The Harvest in the knowledge of principles of jurisprudence (Al-Mahsol Fi Elm Al-Osole Al-Fiqh)

Another one of the great author, Fakhr Razi’s books, is the book of “Al-Mahsol….” (The Harvest in the knowledge of principles of jurisprudence)which is in Arabic. Since Razi is counted one of the great “fundamentalists”(osulin) and commentators, another time (he) has edited a book in the field of “principles of jurisprudence” which has the exalted place.

The author’s brief biography:
Imam Fakhr Al-Din Abu Abdullah … Muhammad the son of ####Omar the son of Hussein the son of Hassan the son of Ali Tay-mi Tabarestani, known as an Ibn Khatib Razi and also Imam Al-Mushakekin, is one of the greatest “theologians” (kalam specialist), orators and well-known philosopher of the sixth century A.H, who was born in 1149/2/4 or 1150/1/24A.D. (543 or 544A.H.) in "Ray". Muhammad the son of Omar Fakhr Razi is considered as one of the Islamic scientific and literary celebrities, and in his time, has been considered as one of the greatest scholars and sages of Islam. In rational and transmitted sciences (Maghol and Manghol sciences) such as: philosophy, “theology” (kalam), mathematics, “jurisprudence and methodology” (fegh and usul), Quranic commentary and literature, has been considered master, authority and a source for scholars of his time. At first, he studied under the supervision of his father who was a celebrated orator, then the preliminary sciences under Kamal Semani (Semnani), “theology” (science of kalam) and philosophy under Majdoldin Jabali and the other sciences under Ziyaul Din Omar and Mahmud the son of Hassan Hamasi. For learning the Avicenna and Farabi’s philosophy, he went to the khorasan and completely benefited, and after that, traveled to “Transoxiana” (Mavaronnahr). In "branches of the religion" he was "Shafi’ism" follower and in the “theologian” (kalami) "principles of faith", was the Ash’arism follower, but he always was in controversy and polemic with his fellow (co-religionist) scholars. He also has composed sparse poems in Persian and Arabic that contains instructive subjects. Imam Fakhr’s life, despite the difficulty and poverty in youth age, improved after going to the khwarazm, “Transoxiana” (Mavaronnahr) and perennial living in court of khwaraz kings. One of the painful events of Imam Fakhr, during his final years, was about his young son’s death by the name of Muhammad that had occurred in the middle of 1205A.D. (601A.H.) in “Harat”. He had three sons by the name of Muhammad, Ziyaoldin and Shamsuldin and two daughters. In final years of his life, he lived in “Harat”. Early in the year of 1210A.D.(606A.H.) he got a serious illness and finally at the age of sixty two of that year, in the Eyd-e Fetr day, passed away in “Harat”. The text of Imam Fakhr’s “will” has mentioned in the books such as “Tabaghate Al-Shäfeiyeh Sabki” and “Tabaghäte Al-Atebä”. About eight month before his death, means in 1209/1/26 A.D(606/1/21A.H.), he has written this “will”, addressing to his student “Abubakr Ibrahim the son of Abibakr the son of Ali Isfahani”. His “will” involves the gist of his ideas about religion, philosophy and Quran with concise words. In the end, with the addressing to his executor and student, he has written a subject about looking after of his children.

The book structure:
This book including 10 chapters as follows:
1-chapter one: commentary of “principles of jurisprudence”,
2-chapter tow: The preliminaries which the “principles of jurisprudence” need them
3-chapter three: certainty and uncertainty
4-chapter four: opinion, reason and sign
5-chapter five: legal injunction
6-chapter six: division of legal injunctions
7-chapter seven: the things’ ugliness and beauty only will be proved by religious law
8-chapter eight: thanking the “beneficent” (mon’em) rationally is unnecessary
9-chapter nine: the injunction of the things before the religious law
10-chapter ten: recording and studying the parts of “principles of jurisprudence”,
*A talk about the words:
-division of the words
-derivation nouns
-the injunctions of synonyms and emphasis
-sharing
-reality and unreality
-the created contradiction among the words’ conditions
-commentary the letters which in jurisprudence very need to know them
-the quality of “reasoning” (argumentation) to the God’s word and His messenger in injunctions.


Sources :

  1. The Harvest in the knowledge of principles of jurisprudence (Al-Mahsol Fi Elm Al-Osole Al-Fiqh) by Fakhr Al-dkin Razi

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