“Abu Bakr Ibn al-Mundhir, Amputation, and the Art of Ijtihad,” International Journal of Middle East Studies, 39.3 (2007): 351-68. (original) (raw)

Ijtihad Methods of The Prophet’s Companions and Its Influence on Islamic Legal Traditions

AHKAM : Jurnal Ilmu Syariah, 2021

This study examines the influence of the ijtihad methods of the Prophet’s companion on two major schools of thought in Islamic legal tradition. These are the rational thinking of Abu Hanifah, known as ahl al-ra’y and Malik ibn Anas, known as ahl hadith. This study is a historical enquiry by critically analyzing significant events in the past around the lives of those two figures. Various historical resources are used, tarikh tashri’ and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) literature, etc. This study finds out that there is a positive influence of the Prophet’s companions’ ijtihad methods with the legal thinking of Abu Hanifah and Malik ibn Anas. This implies that the method significantly influences the formulation of Islamic jurisprudence by those two figures. Abstrak:Penelitian ini mengkaji pengaruh metode ijtihad para sahabat nabi terhadap dua mazhab besar dalam tradisi hukum Islam. Metode tersebut yakni pemikiran rasional Abu Hanifah yang dikenal dengan ahl al-ra'y dan Malik bin An...

Bridging the Gap: Two Early Texts of Islamic Legal Theory

This article presents two short but complete treatises on legal theory (uṣūl al-fiqh). The first was written by Ibn Surayj (d. 306/918) as an addendum to his compendium on Shāfiʿī law, al-Wadāʾiʿ, and the second by Abū Bakr al-Khaffāf (fl. early fourth/tenth century), who included it as an introduction to his legal text al-Aqsām wa-l-khiṣāl. An analysis of these texts reveals the existence of a self-conscious legal-theoretical discourse around the turn of the fourth/tenth century that connects al-Shāfiʿī's (d. 204/820) Risāla with the so-called mature uṣūl tradition known from the late fourth/tenth century onward. The analysis also sheds considerable light on developments in legal theory in this period, such as the emergence of the term ʿilla (cause), the parallel rise of legal dialectics (jadal), the consequences of adopting the idea of waḍʿ (linguistic coinage), and generally the inclusion of theological concerns in legal theory.

Ijtihad- Oxford Handbook on Islamic Law

This article examines issues surrounding the historiography of ijtihad within the context of Islamic law. It considers the politics informing debates about whether the " gates " were ever closed, and what " closure " implies about Islamic law. It then discusses calls for the " reopening " of the " gates " , suggesting that such calls seem to reflect more about the conditions of modernity that pose new questions to a tradition with a considerable history, and less about the study of Islamic law. It also reviews the scholarship on ijtihad as a topic of legal theory in the usul al-fiqh genre and in relation to contemporary issues in legal philosophy and interpretation, along with the discourse of ijtihad in the modern period and its significance as a proxy for underlying concerns about epistemology, legal education, and authority. Finally, it outlines new scholarly directions for research on ijtihad. The topic of ijtihad has occupied researchers of Islamic law for decades if not centuries. Moreover, polemicists and reformists in more popular venues invoke it to question the relevance and ongoing significance of Islamic law in the world today. This essay will canvass a range of issues pertaining to the historiography of ijtihad. It will start by addressing the highly fraught concept of the " gates of ijtihad " and the debates about whether the " gates " were ever closed, what " closure " implies about Islamic law, and how calls for its " reopening " seem to reflect less about the study of Islamic law and more about the conditions of modernity that pose new questions to a tradition with a considerable history. Thereafter, the essay will explore the scholarship on ijtihad as a topic of legal theory in the usul al-fiqh genre, and the intersection of that discussion with contemporary issues in legal philosophy and interpretation. The essay will then turn to the discourse of ijtihad in the modern period, and its significance as a proxy for

The Development of Islamic Jurisprudence : Late Thirteenth / Nineteen Century to the Early Present Dr

2016

Muslims both in the past and present are concerned with the legal validity of their religious devotion and worship, especially in view of their increasing interactions with other civilizations, cultures, behaviors, economies, sciences, legislation, and politics. Confusion however arises in regards to which legal doctrine (madhhab) Muslims need to follow today; what should Muslims do to cope with contemporary problems and challenges of life; and where should they draw lines of distinction between the revealed and profane, as well as between jurisprudence and secular law and legislation in the Muslim world. Some contemporary Muslim scholars have raised serious concerns regarding such issues because of the interaction between the East and West. Muslim scholars and reformers responded to these concerns through a number of legal reform initiatives, and also through alignment and integration of Muslim faith with contemporary needs. This article discusses whether Islamic jurisprudence can ...

Ikhtilāf Before and After the Age of Taqlīd: Rethinking Islamic Law Through the Lens of Juristic Disagreements

Journal Article, 2024

Sharia law represents a profoundly diverse and adaptable legal system with ᶜilm al-ikhtilāf (the science of juristic disagreement) as the most prominent manifestation of its comparative and pluralistic nature. While modern scholarship acknowledges the diverse origins of Islamic law, the pivotal role of foundational discords in its development remains understudied. This article unravels the intricate fabric and consequential implications of ikhtilāf by examining the emergence of Sharia law through the lens of juristic disagreements. It argues that a deeper historical understanding of the pluralistic bases and inherent social dynamism of Islamic law is essential for fostering nuanced discussions of the Muslim legal tradition and reinforcing the notion that diversity and flexibility are integral to its identity. This study is structured into three main sections. The first two sections explore the status and function of ikhtilāf across two historical phases: before and after the age of taqlīd. The third section retraces ikhtilāf as articulated in some of its key classical works.

The Role of Ijtihād in Progressing Islamic Law in Modern Times

US-China Law Review, 2013

While new and complicated legal issues continuously come to the fore, Islamic sacred texts that deal with legal issues are finite. Ijtihad is an interpretive tool that applies legal reasoning based on sacred texts to derive new legal rules that meet emerging legal problems. This paper will elucidate the nature of Ijtihad and comment on the status of Ijtihad today. The paper will also explain why it is necessary to replace macro-Ijtihad with micro-Ijtihad, and will highlight the importance of the continuance of Ijtihad by Islamic jurists despite Islamic law’s reduced application.

The development of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) and reasons for juristic disagreements among schools of law

2009

All praise is due to Allah who in His mercy has endowed me with the ability to complete this work on Islamic Jurisprudence. The Prophet Muħammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said, "He who does not thank man has not thanked Allah." With these words in mind I am grateful to the following people. • I thank my supervisor Professor Yousuf Dadoo for his support and guidance. • I thank the immediate members of my family, my wife and parents for their support. • I am grateful to my teachers and colleagues. May Allah reward you greatly. Shoayb Ahmed 14 1.5. Validity of Ijtihād 15 Notes to Chapter One 17 Chapter Two The First Stage in the Development of Fiqh-The Period of the Prophet Muħammad (Developmental and Foundational Phase) 18 2.1. The first source, the Qur'ān 18 2.2. The second source, the Sunnah 19 2.3. Al-Ijmā‛ 23 2.4. Qiyās 23 A historical account of some of the rules that occurred before and after Hijrah Some Muftīs in the Prophets time. 31 Notes to Chapter Two 34 Chapter Three The Second Stage in the Development of Islamic Jurisprudence (From the death of the Prophet until the end of the second century) 37 3.1. Islamic Jurisprudence during the period of the rightly guided Khalīfs 38 3.1.1 Other jurists during the period of the Khalīfs. 40 3.1.2 Salient features of Islamic Jurisprudence at the time of the Khalīfs 41 3.2. The period of the senior and junior contemporaries of the Prophet's companions. 42 Some renowned Muftīs from among the companions in this period. 44 3.3. Were the companions all Mujtahid's? 45 3.3.1 Famous jurisconsults among the Tābi‛īn. 46 3.4. The classification of the jurists in two groups namely the Iraqis and the Ħijāzis. 48 6 3.5. The second century after Hijrah. 52 3.5.1 Some famous scholars (Mujtahids) in this era. 55 3.5.2 Other established judges and muftīs. 62 3.5.3 Some of Imām Abū Ħanīfah's students. 63 3.5.4 Some of Imām Mālik's students. 64 Notes to Chapetr Three 66