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Reconciling Law and Legal Theory

A Translation of al-Tilmisānī’s <i>Miftah al-Wusul</i>

by Mohammad S. Alrahawan (Editor and translator)
©2020 Monographs XXVIII, 172 Pages

Summary

Being structured to found a correlation between Islamic legal theory and positive law, Tilmisānī’s Miftah is basically intended to elaborate on showing the impact of various precepts of legal theory on the practical issues of Islamic law. Tilmisānī’s work is a veritable encyclopedia of legal theory encompassing a substantial range of the field’s questions and problematics. It tackles 189 principal precepts which entailed disagreement and polemical discourses on legal issues among the three main schools of Islamic law. He presented in the form of a fascinating hierarchy of high sense of coherence practical demonstrations of those disagreements in the form of innumerable examples which he extracted from compendiums of fiqh to represent the main issues on which scholars disagreed. The takhrīj al-furū῾ ‘ala al-uṣūl literature which may be introduced for an English reader as ‘applied uṣūl’ has neither weighed heavily in Muslim studies of Islamic legal history nor been introduced as yet to English-speaking audiences. English readers completely miss a text on the genre to vision the significance of the field. The book is indispensable for students of Islamic law, Islamic legal theory, applied uṣūl and Islamic legal hermeneutics. It is further significant for those interested in being trained on practicing personal reasoning on contemporary fiqh issues.

Table Of Contents

  • Cover
  • Title
  • Copyright
  • About the author
  • About the book
  • This eBook can be cited
  • Table of Contents
  • Transliteration of Arabic Words
  • Foreword by Translator
  • Acknowledgements
  • The Author’s Preface
  • Chapter One Transmitted Proof [Quran and Ḥadīth]
  • 1.1. The Authenticity of a Transmitted Proof
  • 1.1.1. Tawātur1
  • 1.1.2. Aḥād Narrations
  • 1.1.2.1. General Objections on āḥād
  • 1.1.2.2. Particular Objections
  • 1.1.2.2.1. Credibility of a Narrator
  • 1.1.2.2.2. Accuracy of a Narrator
  • 1.1.2.2.3. Continuity of the Transmission Path
  • i. Inqiṭāʿ
  • ii. Irsāl
  • iii. Waqf
  • 1.1.3. Conclusion
  • 1.2. The Meaning of a Transmitted Text
  • 1.2.1. The Prophet’s Sayings
  • 1.2.1.1. Manṭūq
  • 1.2.1.1.1. A Proof’s Reference to a Legal Decision by Means of Manṭūq
  • i. Commands
  • ii. Prohibitions
  • iii. Takhiyīr (Option)
  • 1.2.1.1.2. A Proof’s Reference to the Particulars of a Legal Decision108
  • i. Naṣṣ
  • ii. Mujmal (Ambivalent)
  • Causes of Ambivalence
  • Semantic Ambiguity113
  • Morphological Ambiguity120
  • Orthographic Ambiguity
  • Structural Ambiguity126
  • Structural Reading of Two Literal Segments
  • Literal Reading of a Structure
  • Clues
  • Locutionary Clue
  • Contextual Clue
  • Paratextual Clues
  • iii. Ẓāhir (Manifest Meaning)
  • Literal vs. Allegorical
  • Monosyemous vs. Polysemous
  • Mononymous vs. Synonymous
  • Straight vs. Elliptical
  • To Inform, Rather Than Convince
  • Syntagmatic vs. Ansastrophic
  • ʿAmm vis Khāṣṣ
  • ʿAmm Determined by Language
  • Conditional Particles
  • Interrogative Pronouns
  • Relative Pronouns
  • Ayy (Any, Whoever, Whichever) When Used in a Conditional Sentence
  • Interrogative ayy ‘which’ [or kayf ‘however’]
  • Indefinite Noun After Negative
  • Definite Articles Before Generic Nouns
  • Words Like Kull (Every, Each) and Jamīʿ (All, Entire).
  • ʿAmm Determined by Custom
  • ʿAmm Conceived by Common Sense
  • Conclusion of ʿAmm
  • Absolute vs. Qualified
  • iv. Muʾawwal (Susceptible to Interpretation)
  • Allegorical vs. Literal
  • Polysemous vs. Monosyemous
  • Elliptical vs. Straight
  • Synonymous vs. Mononymous
  • Emphatic vs. Informative
  • Hysteron Proteron199 vs. Syntagma
  • Khaṣṣ vs. ʿAmm
  • Qualified vs. Absolute
  • Conclusion
  • 1.2.1.2. Mafhūm (Implied Meaning)
  • 1.2.1.2.1 [Convergent Meaning]
  • 1.2.1.2.2. [Divergent Meaning]
  • i. Implication of an Attribute224
  • ii. Implication of a Condition227
  • iii. Implication of the Extent228.
  • iv. Implication of the Stated Number230
  • v. Implication of the Time233
  • viv. Implication of the Stated Place234
  • vii. Implication of the Stated Noun
  • 1.2.2. The Prophet’s Actions
  • 1.2.2.1. Introduction
  • 1.2.2.2. Authority of the Prophet’s Actions
  • 1.2.2.3. Classification of the Prophet’s Actions
  • 1.2.2.4. Conclusion
  • 1.2.3. The Prophet’s Tacit Approvals
  • 1.2.3.1. Introduction
  • 1.2.3.2. [Classification of the Prophet’s Tacit Approvals]
  • 1.3. On the Continuity of Transmitted Proof
  • 1.3.1. Introduction
  • 1.3.2. The Supplement of a Muṭlaq
  • 1.3.3. [The Abrogation of manṭūq]
  • 1.3.4. Proof of Abrogation
  • 1.3.5. Conclusion
  • 1.4. On the Predominance of a Transmitted Proof
  • 1.4.1. Preference Based on the Chain of Transmission
  • 1.4.1.1. Seniority of a Narrator
  • 1.4.1.2. Knowledge and Exactitude
  • 1.4.1.3. Witnessing the Incident
  • 1.4.1.4. Being a Part of the Incident
  • 1.4.1.5. Constant Companionship
  • 1.4.1.6. Greater Number of Narrators
  • 1.4.1.7. Close Contact with the Prophet
  • 1.4.1.8. Direct Reception
  • 1.4.1.9. [VariantTexts from the Same Teacher]
  • 1.4.1.10. Late Embracement of Islam
  • 1.4.2. Textual Preferences
  • 1.4.2.1. Saying vs. Action
  • 1.4.2.2. Manṭūq vs. Mafhūm
  • 1.4.2.3. [Legal Precedent vs. Non-legal Practice]
  • 1.4.2.4. [A Text’s Being General or Issued in Particular for a Special Incident]
  • 1.4.2.5. Ẓāhir vs. Muʾawwal
  • 1.4.2.6. Muʾawwal vs. Ẓāhir
  • 1.4.2.7. Affirmative vs. Negative
  • 1.4.2.8. [A Default Rule Takes Precedence]
  • 1.4.2.9. [Precautionary Content is to Prevail]
  • Chapter Two Inferred Proofs: Istiṣḥāb
  • 2.1. Presumption of Original Presence or Absence
  • 2.2. Presumption of the Continuity of the General Rules and Principles of the Law
  • Chapter Three Evidence Corollary to a Legislative Source: Qiyās
  • 3.1. Qiyās al-Ṭard (Coextensive Analogy)
  • 3.1.1. Introduction
  • 3.1.2. Constituent Elements of Analogy
  • [3.1.2.1. The Aṣl (Original Case)]
  • 3.1.2.2. The ʿIlla (Rationale)
  • 3.1.2.2.1. [Prerequisites of a Rationale]
  • 3.1.2.2.2. [Methods of Extracting a Rationale]
  • i. [Extraction from] a Scripture
  • ii. [Extraction from] Ijmāʿ
  • iii. Extraction by Suitability
  • iv. Extraction by Rotation
  • v. Extraction by Resemblance
  • 3.1.2.3. Farʿ (New Case)
  • 3.1.2.4. Ḥukm (Legal Decision)
  • 3.1.3. Types of Qiyās Al-Ṭard
  • 3.1.3.1. Analogy of No Discrepancy
  • 3.1.3.2. Qiyās Al-ʿIlla (Analogy Whose Rationale Is Indicated in the Text)
  • 3.1.3.3. Analogy by Allusion
  • 3.1.4. Conclusion
  • 3.1.4.1. When the Ruling Does Not Exist in the Original Case
  • 3.1.4.2. When the ʿIlla Does Not Exist in the Aṣl
  • 3.1.4.3. When an Attribute is Not Fitting to Be a Proper ʿIlla
  • 3.1.4.4. When an Aṣl Contains Conflicting Attributes Each is Valid to Be an ʿIlla
  • 3.1.4.5. When an ʿilla Cannot Be Identified in the New Case
  • 3.1.4.6. When the New Case Includes an Attribute That Conflicts with the Ruling Reached through Analogy
  • 3.2. Qiyās al-ʿAks (Analogy by Coexclusiveness)
  • 3.3. Istidlāl (Reasoning)44
  • 3.3.1. Rationale Deduced from a Legal Decision
  • 3.3.2. Allusion Reached by Correlating a Rationale to a Legal Decision
  • 3.3.3. Allusion Reached by Identifying an Identical Rationale for Two Rulings
  • 3.3.4. Allusion Reached by Identifying a Contradiction between Two Legal Decisions in Both Positive and Privative Cases
  • 3.3.5. Allusion Reached by Identifying a Contradiction between Two Positive Legal Decisions
  • 3.3.6. Allusion Reached by Identifying a Contradiction between Two Privative Legal Decisions
  • Chapter Four Evidence Which Is Comprehensive of a Proof
  • 4.1. Ijmaʿ
  • 4.1.1. Preface
  • 4.1.2. [Questions Which Raised Disagreement among Scholars]
  • 4.1.2.1. [Tacit Consensus]
  • 4.1.2.2 Consensus Breached by a Ṣaḥābī
  • 4.1.2.3. [Consensus Past Discord]
  • 4.1.2.4. Consensus of the Medinese
  • 4.2. Uncorroborated Opinion of a Ṣaḥābī
  • Glossary of Terms
  • References
  • Index

cover

 

Table of Contents

Transliteration of Arabic Words

Foreword by Translator

Acknowledgements

The Author’s Preface

Chapter One: Transmitted Proof [Quran and Ḥadīth]

1.1. The Authenticity of a Transmitted Proof

1.1.1. Tawātur

1.1.2. Aḥād Narrations

1.1.2.1. General Objections on Aḥād

1.1.2.2. Particular Objections

1.1.2.2.1. Credibility of a Narrator

1.1.2.2.2. Accuracy of a Narrator

1.1.2.2.3. Continuity of the Transmission Path

i. Inqiṭā’

ii. Irsāl

iii. Waqf

1.1.3. Conclusion

1.2. The Meaning of a Transmitted Text

1.2.1. The Prophet’s Sayings

1.2.1.1. Manṭūq

1.2.1.1.1. A Proof’s Reference to a Legal Decision by Means of Manṭūq

i. Commands: Definition and Form

ii. Prohibitions

iii. Takhiyīr (Option)

1.2.1.1.2. A Proof’s Reference to the Particulars of a Legal Decision

i. Naṣṣ

ii. Mujmal (Ambivalent)

Causes of Ambivalence

Semantic Ambiguity

Morphological Ambiguity

Orthographic Ambiguity

Structural Ambiguity

Structural Reading of Two Literal Segments

Literal Reading of a Structure

Clues

Locutionary Clue

Contextual Clue

Paratextual Clues.

iii. Ẓāhir (Manifest Meaning)

Literal vs Allegorical

Monosyemous vs Polysemous

Mononymous vs. Synonymous

Straight vs elliptical

To Inform, Rather Than Convince

Syntagmatic vs. Ansastrophic

ʿ Amm vis khaṣṣ

ʿ Amm Determined by Language

Conditional Particles

Interrogative Pronouns

Relative Pronouns

Ayy (Any, Whoever, Whichever) When Used in a Conditional Sentence

Interrogative ayy ‘which’ [or kayf ‘however’] Any Arabic word should be italicize.

Details

Pages
XXVIII, 172
Year
2020
ISBN (PDF)
9781433170218
ISBN (ePUB)
9781433170225
ISBN (MOBI)
9781433170232
ISBN (Hardcover)
9781433170171
DOI
10.3726/b15720
Language
English
Publication date
2020 (April)
Published
New York, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Oxford, Wien, 2020. XXVIII, 172 pp.

Biographical notes

Mohammad S. Alrahawan (Editor and translator)

Mohammad S. Alrahawan worked for 13 years as an associate professor of Islamic studies at Al-Azhar University, the third oldest Islamic university in the world, where he received his Ph.D. and M.A. Alrahawan is currently an associate professor at the Department of Orientalism at Taibah University, Medina, KSA. He published books and articles on Islamic studies including Hadith Terminology and Classification: A Handbook and Early Sources of Prophet Muhammad’s Biography.

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