Hanafi Usul Literature in Mamluk Period

Abstract

Around eighty Usul works were written by Mamluk Hanafis. Although there is tremendous range in this literature, one of its distinguishing features is its concentration on a few key works. The overall tendencies in Hanafi Usul writing during the late classical (mutaakhkhirun) period, i.e., continuation of the Mawaraunnahr tradition on the one hand and adjustment efforts to Mutakallimun Usul on the other, can also be seen in Mamluk Hanafis’ writings. Besides, the issues that Mamluk scholarly environment brought up, were reflected in Usul works of Hanafis. However, with the exclusion of al-Kafiyaji, the literature on qawaid, adab al-fatwa, and ijtihad and taqlid developed later in Hanafis in opposition to other madhhabs that had writings on these titles in the Mamluk period. Throughout the 7th and 8th (13th and 14th) centuries, the prominent Hanafis of the Mamluk period overwhelmingly came to and settled in Mamluk lands from other places, particularly Central Asia and Anatolia. These scholars primarily studied and composed sharhs on Usul al-Pazdawi, as well as mukhtasars from the 7th/13th century. At this early phase, sharhs on al-Mughni of al-Khabbazi written by various scholars and sharhs on Usul al-Pazdawi written by al-Sighnaki and his successors constituted the backbone of Hanafi Usul writing. As for the 9th/15th century, the writings of Ibn al-Humam and his disciples constituted outstanding and mature examples. Although the Hanafi scholars of this last century knew the works and views of Sadr al-Sharia and al-Taftazani, no sharh–hashiya tradition developed among them, unlike their Ottoman contemporaries. A similar case is true for Sharh al-Mukhtasar of al-Iji. On the other hand, some scholars treated Hanafi and Shafii Usul views comparatively, following the path of Ibn al-Saati, as there were others who wrote sharhs on the works of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and Ibn al-Hajib.