Nihayat al-Wusul fi Dirayat al-Usul
- Author died
- 715 AH
- Editions
- Al-Maktabah al-Tijāriyyah
Nihayat al-Wusul fi Dirayat al-Usul (The Ultimate Attainment in the Comprehension of Legal Theory) is an extensive work on Islamic legal theory (usul al-fiqh) by the Shafi'i jurist and Ash'ari theologian al-Safi al-Hindi (644–715 AH / 1246–1315 CE) .
Background and Composition
The author, Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahim (also recorded as Abd al-Rahman) al-Armawi al-Hindi, was an Indian-born scholar who traveled through Yemen, Egypt, and Anatolia before settling in Damascus . While in Konya, he studied under Siraj al-Din al-Urmawi (d. 682 AH / 1283 CE), from whom he received training in the theoretical tradition of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606 AH / 1210 CE) .
The work is also cited in bibliographical sources under the alternate title Nihayat al-Wusul ila 'Ilm al-Usul . Historical records place its composition around 704 AH, with early manuscript copies recorded in Istanbul collections dating between 697 AH and 709 AH . Al-Safi al-Hindi's legal-theoretical output functioned as an expansive exposition closely tied to al-Razi's al-Mahsul .
Influence and Reception
The book became an authoritative reference for subsequent generations of legal theorists, particularly within the Shafi'i school:
- Taj al-Din al-Subki (d. 771 AH / 1370 CE) drew extensively upon it when compiling al-Ibhaj fi Sharh al-Minhaj, borrowing substantial portions of text both verbatim and by paraphrase, with dozens of explicit citations across sections such as analogical reasoning (qiyas) . Subki praised the work as exceptionally well crafted .
- Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shawkani (d. 1250 AH / 1834 CE) utilized it frequently as a principal source for citations and opinions in his treatise Irshad al-Fuhul .
Manuscripts and Editions
Manuscripts of the text are preserved in multiple repositories, including the Ahmet III collection (MS 1240) in Istanbul, the Taymuriyya collection (MS 57 usul), and the Egyptian National Library (Dar al-Kutub, MS 162 usul) in Cairo .
The work was critically edited by Salih ibn Sulayman al-Yusuf and Sa'd ibn Salim al-Suwayyih, originating as two doctoral dissertations submitted to Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh . It was first published in Mecca by al-Maktaba al-Tijariyya in 1416 AH / 1996 CE, followed by a second edition issued by Maktabat Nizar Mustafa al-Baz in 1419 AH / 1999 CE .
Answer updated