Sharh Mukhtasar Usul al-Fiqh lil-Jurai
- Author died
- 883 AH
- Editions
- Laṭāʾif li-Nashr al-Kutub wa-al-Rasāʾil al-ʿIlmiyyah
Sharh Mukhtasar Usul al-Fiqh (شرح مختصر أصول الفقه) is a commentary on Hanbali legal theory written by the jurist Taqi al-Din Abu Bakr ibn Zayd al-Jira'i (825–883 AH / 1422–1478 CE) . The book elucidates al-Mukhtasar fi Usul al-Fiqh, an instructional primer on principles of Islamic jurisprudence composed by the Damascene jurist Ala' al-Din Ibn al-Lahham (d. 803 AH / 1401 CE) .
Background and Base Text
The work is titled on manuscript covers as Sharh Mukhtasar Usul al-Fiqh and is also referred to as Sharh Mukhtasar Ibn al-Lahham . The base text by Ibn al-Lahham was an abridgment centered heavily around Usul al-Fiqh by Ibn Muflih (d. 763 AH / 1362 CE), incorporating supplementary material from works such as Mukhtasar al-Rawdah, Ibn al-Hajib, al-Musawwadah, and Jam' al-Jawami' .
In his introduction, al-Jira'i explains the purpose of his commentary, noting that he compiled concise statements from prominent scholars to elucidate Ibn al-Lahham's text in a clear manner without distorting its meaning .
Method and Content
Al-Jira'i structures his commentary around the sequence of Ibn al-Lahham's text, resolving concise phrases, clarifying legal terms, and analyzing underlying scholarly debates . Throughout the explanation, al-Jira'i frequently points out where Ibn al-Lahham followed or extracted phrasing directly from Ibn Muflih's Usul al-Fiqh . In his technical terminology, when al-Jira'i uses the unqualified designation "al-Shaykh" (الشيخ), he refers specifically to Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudamah .
Transmission and Editions
Manuscripts of the commentary are preserved in repositories including the manuscript collection at the Islamic University of Madinah and the Al-Azhar Library in Cairo . The text was edited in academic research projects, including a master's thesis submitted to the Islamic University of Madinah in 1408 AH by Abdulaziz Muhammad Isa Muzahim al-Qa'idi, and an edition was published by Dar Lata'if in Kuwait in 1433 AH / 2012 CE .
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