Ma al-Ithna Ashariyya fi al-Usul wa al-Furu
- Author died
- 1445 AH
- Editions
- Dar Al-Fadilah
Ma al-Ithna Ashariyya fi al-Usul wa al-Furu (With the Twelvers in Fundamentals and Branches) is an encyclopedic comparative work by the Egyptian scholar Ali al-Salus (d. 1445 AH / 2023 CE), examining Twelver Shi'i theology, Quranic exegesis, Hadith, legal theory, and jurisprudence in light of Sunni sources .
Background and Composition
The author began studying Twelver Shi'i literature and contacting Shi'i scholars following his graduation from the Faculty of Dar al-Ulum in 1376 AH (1957 CE) . He was encouraged by his teacher, Muhammad al-Madani, a leading member of the rapprochement society between Islamic schools (Dar al-Taqrib bayna al-Madhahib) in Cairo, who advocated treating the Ja'fari tradition as a fifth school of law . Al-Salus prepared his Master's thesis on points of divergence between Imami jurisprudence and the four Sunni schools, followed by a doctoral dissertation titled Athar al-Imama fi al-Fiqh al-Ja'fari wa Usulih (The Impact of the Imamah on Ja'fari Jurisprudence and Its Principles) after concluding that the doctrine of Imamah fundamentally altered legal sources and branches .
Al-Salus subsequently published independent studies on the topic, including a work on the doctrine of Imamah, a comparative study on exegesis completed in 1409 AH (1989 CE), and al-Muraja'at al-Muftarat 'ala Shaykh al-Azhar al-Bishri, which refuted Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din al-Musawi's al-Muraja'at . Following these publications, he consolidated his research into a unified four-part encyclopedia .
Structure and Scope
The encyclopedia is arranged into four major parts, each introduced by a dedicated preface :
- Part One (Creed): Examines Twelver theology, focusing primarily on the doctrine of Imamah, assessing its scriptural arguments, and evaluating its central theological tenets .
- Part Two (Quranic Exegesis): Treats comparative tafsir and its principles, dividing the material into Sunni exegesis and Twelver exegesis while surveying classical exegetical texts and figures .
- Part Three (Hadith Sciences): Analyzes the Hadith traditions, biographical evaluation (rijal), and canonical collections of the Twelvers, supplemented by a separate treatise titled al-Sunna Bayan Allah Ta'ala 'ala Lisan al-Rasul ﷺ (The Sunnah as God's Exposition on the Tongue of His Messenger) .
- Part Four (Legal Theory and Substantive Law): Investigates legal theory across the four sources recognized in Twelver thought (the Quran, Sunnah, consensus, and intellect), followed by two divisions analyzing specific legal rulings influenced directly by the belief in Imamah, and concludes with a general summary of the entire work .
Method and Publication
Al-Salus targeted the work primarily at Sunni Muslims and advocates of sectarian rapprochement, arguing that genuine evaluation of unity initiatives requires clear recognition of fundamental theological and legal divides . Methodologically, he established his critiques through direct citations from authoritative Twelver Shi'i source texts rather than secondary Sunni polemics .
The work was issued jointly by Dar al-Fadila in Riyadh, Dar al-Thaqafa in Qatar, and Maktabat Dar al-Quran in Egypt, appearing in a single consolidated volume across several printings, including a seventh edition in 1424 AH (2003 CE) .
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