Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim al-Akhlaq al-Mashrua

Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim al-Akhlaq al-Mashru'a (Chapters on Etiquette and Legitimate Noble Character Traits) is a treatise on Islamic manners, legal etiquette, and personal ethics by the Hanbali jurist Abu al-Wafa Ibn Aqil (431–513 AH / 1039–1119 CE) Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim …+1.

Overview and Composition

The work belongs to the genre of Hanbali legal literature devoted to adab (etiquette) and virtuous conduct al-Madkhal al-Mufassal il…. The author introduces the text as a brief selection of chapters addressing lawful manners and noble qualities Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim …+1. Scholars cataloging Hanbali works, such as Bakr Abu Zayd, listed it among the foundational texts on Islamic manners in the school al-Madkhal al-Mufassal il…. Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Turki noted that the text may possibly constitute a section extracted from Ibn Aqil's larger legal compendium, al-Fusul (also known as Kifayat al-Mufti) al-Madhhab al-Hanbali Dir…+1.

Structure and Content

The treatise is organized into brief thematic sections, each introduced under the heading fasl (chapter), outlining legal rulings and recommendations based on the Quran, prophetic traditions, and reports from Ahmad ibn Hanbal Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim …+1. The book addresses practical matters of daily social and personal life, concluding with general advice and the expiation supplication of gatherings (kaffarat al-majlis) Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim ….

Among the topics covered are:

• Social interactions and greetings: The etiquette and formula of giving the salam, handshakes, embracing, kissing the hand or head of religious scholars and elders, standing for just rulers, parents, and scholars, and the prohibition of eavesdropping or arrogance in walking Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim …+1.
• Physical hygiene and natural disposition: The ten acts of fitrah, trimming mustaches, leaving beards, the dislike of plucking gray hairs, and seeking permission three times before entering homes Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim ….
• Eating, drinking, and hospitality: Beginning meals with the basmalah and concluding with praise, eating with the right hand from the side of the dish, rules regarding invitations to wedding banquets (walimah) versus circumcision feasts, visiting the sick, and attending funerals Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim …+1.
• Speech and ethics: The prohibition of backbiting (ghibah), cases where speaking about an open transgressor is permissible for counsel and warning, and the virtue of guarding one's tongue and engaging in beneficial speech such as Quranic recitation and teaching Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim …+1.
• Dress, adornment, and modesty: The prohibition of silk and gold for men, dyeing hair with henna and katam, entering public baths (hammam), wearing rings, and prohibitions on seclusion with non-mahram women Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim ….
• Medical care and treatment of animals: Medical treatment by cupping, cautery, and remedies, the rules regarding house snakes, and prohibitions against killing ants or frogs and castrating or improperly branding livestock Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim ….
• Mosque decorum and filial piety: Avoiding grooming and commercial crafts inside mosques, the obligation of honoring parents, and proper seating postures Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim ….

Manuscripts, Editions, and Commentaries

A manuscript portion of the work is preserved in the Laleli Library in Turkey al-Madkhal al-Mufassal il…+1. The treatise was edited and published by Abd al-Salam ibn Salim al-Suhaymi, issued by Dar al-Bukhari in 1416 AH and later by Adwa al-Salaf Fusul al-Adab wa Makarim …+1.

The work has been the subject of commentary by contemporary scholars, including al-Lubab: Sharh Fusul al-Adab and its abridgment Lubb al-Lubab: Mukhtasar Sharh Fusul al-Adab by Abdullah ibn Mani' al-Rawqi al-Lubab "Sharh Fusul al-…+1.