SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to present an edition of a unique and important manuscript of Hanbali jurisprudence entitled 'Al-Munawwar fi Rajih al-Muharrar' written by Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Adami (d.c.749AH/AD1329) and which has not yet been studied despite later Hanbali scholars' heavy reliance on it in their work. This edition is supplemented by an introduction designed to make the edited text more accessible. This commentary discusses the manuscript, the author and his sources. A broad discussion of Hanbali legal terminology and a comparison of Al-Muharrar with other important works of jurisprudence provides a better understanding of the text, which is presented with explanatory footnotes in the final section of the thesis. In the process of editing the manuscript every effort was made to do as accurate an edition of the work as possible, preserving the originality of the work whilst making it accessible to the modem reader. The study consists of five parts which are divided into a number of chapters. Part One: This explores the importance of Al-Munawwar, provides a biography of Al-Adami, describes the framework of Al-Munawwar, ascribes it to its author and discusses the plague of 749/1329. Part Two: This describes the sources of Al-Munawwar with particular reference to Al-Majd's Al-Muharrar of which it is an abridgement. I also discuss the methodology and terminology adopted by both Al-Adami and Al-Majd. Part Three: This gives definitions of the major legal terms used in Hanbali jurisprudence, including a history of how this terminology has been understood by different generations. Part Four: This part focuses on the methodology of editing the manuscript. Part Five: The edited and authenticated text is presented with an annotated commentary.