A translation of Abu Shuja' al-Asfahani’s introduction to classical Islamic law, Matn al-Ghayat wa al-Taqrib. This enduring classic covers the full range of basic topics within the Shafi'i school of law. It includes the full Arabic text and notes to point out where later Shafi'i jurists have differed from the author, Imam al-Nawawi's preferences, and minor clarifications and explanations.

The Ultimate Conspectus: Matn al-Ghayat wa al-Taqrib

Furber, Musa

al-Asfahani, Abu Shuja'

Islamosaic

An enduring classic work on the etiquette that a Muslim must or should have with regard to handling and reciting the Quran (the Muslim scripture). The topics this volume raises include: ritual cleanliness, opportune times for recitation, the etiquette that students have with their teachers (and that teachers must have with their students), and variety of other issues that every Muslim should know and frequently ask about.

Etiquette With the Quran

Religion & Spirituality

al-Nawawi, Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya

Islam

Islamic jurisprudence concerns the knowledge and skills required of Muslim jurists and the etiquette they are expected to observe. These requirements and etiquette set standards for an answer being sound and acceptable to follow, and minimize the potential for errors. Just as rules of grammar protect those who follow them from mistakes in expressions, rules of logic protect those who follow them from mistakes in arguments; jurisprudence sets standards for interpreting legal texts and making legal arguments which, when followed correctly, protect from making mistakes in arriving at legal rulings. Students of jurisprudence read through a series of texts with their instructors. One of the first books of jurisprudence taught to students is the Waraqat of Imam al-Juwayni, often with a short commentary by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli. This translation introduces these two texts to English-speaking audiences and should serve readers as an introduction to the basic topics of jurisprudence, preparing them to study more advanced material.

Sharh Al-Waraqat: Al-Mahalli's notes on Imam al-Juwayni's Islamic jurisprudence pamphlet

al-Juwayni, Imam Al-Haramayn

This volume presents two primers on the discipline of hadith nomenclature (mustalah al-hadith) and the authentication of transmitted reports. They are Nukhbat al-fikar ("Chosen Thoughts on the Nomenclature of Hadith Experts") by Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani (773-835AH); and Al-Tadhkirah ("The Memorandum") by Ibn al-Mulaqqin (723-804AH). These primers were written to facilitate speedy mastery of the discipline's core material. Although the primers focus on definitions, they also include methods for addressing problems specific to the topic. Students would often commit a primer to memory while studying it with a living master who would explain its content in detail and demonstrate its application. It is through this interaction between students and instructors that Islamic education transmits both knowledge and skills across generations. In translation, these primers are ideal for English-speaking instructors looking for a primary text covering the subject's core concepts. The translations will also benefit students looking to review their lessons or to prepare themselves for more advanced studies.

Hadith Nomenclature Primers

Ibn Hajar

This slim volume presents a practical introduction to the essential beliefs, practices, and moral rectifications mentioned in the Sacred Law. The primary text is Ahmed ibn Zayn al-Habashi's Al-Risalah al-Jami`ah which has been a popular introductory text during the last four centuries. The text is read by students in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and, recently, North America and Europe. This edition includes the Arabic text, its translation, and notes drawn from the translator’s other works. Readers of this text will learn the essential creed, acts of worship, and moral behavior that are considered personal obligations for all Muslims. They will also learn why these particular things are important. The notes are designed to equip students for personal practice and to prepare them for more advanced studies.

The Encompassing Epistle: Al-Risalah al-Jami‘ah wa al-Tadhkirah al-Nafi‘ah

al-Habashi, Ahmed bin Zayn

Ibn Rajab’s essay Refutation of Those Who Do Not Follow the Four Schools advocates for the necessity of following Islamic scholarship in general, and legal scholarship in particular. A large portion of the essay covers the history of the development of Islamic scholarship and how the Muslim Community came to recognize scholars as the source for authoritative knowledge. Readers of the essay will notice that Ibn Rajab is engaging individuals who saw themselves as equal or superior to prior generations of scholars, free to cast aside scholarship and to reinterpret without any need for requisite skills and knowledge. Although written seven centuries ago, it might as well have written with today’s reformers in mind.

Ibn Rajab's Refutation of Those Who Do Not Follow The Four Schools

al-Hanbali, Ibn Rajab

This slim volume presents a practical introduction to acts of worship according to the Hanbali school of Islamic law. The text comes from Shaykh Ibn Balban's Supreme Synopsis (Akhsar al-Mukhtasarat), a favorite introduction covering the full range of topics. The chapters of this volume cover purification, prayer, zakat, fasting, pilgrimage, and jihad. The text includes numerous explanatory notes to equip students for personal practice, and to prepare them for more advanced studies. This edition includes the Arabic text, its translation, and notes drawn from its commentaries—especially Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Ba'li's Kashf al-Mukhaddarat. This volume covers the first third of Shaykh Ibn Balban's Supreme Synopsis. Future volumes will cover the rest of the text.

Hanbali Acts of Worship: From Ibn Balban's The Supreme Synopsis

al-Hanbali, Ibn Balban

The Accessible Conspectus delivers an amiable commentary onAbu Shuja al-Asfahani's The Ultimate Conspectus (Matn al-Ghayat wa al-Taqrib).

The Accessible Conspectus

Ibn Juzay al-Kalbi began his exegesis of the Quran with an introduction to the various disciplines related to explaining the Quran. One of these topics he included is Sufism. The basic concern of Sufism is the heart: knowing its good and bad qualities, how to rid it of bad qualities, and how to instill it with the good. Sufism is connected to the Quran since the Quran mentions divine knowledge, struggling against the self (nafs), and illuminating and purifying hearts via obtaining praiseworthy character and avoiding blameworthy character. In his work he then covers twelve of these topics: thanks (shukr); Godfearingness (taqwa); remembrance (dhikr); patience (sabr); tawhid; love for Allah; reliance upon Him (tawakkul); vigilance (muraqabah); fear and hope (khawf and raja); repentance (tawbah); and sincerity (ikhlas).

Ibn Juzay's Sufic Exegesis: Selections from Kitab al-Tashil li-Ulum al-Tanzil

al-Kalbi, Ibn Juzay

Supplement for the Seeker of Certitude presents the sections related to worship from Musa al-Hajjawi's Zad al-Mustaqni`, an abridgment of Ibn Qudamah’s Al-Muqni` that sticks to the school’s official position, removing extraneous issues, and adding a few necessary things. The book is extremely terse, yet it still manages to present the basics for the school along with issues rarely found in books twice its length. The book was accepted by scholars of the school to such an extent that some said that whoever has memorized it is fit to be a judge. The book continues to be considered essential reading for students of the school, making it a natural choice for presenting the school to English readers. The chapters covered in the text include purification, prayer, zakah, fasting, pilgrimage, and jihad. The text includes the Arabic original along with numerous notes from commentaries.

Supplement for the Seeker of Certitude: Worship from Zad al-Mustaqni`

al-Hajjawi, Musa

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