Qatf al-Jani al-Dani Sharh Muqaddimat Risalat Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani
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Qatf al-Jani al-Dani Sharh Muqaddimat Risalat Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani (Arabic: قطف الجنى الداني شرح مقدمة رسالة ابن أبي زيد القيرواني, lit. 'Plucking the Accessible Near Fruit: Commentary on the Introduction of Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani's Treatise') is a theological commentary by the Saudi scholar Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbad (Abd al-Muhsin ibn Hamad al-Abbad al-Badr) on the creedal opening of al-Risalah by Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani (d. 386 AH / 996 CE) .
Background and Purpose
Ibn Abi Zayd originally opened his classic manual of Maliki jurisprudence with a concise chapter on creed titled Bab ma tantaqu bihi al-alsinah wa-ta'taqiduhu al-af'idah min wajib umur al-diyanat ("Chapter on What Tongues Must Utter and Hearts Must Believe Concerning Essential Religious Matters") . Al-Abbad noted that combining primary creedal foundations (al-fiqh al-akbar) and derived legal rulings (furu') within a single pedagogical work was a rare and commendable approach among classical authors, as it provided legal practitioners with a firm grounding in traditional creed .
Al-Abbad authored his commentary to further elucidate the meanings of this introductory chapter, clarify its phrasing, and articulate the theological method of the early generations (salaf) . In contrast to speculative theology (ilm al-kalam)—exemplified by negative dialectical formulas such as those in al-Aqa'id al-Nasafiyyah—al-Abbad emphasizes that Ibn Abi Zayd's formulation relies directly on Quranic statements and prophetic traditions .
Structure and Content
The work opens with introductory material before presenting the commentary on the text itself:
- Biographical Sketch: A concise biography of the Maliki jurist Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani, citing biographical assessments by scholars such as al-Qabisi, Ibn Farhun, and al-Dhahabi .
- Introductory Principles: A preface consisting of ten foundational points (fawa'id) on the creed of the Salaf, beginning with adherence to the Quran and Sunnah according to the understanding of the Prophet's Companions .
- Versification: The inclusion of a poetic versification of Ibn Abi Zayd's creedal introduction composed by the Maliki scholar Ahmad ibn Musharraf al-Ahsa'i (d. 1285 AH / 1868 CE), transcribed alongside the original prose before the commentary .
- Main Commentary: Detailed explanations of the creedal topics outlined in the original treatise . These encompass the affirmation of God's oneness, names, and attributes without similitude (tashbih) or negation (ta'til); the divine decree (qadar); the nature of faith (iman) as consisting of speech, conviction, and deeds, increasing and decreasing; eschatological realities, including the Prophet's Basin (hawd), the trials and bliss/punishment of the grave, and intercession; the merits and order of excellence among the Rightly Guided Caliphs and Companions; obedience to Muslim leaders and scholars; and the prohibition of theological disputation (mira' and jadal) in religion .
Publication
The book was published in a single volume by Dar al-Fadilah in Riyadh, with its first edition appearing in 1423 AH (2002 CE) .
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