The Text of al-Manar Written by Imam An-Nasafi on Usulal-Fiqh al-Hanafi and Use of this Text by the Scholars

Abstract

Imam Abdullah bin Ahmad Nasafi (d:710AH) is a renowned Hanafi scholar who passed away in the eighth century AH. His writings are considered to be the origin of Usool-al-Fiqh for the whole Muslim world.Al-Manar is an authentic text and it is considered to be his masterpiece according to the principles of Hanafi jurisprudence, and more than forty books have been written for the elaboration of this very text. His own elaboration named “Kashf al-Asrar” and Imam Mullah Jeevan's “Nur al- Anwar” are worth-mentioning. Imam ibn al-Fasih Hamadani has moulded this book in verse and Tahir ibn Husayn has further shortened it.In this text, Imam Nasafi starts his argument from the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah and finishes it on Ahliat. It also includes all the fundamentals of Usool-al-Fiqh. The text occupies the distinctive position for its precision and terseness. Fundamental differences of Ahnaaf as well as Shafia and Mu'tazila are discussed with examples from the jurisprudence in this book. Opinions of the other schools of thoughts are interpreted scholarly. This academic article contains all the above mentioned topics in it.