Fiqh al-Ibadat ala al-Madhhab al-Hanbali
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- Fiqh al-Ibadat ala al-Madhhab al-Hanbali
Fiqh al-Ibadat ala al-Madhhab al-Hanbali (Jurisprudence of Acts of Worship According to the Hanbali School) is a contemporary manual of Islamic jurisprudence by Suad Zarzur, designed as a simplified textbook covering the rulings of ritual worship according to the Hanbali school .
Background and Purpose
Zarzur prepared the work after observing a widespread need for an accessible textbook on Hanbali jurisprudence across various Arab and Islamic regions, noting that the school serves as the prevalent legal tradition in the Hejaz and the entire Arabian Gulf, with substantial followings in Syria and Iraq . The book was aimed at providing students and general readers with a clear presentation of the practical legal rulings necessary for correctly performing acts of worship .
Sources and Methodology
The primary material for the book was compiled from what the author received directly from her teacher, Sheikh Ahmad al-Shami, the mufti and scholar of Douma . Zarzur supplemented these teachings by consulting well-known reference manuals of Hanbali jurisprudence . She subsequently submitted the compiled manuscript back to Sheikh al-Shami, incorporating his remarks into the final revision prior to publication .
Methodologically, the author provides textual evidence for the legal rulings, documenting Quranic verses and hadith citations directly to their original sources in the Quran and canonical hadith collections .
Contents and Reception
The book opens with an introductory biography of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (164–241 AH), detailing his lineage, upbringing, search for knowledge under figures such as Abu Yusuf and Hushaym ibn Bashir, scholarly journeys, and adherence to prophetic traditions . The legal exposition begins with the chapter on purification (Kitab al-Taharah), defining ritual purity, its types—purification from ritual impurity (hadath) and physical defilement (khabath)—and the rulings governing waters .
In a foreword dated 5 Ramadan 1405 AH (24 May 1985 CE), Sheikh Ahmad ibn Salih al-Shami praised the work for its systematic arrangement and clarity, commending the author for presenting legal issues alongside their textual evidences from the Quran, Sunnah, and the consensus and juristic opinions of Hanbali authorities .
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