Minhat al-Suluk fi Sharh Tuhfat al-Muluk
- Author died
- 855 AH
- Editions
- Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs - Qatar
Minhat al-Suluk fi Sharh Tuhfat al-Muluk (The Gift of Conduct in Explaining the Masterpiece of Kings) is a commentary on Hanafi jurisprudence authored by Badr al-Din al-Ayni (762–855 AH / 1361–1451 CE) .
Context and Base Text
The work is an exposition of Tuhfat al-Muluk, an abridgment of legal rulings by Zayn al-Din Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Razi (d. after 666 AH / 1268 CE) . A variant attribution noted by Hajji Khalifa suggests that the primer was authored by Abu al-Makarim Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Taj al-Din Ibrahim al-Tuqati . The primer was widely memorized and taught among students of Hanafi jurisprudence . Al-Ayni structured his commentary around the words of the text (sharh bi-l-qawl) .
Structure and Scope
The commentary follows the arrangement of the base text, which encompasses ten subject divisions (kutub) :
- Purification (Taharah)
- Prayer (Salah)
- Almsgiving (Zakah)
- Pilgrimage (Hajj)
- Fasting (Sawm)
- Jihad (Jihad)
- Hunting (Sayd)
- Disapproved Practices (Karahiyah)
- Inheritance Shares (Fara'id)
- Earning and Etiquette (Kasb ma'a al-Adab)
Method
Al-Ayni's commentary unpacks the phraseology of the original primer, elaborates upon its individual legal cases, and provides rational and textual substantiations . The text cites and analyzes more than six hundred hadiths and non-prophetic traditions (athar) . In numerous chapters, al-Ayni contrasts Hanafi rulings with opinions from other Islamic legal schools .
Manuscripts and Editions
Manuscripts of Minhat al-Suluk are preserved in various libraries, including the Awqaf Library in Baghdad . A critical edition with an extensive supercommentary, titled Al-Masbuk 'ala Minhat al-Suluk fi Sharh Tuhfat al-Muluk, was prepared by 'Abd al-Muhsin al-Qasim and published in four volumes in Riyadh (1428 AH / 2007 CE), based on seven manuscript copies of al-Ayni's commentary and four manuscripts of al-Razi's base text .
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