Khulasat al-Kalam Sharh Umdat al-Ahkam
- Author died
- 1376 AH
- Editions
- Khulasat al-Kalam Sharh Umdat al-Ahkam
Khulasat al-Kalam Sharh Umdat al-Ahkam (The Quintessence of Speech: Commentary on the Pillar of Rulings) is a concise commentary on the legal hadith collection Umdat al-Ahkam of Abd al-Ghani al-Maqdisi (541–600 AH), authored by the Hanbali jurist and judge Faisal Al Mubarak (1313–1376 AH / 1895–1957 CE; d. 1377 AH is also reported) .
Composition and Context
The book is an abridgment of the author's two earlier and more extensive works on Umdat al-Ahkam: his large multi-volume commentary titled Naq' al-Uwam bi-Sharh Ahadith Umdat al-Ahkam (comprising five parts in eleven volumes) and his intermediate commentary titled Aqwal al-Ulama al-A'lam 'ala Ahadith Umdat al-Ahkam (in two large volumes) . Al-Mubarak condensed the core legal derivations and explanations into this single-volume commentary, designed to offer accessible explanations of the prophetic traditions compiled by al-Maqdisi . A manuscript copy of the work is preserved at the King Fahd National Library in Riyadh as part of his compilation titled Zubdat al-Kalam .
Reception and Scholarly Standing
Upon receiving a copy of the commentary from the author, the scholar Abd al-Rahman al-Sa'di commended it in a personal letter, praising the author for the numerous benefits and meanings articulated in the text and encouraging the publication of works of similar utility . Contemporary scholars, including Abd al-Karim al-Khudayr, noted the commentary for its extreme brevity and simplicity, recommending it as an accessible entry point for students to grasp the legal import of Umdat al-Ahkam before progressing to more demanding, extensive classical commentaries such as Ibn Daqiq al-Id's Ihkam al-Ahkam .
Publication History
The work has been published in a single volume across multiple printings . Its second edition was published jointly by Maktabat al-Nahdah and al-Maktabah al-Ahliyyah in Riyadh, printed at the press of Sharikat al-Shamrali in Cairo in 1379 AH (1960 CE) . Subsequent editions were published by Maktabat al-Riyad in 1392 AH and 1400 AH, as well as by Maktabat al-Rushd in Riyadh .
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