Introducing Islamic Jurisprudence: Formation, Development and Principles of the Ḥanafī School: School

Introducing Islamic Jurisprudence: The Formation, Development and Principles of the Hanafi School offers an accessible introduction to usul al-fiqh - the principles by which Muslim jurists understand revelation and derive legal rulings - with particular focus on the Hanafi tradition. The book introduces the nature, purpose and historical development of Hanafi legal theory before presenting the classical Mukhtasar al-manar of Abu al-ʿIzz Tahir ibn Habib al-Halabi (d. 808/1406) in Arabic with a complete English translation. Its concise treatment of commands and prohibitions, general and specific expressions, modes of textual indication, the Sunna, consensus, analogy, ijtihad, legal capacity and other foundational topics is supplemented by extensive selections from Mulla ʿAli al-Qari's (d. 1014/1605) lucid commentary, Tawdih al-mabani wa tanqih al-maʿani, portions of which are presented here in English for the first time. Designed especially for students, the book seeks to move beyond abstract definitions to show how Hanafi legal reasoning actually works. It explains how jurists read the Qur'an and Sunna, reconcile evidence, identify the implications of different forms of wording, employ analogy and other juristic principles, and arrive at substantive legal rulings. Worked examples demonstrate how differences in usuli method can generate genuine juristic disagreement, while further sections introduce important principles such as istihsan, ʿurf, istishab, qawl al-sahabi and sharʿ man qablana. A companion to the author's Introducing Hadith Studies: Interpretive Principles of the Hanafi School (2015), this volume provides a bridge between introductory English-language study and direct engagement with the classical Arabic tradition, helping readers appreciate not simply what the jurists ruled, but how and why they reasoned from revelation to law.