Raf al-Hajib an Mukhtasar Ibn al-Hajib
- Author died
- 771 AH
- Editions
- ‘Ālam al-Kutub
Raf al-Hajib an Mukhtasar Ibn al-Hajib (Lifting the Veil from the Abridgment of Ibn al-Hajib) is a major commentary on legal theory (usul al-fiqh) written by the Shafi'i jurist Taj al-Din al-Subki (d. 771 AH / 1370 CE) . It serves as an exposition of Mukhtasar al-Muntaha (commonly known as Mukhtasar Ibn al-Hajib), the foundational abridgment of legal theory composed by the Maliki scholar Ibn al-Hajib (d. 646 AH / 1249 CE) from his earlier work Muntaha al-Sul wa-l-Amal fi Ilmay al-Usul wa-l-Jadal .
Background and Composition
Taj al-Din al-Subki completed the composition of the commentary in 759 AH (1358 CE) . He had previously expressed his intention to author a comprehensive commentary on Ibn al-Hajib's Mukhtasar at the conclusion of his earlier work on legal theory, al-Ibhaj fi Sharh al-Minhaj, which he finished in 752 AH .
His father, Taqi al-Din al-Subki (d. 756 AH / 1355 CE), had initially begun a commentary on the same text, writing approximately one fascicle (kurrasah) under the title Raf al-Hajib an Mukhtasar Ibn al-Hajib before leaving it unfinished . Taj al-Din adopted the same title for his own completed commentary in order to seek blessing through his father's endeavor . In addition to an extensive, earlier collection of notes and glosses that Taj al-Din had compiled on the text titled al-Taliqah, Raf al-Hajib was designed as a direct and systematic commentary covering the entire Mukhtasar while presenting his own analytical deductions and critical selections .
Method and Content
The work provides a thorough explanation of the principles, linguistic premises, textual evidences, and mechanisms of ijtihad and legal preference detailed in Ibn al-Hajib's manual . A distinguishing feature of the commentary is Taj al-Din al-Subki's reliance on an autograph manuscript written in Ibn al-Hajib's own hand . This allowed him to establish the author's exact phrasing, correct corruptions, and evaluate textual variants found across circulating copies of the base text . Throughout the commentary, al-Subki also cross-references his other writings in legal theory and incorporates independent theoretical inquiries .
Reception
Raf al-Hajib was widely utilized by scholars of legal theory as an authoritative commentary on Ibn al-Hajib's text . The contemporary Hanbali jurist Ibn Qadi al-Jabal composed poetic verses praising the commentary, commending its eloquence, analytical rigor, and the breadth of its author's scholarship .
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