What are the best books of Islamic jurisprudence in your opinion, such that if a student of knowledge studies them, he can acquire jurisprudence from them?
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The questioner : If you would be so kind, our distinguished Shaykh, to answer the following questions from the brothers. The first question: What are the best books of Islamic jurisprudence in your opinion, such that if a student of knowledge studies them, he can acquire jurisprudence from them?
The Shaykh : What I see is that among the best things a student of knowledge can begin with today, if he finds himself in an environment, as we call it, a Salafi, modern, or Sunni environment that calls for following the Book and the Sunnah, and he does not live in a madhhab-based environment where he does not recognize the Sunnah but rather is fanatical about the madhhab. If the student of knowledge lives in a Sunni environment, I advise him to begin his study of jurisprudence with the well-known book authored in the country.
The questioner : "Fiqh al-Sunnah" by Sayyid Sabiq. That is because it is a unique book in terms of its methodology. I do not say it is unique in terms of its correctness, no, but in terms of its methodology, it is a unique book in this era. So the student of knowledge begins his study of jurisprudence with this book because it gathered, to the extent of its ability, jurisprudence, and he did not cling to his madhhab. It appears to me from his book that he is Shafi'i, but he did not cling to this madhhab as all authors in their madhhabs do; they do not deviate a hair's breadth from what their madhhab said. But he did not adhere to this madhhab; rather, he tried, I say tried, to take from every madhhab what was closer to the Book and the Sunnah. May Allah have mercy on you.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. So, this book.
The Shaykh : If you please.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : I say this is what the student of knowledge should begin with, and the reason is that it is the methodology that every student of knowledge must adopt and follow. But it is not sufficient for himThe student : to rely on it entirely and make it his reference day and night. Why? Because we hinted that although he established this methodology, he was not able to carry it out and realize it fully in many issues. Some of these many issues, he did not provide any evidence for them at all; they are merely opinion. And some others, as everyone who has studied his book knows, he narrated the opinions of the scholars and the opinions of the madhhabs, then left the issue without preferring one, so that the student of knowledge comes out of it confused, not knowing which of these narrated opinions is the stronger and which is the weaker, and he did not support any of them with evidence from the Book of Allah or from the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). This is what I noticed when I studied it more than twenty years ago, and this study led me at that time to write a commentary on it. I named it "Tammam al-Mannah fi al-Ta'liq 'ala Fiqh al-Sunnah." I tried, and I am a man like him, as it is said: "Every son of Adam is a sinner," and as Imam Malik said: "None of us is there who has not been refuted and refuted others, except the occupant of this grave (peace and blessings be upon him)." At that time. The Mu'adhdhin: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. The Mu'adhdhin: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. The Mu'adhdhin: Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah.
The Shaykh : Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah.
The Shaykh : Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah.
The Shaykh : Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah.
The Shaykh : Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Hayya 'ala al-salah.
The Shaykh : La hawla wa la quwwata illa bi-Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Hayya 'ala al-salah.
The Shaykh : La hawla wa la quwwata illa bi-Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Hayya 'ala al-falah.
The Shaykh : La hawla wa la quwwata illa bi-Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Hayya 'ala al-falah.
The Shaykh : La hawla wa la quwwata illa bi-Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. The Mu'adhdhin: La ilaha illa Allah.
The Shaykh : La ilaha illa Allah. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad as You sent blessings upon... O Allah, Lord of this perfect call. I said that I authored a commentary on the book "Fiqh al-Sunnah" named "Tammam al-Mannah." But at that time, the academic circumstances did not help me to continue with the complete commentary. I stopped the commentary at the end of the book on fasting, and it was not possible for me at that time to print this book on fasting. We had printed it on the typewriter. But now it has been printed in a good and elegant edition, and it contains many corrections. Among them is that I appended to this volume, which recently came to the market, the book on fasting as well. So I advise that the student of knowledge and the student of "Fiqh al-Sunnah" should make use of this part, as it will be the closest to the truth if he combines "Fiqh al-Sunnah" with "Tammam al-Mannah." Then the student of knowledge should advance and study the book "Al-Rawdat al-Nadiyyah Sharh al-Durar al-Bahiyyah" by al-Siddiq Hasan Khan. For this Imam is among the rare scholars found in the later generations who did not adhere to a specific madhhab except what came in the Book and the Sunnah. On that basis, he composed this book called "Al-Rawdat al-Nadiyyah," which is a commentary on "Al-Durar al-Bahiyyah." And this "Al-Durar" and the matn is the composition of Imam al-Shawkani. And I think you all know that this man is also among the rarities of his era in that he did not cling to the wide book from which he drew this concise matn that al-Siddiq Hasan Khan commented on, which I mean is his book "Nayl al-Awtar Sharh Muntakha al-Akhbar" by al-Shawkani. This al-Shawkani was among the great scholars of the Zaydis. The Zaydis who reside in Yemen, and their madhhab is still not one of the four madhhabs. Their madhhab is close to the madhhab of the Shi'ah, but in reality, they are better than the Shi'ah. And what indicates this is that the Shi'ah, throughout the centuries and ages, no scholar has been found among them, although they have many scholars who, as they say, combine the transmitted and the rational. But no single person was found among them who became a Sunni. The Shi'ah, throughout these long years, we have not found one of them who left Shi'ism and followed the Sunnah. But among the Zaydis, there are hundreds of scholars who left the Zaydi madhhab and followed the Book and the Sunnah. Among them is Imam al-Shawkani. He (may Allah have mercy on him) was among the great scholars of the Zaydis, then Allah guided him, and he adhered to the Book and the Sunnah. This is his constant state in all his books, and among them is "Al-Durar al-Bahiyyah," a matn that al-Siddiq Hasan Khan came and, as they say in this time, put the dots on the letters. The matn does not contain a verse or a hadith, but rather the jurisprudential rulings in every chapter, in purification, in prayer, in zakah, according to the ijtihad of al-Shawkani. Al-Siddiq Hasan Khan provided evidence for every issue that al-Shawkani adopted in that matn from what came in the Book and the Sunnah. So the student of knowledge, when he finishes studying "Fiqh al-Sunnah," because its wording is easier and its wording is suitable for the logic of the present era, whereas the book "Al-Rawdat al-Nadiyyah" has scholarly wording, and many students often find it difficult to understand his meaning in some expressions. And I also mention that al-Shawkani himself has a concise commentary on this matn "Al-Durar al-Bahiyyah." He has a concise commentary, but al-Siddiq Khan's commentary is broader and more beneficial. So when the student of knowledge finishes studying this book, he moves on to "Subul al-Salam," to "Nayl al-Awtar," to the book "Al-Muhalla," to the other books that study issues in the way called today comparative jurisprudence. And the best of them, in my opinion, is "Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab" by Imam al-Nawawi, because he mentions the issue that the author established according to the Shafi'i madhhab, then he begins to explain the issue and the opinions of the scholars in that and their evidence, and sometimes he prefers what is closer to the truth. And may Allah's peace and mercy and blessings be upon you.
The Shaykh : What I see is that among the best things a student of knowledge can begin with today, if he finds himself in an environment, as we call it, a Salafi, modern, or Sunni environment that calls for following the Book and the Sunnah, and he does not live in a madhhab-based environment where he does not recognize the Sunnah but rather is fanatical about the madhhab. If the student of knowledge lives in a Sunni environment, I advise him to begin his study of jurisprudence with the well-known book authored in the country.
The questioner : "Fiqh al-Sunnah" by Sayyid Sabiq. That is because it is a unique book in terms of its methodology. I do not say it is unique in terms of its correctness, no, but in terms of its methodology, it is a unique book in this era. So the student of knowledge begins his study of jurisprudence with this book because it gathered, to the extent of its ability, jurisprudence, and he did not cling to his madhhab. It appears to me from his book that he is Shafi'i, but he did not cling to this madhhab as all authors in their madhhabs do; they do not deviate a hair's breadth from what their madhhab said. But he did not adhere to this madhhab; rather, he tried, I say tried, to take from every madhhab what was closer to the Book and the Sunnah. May Allah have mercy on you.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. So, this book.
The Shaykh : If you please.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : I say this is what the student of knowledge should begin with, and the reason is that it is the methodology that every student of knowledge must adopt and follow. But it is not sufficient for himThe student : to rely on it entirely and make it his reference day and night. Why? Because we hinted that although he established this methodology, he was not able to carry it out and realize it fully in many issues. Some of these many issues, he did not provide any evidence for them at all; they are merely opinion. And some others, as everyone who has studied his book knows, he narrated the opinions of the scholars and the opinions of the madhhabs, then left the issue without preferring one, so that the student of knowledge comes out of it confused, not knowing which of these narrated opinions is the stronger and which is the weaker, and he did not support any of them with evidence from the Book of Allah or from the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). This is what I noticed when I studied it more than twenty years ago, and this study led me at that time to write a commentary on it. I named it "Tammam al-Mannah fi al-Ta'liq 'ala Fiqh al-Sunnah." I tried, and I am a man like him, as it is said: "Every son of Adam is a sinner," and as Imam Malik said: "None of us is there who has not been refuted and refuted others, except the occupant of this grave (peace and blessings be upon him)." At that time. The Mu'adhdhin: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. The Mu'adhdhin: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. The Mu'adhdhin: Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah.
The Shaykh : Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah.
The Shaykh : Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah.
The Shaykh : Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah.
The Shaykh : Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Hayya 'ala al-salah.
The Shaykh : La hawla wa la quwwata illa bi-Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Hayya 'ala al-salah.
The Shaykh : La hawla wa la quwwata illa bi-Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Hayya 'ala al-falah.
The Shaykh : La hawla wa la quwwata illa bi-Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Hayya 'ala al-falah.
The Shaykh : La hawla wa la quwwata illa bi-Allah. The Mu'adhdhin: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. The Mu'adhdhin: La ilaha illa Allah.
The Shaykh : La ilaha illa Allah. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad as You sent blessings upon... O Allah, Lord of this perfect call. I said that I authored a commentary on the book "Fiqh al-Sunnah" named "Tammam al-Mannah." But at that time, the academic circumstances did not help me to continue with the complete commentary. I stopped the commentary at the end of the book on fasting, and it was not possible for me at that time to print this book on fasting. We had printed it on the typewriter. But now it has been printed in a good and elegant edition, and it contains many corrections. Among them is that I appended to this volume, which recently came to the market, the book on fasting as well. So I advise that the student of knowledge and the student of "Fiqh al-Sunnah" should make use of this part, as it will be the closest to the truth if he combines "Fiqh al-Sunnah" with "Tammam al-Mannah." Then the student of knowledge should advance and study the book "Al-Rawdat al-Nadiyyah Sharh al-Durar al-Bahiyyah" by al-Siddiq Hasan Khan. For this Imam is among the rare scholars found in the later generations who did not adhere to a specific madhhab except what came in the Book and the Sunnah. On that basis, he composed this book called "Al-Rawdat al-Nadiyyah," which is a commentary on "Al-Durar al-Bahiyyah." And this "Al-Durar" and the matn is the composition of Imam al-Shawkani. And I think you all know that this man is also among the rarities of his era in that he did not cling to the wide book from which he drew this concise matn that al-Siddiq Hasan Khan commented on, which I mean is his book "Nayl al-Awtar Sharh Muntakha al-Akhbar" by al-Shawkani. This al-Shawkani was among the great scholars of the Zaydis. The Zaydis who reside in Yemen, and their madhhab is still not one of the four madhhabs. Their madhhab is close to the madhhab of the Shi'ah, but in reality, they are better than the Shi'ah. And what indicates this is that the Shi'ah, throughout the centuries and ages, no scholar has been found among them, although they have many scholars who, as they say, combine the transmitted and the rational. But no single person was found among them who became a Sunni. The Shi'ah, throughout these long years, we have not found one of them who left Shi'ism and followed the Sunnah. But among the Zaydis, there are hundreds of scholars who left the Zaydi madhhab and followed the Book and the Sunnah. Among them is Imam al-Shawkani. He (may Allah have mercy on him) was among the great scholars of the Zaydis, then Allah guided him, and he adhered to the Book and the Sunnah. This is his constant state in all his books, and among them is "Al-Durar al-Bahiyyah," a matn that al-Siddiq Hasan Khan came and, as they say in this time, put the dots on the letters. The matn does not contain a verse or a hadith, but rather the jurisprudential rulings in every chapter, in purification, in prayer, in zakah, according to the ijtihad of al-Shawkani. Al-Siddiq Hasan Khan provided evidence for every issue that al-Shawkani adopted in that matn from what came in the Book and the Sunnah. So the student of knowledge, when he finishes studying "Fiqh al-Sunnah," because its wording is easier and its wording is suitable for the logic of the present era, whereas the book "Al-Rawdat al-Nadiyyah" has scholarly wording, and many students often find it difficult to understand his meaning in some expressions. And I also mention that al-Shawkani himself has a concise commentary on this matn "Al-Durar al-Bahiyyah." He has a concise commentary, but al-Siddiq Khan's commentary is broader and more beneficial. So when the student of knowledge finishes studying this book, he moves on to "Subul al-Salam," to "Nayl al-Awtar," to the book "Al-Muhalla," to the other books that study issues in the way called today comparative jurisprudence. And the best of them, in my opinion, is "Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab" by Imam al-Nawawi, because he mentions the issue that the author established according to the Shafi'i madhhab, then he begins to explain the issue and the opinions of the scholars in that and their evidence, and sometimes he prefers what is closer to the truth. And may Allah's peace and mercy and blessings be upon you.
Source
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