On the theoretical legacy of abu 'l-h . asan al-maward

Abstract

The article examines some aspects of the theoretical legacy of Abu 'l-?asan al-Mawardi, a medieval Islamic theologian and jurist. This prominent scholar, who lived a long and eventful life, wrote a number of works that left a noticeable mark in the political and legal thought of Islam. Al-Mawardi also wrote several significant treatises in Islamic theology and Jurisprudence. Among them are works devoted to commenting on the Qur'an-Nukat wa'l-'uyun [Tafsir al-Mawardi], 'Amthal al-Qur'an, as well as a treatise on Prophethood-'A'lam al-Nubuwwa. Another important but still insufficiently studied treatise of al-Mawardi on Jurisprudence is called Kitab al-?awi al-kabir fi fiqh madhhab al-Imam al-Shafi'i. It is generally accepted that al-Mawardi's essay called al-'Iqna' made him famous in his lifetime. This legal guide to the Shafi'i law certainly strengthened the professional authority of al-Mawardi as the leading Shafi'i faqih and apparently contributed to the growth of his political influence in medieval Baghdad. Despite the merits and recognition of al-Mawardi as an authoritative connoisseur of Islam, his creative search was not limited to writing works on religious topics. Al-Mawardi 's obvious interest in scientific disciplines was, in particular, confirmed in several studies on philology. He wrote at least two works on this subject: Namely, 'Amthal wa'l-?ikam and Kitab fi al-na?w. However, the scholars who study the heritage of al-Mawardi deal mainly with his socio-political works. Al-Mawardi was known as a gifted and experienced diplomat who repeatedly acted as a mediator in solving complex political problems. As an adviser for many years at the Abbasid court, al-Mawardi composed several works on the theory of state and governance, such as al-Ah?kām al-Sult?āniyya, Qawanin al-wuzara? wa-siyasat al-muluk, as well as Tashil al-na?ar wa-ta'jil al-?afar fi 'akhlaq al-malik wa-siyasat al-mulk etc. These works, diverse not only in content, but also in genre, mainly reflect the essence of political processes of that time.