Sharh al-Risala
- Author died
- 422 AH
- Editions
- Dār Ibn Ḥazm
Sharh al-Risala (Arabic: شرح الرسالة, also titled al-Ma'rifa fi Sharh al-Risala) is a detailed commentary by the Maliki jurist al-Qadi Abd al-Wahhab (362–422 AH / 973–1031 CE) on al-Risala, the foundational legal compendium by Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani (d. 386 AH) .
Composition and Characteristics
Sharh al-Risala is reported to be the earliest commentary composed on Ibn Abi Zayd's work . Al-Qadi Abd al-Wahhab adopted an expansive, exhaustive approach (al-ishab wa-l-itnab) spanning approximately one thousand folios, and the first complete copy was sold for one hundred gold mithqals . In the text, the commentator refers to Ibn Abi Zayd simply by his kunya, "Abu Muhammad" .
Methodologically, the commentary served as a bridge between the Iraqi school of Maliki jurisprudence—known for its dialectical argumentation, systematic rationalization, and engagement with disputed questions (masa'il al-khilaf)—and the substantive legal tradition of Qayrawan . The text elaborates evidentiary proofs, explores divergent transmissions and legal opinions, and unpacks numerous subsidiary rulings .
Relationship to Other Works
Owing to the exhaustive depth of Sharh al-Risala and al-Qadi Abd al-Wahhab's commentary on Ibn Abi Zayd's Mukhtasar al-Mudawwana (titled al-Mumahhad), beginner students found their extensive arguments and legal variations difficult to memorize and retain . In response to a student's request for a concise manual limited to primary rulings, al-Qadi Abd al-Wahhab authored al-Ma'una, intending it partly as an accessible gateway to Sharh al-Risala and al-Mumahhad .
Later bibliographical sources occasionally conflated the two works under the hybrid title al-Ma'una fi Sharh al-Risala, though they remain distinct compositions .
Modern Editions
The theological portion commenting on the creedal introduction of al-Risala (Sharh al-Muqaddima) was edited by Muhammad Nur Sayf and published by Dar al-Buhuth li-l-Dirasat al-Islamiyya wa-Ihya' al-Turath in the United Arab Emirates .
Answer updated