Muntakhab al-Ahkam li-Ibn Abi Zamanin
- Author died
- 399 AH
- Editions
- al-Maktabah al-Makkīyah - Mu’assasat al-Rayyān
Muntakhab al-Ahkam (The Selected Judicial Rulings), also referred to as al-Muntakhab fi al-Ahkam, is a legal treatise on Maliki judicial rulings and court procedures compiled by the Andalusian Maliki jurist Ibn Abi Zamanin (324–399 AH / 936–1008 CE) .
Subject and Structure
The work gathers a comprehensive selection of legal and judicial issues extracted from the foundational source texts (al-ummahat) of the Maliki school . Ibn Abi Zamanin organized the material into ten books or parts (ajza'), structured across two volumes (sifrayn) .
The text addresses the practical jurisprudence of the judiciary (fiqh al-qada'), covering areas such as testimony (al-shahadah), judgment and adjudication (al-qada'), and pledging and collateral (al-irtihan), thereby reflecting broader social and economic aspects of society through applied legal rulings . It serves to highlight the foundational principles of Maliki judicial jurisprudence and preserves numerous legal responses and transmitted opinions of earlier Maliki jurists whose original works have otherwise been lost .
Reception and Transmission
The book achieved widespread fame, and its renown circulated across both the Islamic East and West . Its structural style established a recognized model for legal composition that found broad acceptance among jurists of the Maliki school .
The transmission of Muntakhab al-Ahkam was documented by Andalusian scholars such as Ibn Khayr al-Ishbili in his bibliographical catalog (Fahrasah), which records transmissions from the author through prominent students and scholars, including Abu Amr al-Dani, Abu Umar Ahmad ibn Muhammad Ibn al-Hadhdha', Abu al-Asi Hakam ibn Muhammad, Abu Ali al-Ghassani, and Yunus ibn Muhammad ibn Mughith .
Manuscripts and Editions
Manuscripts of Muntakhab al-Ahkam are preserved in several collections, including the General Library in Rabat (under manuscript numbers 1730 D and 424 Q), the Nasiriyya Zawiya in Tamgroute (number 177), the National Library of Algiers (number 1368), and the National Library of Tunis (number 4863) . The text has been edited by Abd Allah ibn Atiyya al-Ghamidi and published by al-Maktaba al-Makkiyya in 1419 AH .
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