Sharh al-Mutamad fi Usul al-Fiqh
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- Sharh al-Mutamad fi Usul al-Fiqh
Sharh al-Mutamad fi Usul al-Fiqh (Commentary on the Relied-Upon Text in Legal Theory) is a concise commentary by Muhammad al-Habash on his own didactic poem, Manzumat al-Mutamad fi Usul al-Fiqh, dealing with the principles of Islamic jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh) .
Composition and Purpose
Al-Habash composed the original didactic poem in 1983 CE (at the beginning of the fifteenth Hijri century) during his student days at the al-Zahra Mosque in the Mazzeh district of Damascus . He versified the contents and arrangement of Usul al-Fiqh al-Islami, a textbook authored by his professor Dr. Muhammad al-Zuhayli for students at the Faculty of Sharia at Damascus University . The poem is titled al-Mutamad because it compiles the standard, relied-upon positions of the juristic imams without addressing dissenting views or polemics, intending to firmly establish foundational rules for beginning students .
After students of knowledge began memorizing the poem, Dr. Muhammad al-Zuhayli suggested that al-Habash publish it alongside an explanatory commentary . Al-Habash prepared the commentary with the specific aim of clarifying and unraveling the phrasing of the poetic text in an accessible manner, directing readers seeking extensive debate and elaboration to comprehensive reference works .
Structure and Content
The work includes the following components:
- Prefaces: A general introduction on the nature and history of usul al-fiqh written by Dr. Muhammad al-Zuhayli, followed by an introductory essay by al-Habash on the methodology and cognitive benefits of didactic poems (al-ta'lim bi-l-manzumat) in Islamic education .
- The Core Commentary: A line-by-line explanation of the poem's topics, covering the definition and subject matter of legal theory, textual sources (al-masadir), legal objectives (al-maqasid), linguistic indications (al-dalalat), legal rulings, conflicts of evidence and preference (al-ta'arud wa-l-tarjih), and the rules of ijtihad .
- Appended Poem: The complete text of the 644-verse poem, composed in the rajaz meter, is provided at the end of the book to facilitate student memorization . In its closing lines, the author offers dedication and gratitude to his mentor, Grand Mufti Ahmad Kuftaro .
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