Mawsuat al-Fiqh al-Islami - al-Tuwayjiri
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- Bayt al-Afkār al-Dawliyyah
Mawsuat al-Fiqh al-Islami (Encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence) is a comprehensive legal reference work compiled by the contemporary Saudi scholar Muhammad bin Ibrahim al-Tuwayjiri, presenting Islamic rulings across theology, worship, personal status, transactions, and judicial governance .
Purpose and Scope
Al-Tuwayjiri designed the work to provide a comprehensive exposition of Islamic teachings based strictly on scriptural evidence . Rather than confining the text to traditional legal sub-disciplines, the encyclopedia integrates jurisprudence with creed (aqidah), prophetic biography (sirah), ethics, and spiritual practices to present Islam as a unified way of life . The author noted that his objective was to bring Muslims together upon authentic textual evidence and facilitate access to clear legal rulings for scholars, students, callers to Islam, and lay readers alike .
Methodology and Sources
The scientific material in the encyclopedia is founded on the Quran and authentic Prophetic traditions interpreted according to the understanding of the righteous early generations (salaf al-ummah) . In compiling the legal issues, al-Tuwayjiri drew from primary hadith compendia, both extensive and abridged classical manuals of jurisprudence, and the legal responsa of past and contemporary scholars .
The work adopts several methodological guidelines:
- Evidence-Based Tarjih: The author selects the weightier opinion (al-rajih) supported by the strongest evidence, particularly examining the positions of the four canonical Sunni jurists: Abu Hanifa, Malik, al-Shafi'i, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal .
- Single-Opinion Format: To ensure clarity and avoid confusing readers with protracted juristic disputes, issues are presented upon a single preferred view (qawl wahid) substantiated by textual proofs .
- Quranic and Hadith Documentation: Quranic citations are referenced with the surah name and verse number . Hadiths are restricted to authentic (sahih) or acceptable (hasan) narrations; narrations in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are referenced by entry numbers, while traditions recorded in other sources—such as Musnad Ahmad, the four Sunan, Muwatta Malik, and Sunan al-Darimi—are cited and evaluated according to early and later hadith scholars .
Structure
The encyclopedia is arranged into twenty-two distinct thematic sections (kutub), sequenced progressively to guide the reader from core foundational principles to applied rulings :
- Kitab al-Tawhid (Monotheism)
- Kitab al-Iman (Faith)
- Kitab al-Ilm (Knowledge)
- Kitab al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (Prophetic Biography)
- Kitab al-Fada'il (Virtues)
- Kitab al-Adhkar (Remembrances)
- Kitab al-Ad'iyah (Supplications)
- Kitab al-Adab (Etiquette and Manners)
- Kitab al-Qawa'id al-Shar'iyyah (Legal Maxims and Principles)
- Kitab al-Ibadat (Acts of Worship)
- Kitab al-Mu'amalat (Financial and Civil Transactions)
- Kitab al-Nikah wa-Tawabi'ihi (Marriage and Related Domestic Rulings)
- Kitab al-At'imah wa-l-Ashribah (Foods and Drinks)
- Kitab al-Fara'id (Inheritance and Estates)
- Kitab Nawaqid al-Islam (Nullifiers of Islam)
- Kitab al-Kaba'ir (Major Sins)
- Kitab al-Qisas (Retribution and Homicide)
- Kitab al-Hudud (Prescribed Punishments)
- Kitab al-Qada' (Judiciary and Adjudication)
- Kitab al-Khilafah (Governance and the Caliphate)
- Kitab al-Da'wah ila Allah (Islamic Propagation)
- Kitab al-Jihad (Jihad and Warfare Rulings)
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