Mukhtasar Kitab al-I'tisam
- Author died
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- Editions
- Dar al-Hijrah lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzi'
Mukhtasar Kitab al-I'tisam (مختصر كتاب الاعتصام, lit. 'Abridgment of the Book of Holding Fast') is an abridgment by Alawi al-Saqqaf (Alawi ibn Abd al-Qadir al-Saqqaf) of the foundational treatise on religious innovation (bid'ah), Kitab al-I'tisam, by the Andalusian Maliki jurist and legal theorist Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi (d. 790 AH / 1388 CE).
Background and Purpose
In his introduction, al-Saqqaf observes that al-Shatibi's al-I'tisam is among the most comprehensive works defining religious innovation, censuring it, classifying its categories and legal rulings, and distinguishing it from considerations of public interest (al-masalih al-mursalah). While acknowledging that Ibn Taymiyyah had addressed these issues with profound insight, al-Saqqaf notes that Ibn Taymiyyah's discussions were dispersed throughout various treatises and legal rulings rather than gathered in a single volume.
Al-Saqqaf undertook the abridgment because al-Shatibi's original text contained extensive digressions, lengthy citations of both authentic and weak narrations, numerous historical accounts, and intricate hypothetical sub-issues that could distract modern readers. His aim was to condense the book to roughly one-quarter of its original size while preserving its foundational arguments and conceptual integrity.
Methodology and Structure
Al-Saqqaf based his abridgment primarily on the first printed edition of al-I'tisam, edited by Muhammad Rashid Rida (published in 1332 AH), and collated it against a 265-folio Maghrebi manuscript obtained from Umm al-Qura University (originally photographed from the library of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina). When textual differences arose, he selected the wording best suited to the context and enclosed occasional editorial adjustments in brackets.
Unlike earlier abridgments—such as Abu Abd al-Fattah Muhammad al-Sa'id al-Jaza'iri's Badr al-Tamam, which omitted several entire sections and chapters—al-Saqqaf maintained all original major divisions and chapters of al-Shatibi's text. His editorial work included:
- Preserving al-Shatibi's original phrasing without adding personal commentary into the core text, except for minor transitional words.
- Adopting chapter headings from the Maghrebi manuscript and supplying additional headings where needed.
- Referencing Quranic verses by chapter and verse number.
- Documenting and providing concise authenticity assessments for hadiths and historical reports not found in Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim.
- Adding brief footnotes to clarify difficult terminology.
- Compiling indices for Quranic passages, hadiths, historical reports, and detailed subjects.
Composition and Publication
Al-Saqqaf completed the abridgment in Mecca during Ramadan 1417 AH (January/February 1997 CE). The first edition was published in a single volume by Dar al-Hijrah in 1418 AH / 1997 CE. Al-Saqqaf completed a revision for the second edition in Rabi' al-Awwal 1422 AH (June 2001 CE).
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