Husayni, featuring on its margins the collection al-Fatawa al-Khayriyya by Khayr al-Din al-Ramli Mujam al-Matbuat al-Arabi…+1. It was subsequently reprinted at al-Matba'a al-Maymaniyya in 1310 AH Mujam al-Matbuat al-Arabi….