Ihkam al-Ahkam Sharh Umdat al-Ahkam
- Author died
- 702 AH
- Editions
- Dār 'Ālam al-Kutub
Ihkam al-Ahkam Sharh Umdat al-Ahkam (Precision in Judgments: Commentary on the Pillar of Rulings) is a classical legal commentary on hadith by the Shafi'i-Maliki scholar Ibn Daqiq al-Eid (625–702 AH / 1228–1302 CE) . The work serves as an analytical exposition of the hadith collection Umdat al-Ahkam, compiled by Abd al-Ghani al-Maqdisi (541–600 AH) .
Composition and Transmission
The book is an extensive commentary on the rulings-related hadiths gathered in al-Maqdisi's Umdat al-Ahkam, which predominantly brings together traditions agreed upon by Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari and Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj . The text originated from the dictations of Ibn Daqiq al-Eid to his student Imad al-Din Ismail ibn al-Athir (652–699 AH), who studied Umdat al-Ahkam under him and recorded the commentary under the title Ihkam al-Ahkam fi Sharh Ahadith Sayyid al-Anam .
Scope and Method
Ihkam al-Ahkam is widely recognized as one of the finest and most exacting commentaries written on Umdat al-Ahkam . Its methodology is characterized by meticulous legal and methodological analysis (tahqiqat usuliyyah), nuanced linguistic examination, and the rigorous deduction of jurisprudential rulings from prophetic reports . Ibn Daqiq al-Eid often engages in weighing divergent interpretations and evidential proofs (tarjih), while in cases where the conflicting evidences appear evenly matched, he suspends judgment (tawaqquf) . Later scholars frequently cited his hermeneutical distinctions and theoretical insights on principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh) .
Supercommentaries and Notable Editions
The book became the basis of further scholarly engagement, most notably by Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Amir al-San'ani (1099–1182 AH), who authored an extensive supercommentary (hashiyah) titled al-Uddah ala Ihkam al-Ahkam .
Ihkam al-Ahkam has appeared in multiple print editions:
- An edition printed in Delhi at al-Matba' al-Ansari in 1313 AH (in one volume) .
- A two-volume edition published in Egypt by Muhammad Munir al-Dimashqi in 1342 AH .
- A two-volume edition edited by Muhammad Hamid al-Fiqi and revised by Ahmad Muhammad Shakir, published in Cairo by Matba'at al-Sunnah al-Muhammadiyyah in 1372 AH / 1953 CE .
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