Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiqh al-Islami

Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiqh al-Islami (Interpretation of Texts in Islamic Jurisprudence) is a two-volume contemporary work on Islamic legal theory (usul al-fiqh) by the Syrian scholar Muhammad Adib al-Salih (d. 1438 AH / 2017 CE), focusing on legal semantics, linguistic indications (dalalat al-alfaz), and rules of textual deduction Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …+1.

Composition and Context

The work originated as al-Salih's doctoral dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Law at Cairo University, where he was awarded his doctorate with first-class honors and an exchange recommendation with foreign universities Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiq…. The examination committee was chaired by the Egyptian jurist Muhammad Abu Zahra Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiq….

The work was first published by Damascus University in 1964 CE (1384 AH) al-Wajiz fi Usul al-Fiqh …+1. It was subsequently reissued in multiple editions by al-Maktab al-Islami in Beirut and Damascus, including a second edition, a third edition prepared in Riyadh in 1403 AH (1983 CE), and a fourth edition published in 1413 AH (1993 CE) Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiq…+1.

Structure and Content

The book is organized into an introductory part (al-bab al-tamhidi), two main divisions (qisman), four thematic parts (abwab), and a conclusion (khatima), published across two volumes Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiq…+1:

• Introductory Part: Covers textual interpretation in Islamic jurisprudence and modern positive law (al-qanun), addressing the concept of clarification (al-bayan) among legal theorists, the nature of textual interpretation, and legal schools of interpretation Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiq….
• Division One (Volume 1): Examines interpretive rules regarding textual clarity, ambiguity, and modes of legal indication Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiq….
  • Part One: Analyzes clarity and ambiguity (al-wuduh wa-al-ibham), contrasting the Hanafi and theological (al-mutakallimun) classifications of clear (al-wadih) and ambiguous (al-mubham) expressions, followed by a study of reinterpretation (al-ta'wil), its conditions, legal ramifications, and the Zahiri stance Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiq…+1.
  • Part Two: Details modes of linguistic indication (turuq al-dalalat), comparing the Hanafi method ('ibarat al-nass, isharat al-nass, dalalat al-nass, and dalalat al-iqtida') with the mutakallimun framework of explicit (al-mantuq) and implicit (al-mafhum) meanings, along with civil law stances on implicit meanings Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiq…+1.
• Division Two (Volume 2): Focuses on interpretive rules regarding the comprehensiveness of textual scope Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiq…+1.
  • Part One: Addresses general (al-'amm) and polysemous/homonymous (al-mushtarak) expressions, discussing debates over general phrasing, its legal force (definitive vs. probabilistic), and conflicting school stances such as those of the waqifiyyah Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiq…+1.
  • Part Two: Treats particular expressions (al-khas), including absolute and qualified terms (al-mutlaq wa-al-muqayyad), commands (al-amr), prohibitions (al-nahy), and their legal applications Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiq…+1.

Method and Scope

Al-Salih's approach is comparative, systematically presenting the methodologies of classical usul traditions—primarily the Hanafi school and the mutakallimun majority—alongside points of intersection with modern statutory and constitutional legal interpretation Lamahat fi al-Maktaba wa …+1. The author pairs theoretical linguistic and legal rules with practical branches of substantive law (al-furu'), illustrating how divergences in methodological rules yield differences in practical legal rulings (takhrij al-furu' 'ala al-usul) Tafsir al-Nusus fi al-Fiq…+1.