Sharh al-Maalim fi Usul al-Fiqh
- Author died
- 644 AH
- Editions
- ‘Ālam al-Kutub lil-Ṭibā‘ah wal-Nashr wal-Tawzī‘
Sharh al-Maalim fi Usul al-Fiqh (Commentary on "The Landmarks in Legal Theory") is a thirteenth-century commentary on Islamic jurisprudence written by the Egyptian Shafi'i jurist and legal theorist Ibn al-Tilimsani (567–644 AH / 1172–1246 CE) .
Base Text and Context
The work is an exposition of al-Maalim fi Usul al-Fiqh, a foundational treatise in legal theory authored by the prominent theologian and philosopher Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606 AH) . Al-Razi had authored two distinct concise works bearing the title al-Maalim: one dedicated to theology (usul al-din) and the other to legal theory (usul al-fiqh) . Ibn al-Tilimsani wrote commentaries on both texts .
Content and Method
The commentary unpacks al-Razi's condensed prose, explaining technical terms, detailing rational and scriptural proofs, and framing debates within the dialectical tradition (tariqat al-mutakallimin) of legal theory . Ibn al-Tilimsani, who taught extensively in Cairo, was recognized by later biographers such as Jamal al-Din al-Isnawi and Taj al-Din al-Subki for his mastery of jurisprudence, dialectical theology (kalam), and the two foundations (al-aslayn) . The text was transmitted and studied directly under the author by students such as the Andalusian grammarian and scholar Abu Jafar Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Fihri al-Labli .
Reception and Other Commentaries
Al-Razi's base text attracted widespread scholarly attention and multiple commentaries . Alongside Ibn al-Tilimsani's commentary, other notable expositions of al-Maalim fi Usul al-Fiqh include those by Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Urmawi, known as Ibn Qadi al-Askar (d. 757 AH), and Sharaf al-Din Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Munawi (d. 757 AH) .
The commentary has been published in a modern critical edition prepared by Adil Ahmad Abd al-Mawjud and Ali Muhammad Muawwad .
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