By Mahfuz Ahmad
Many students ask their teachers: How should we study ‘Hidayah’? how can we seek benefit from it? And with which commentary can we discover its meaning and understand it, and implement it’s rulings in this time?
So know, dear student – may Allah grant you success – that ‘Al-Hidaya’ is a book on comparative jurisprudence, in which the author has compared the Madhahib (schools of thought) in terms of transmission (Naql) and reason, so we must first read it’s text carefully and reflect, understand its meanings and demands, and digest the issues and rulings in it.
Then we should obtain the transmission evidence in the light of the Usulul Hadith and the faces of inference, and its rational evidence in the light of the Usulul Fiqh.
We study to implement the book and understand the meanings “Hashiyah al-Hidaya” by Imam al-Laknawi, printed in the margin of “Hidaya” from the Indian version, as well as “Kifaya” by Shaykh Jalal al-Din al-Khwarizmi, and “Inayah” by the scholar Akmal al-Din al-Babarti, and they are among the best commentaries of “Al-Hidaya” for Fiqh, and “Al-Binayah” by Imam Badr Al-Din Al-Aini, and it is one of it’s most useful explanations in solving the obscurities of the book, then they combined the research of Fiqh and the research of the Ahadith
But Shaykh Mufti Muhammad Taqi al-Uthmani, included “Al-Binayah” in unauthorized books on which it is not permissible to give Fatwas on issues; because even though it was circulated among the people; it’s copies are full of typographical errors, Because of which it is difficult to understand the concept of the text, and sometimes the meaning also gets changed.
We study to extract Hadith (نصب الراية) by Allama Zayla’i (ra) and (دراية) by Hafiz ibn Hajar al Asqalani (ra) and (منية الألمعي فيما فات من تخريج أحاديث الهداية للزيلعي) by Allahma Qasim bin Qutlubugha (ra).
We study to carry out the implementation of the masāil (rulings) in “Hidāyah” – other than the masāil of worship – to the requirements and conditions of current times in “‘Itr Al-Hidāyah” and it’s complete name is “Taṭhīrul Amwāli fī Tahqīqil Harāmi Wal Halāli” by Shaykh Fath Muhammad al-Laknawi رحمه الله, and “Anwār al-Hidāyah” by Mufti Kamāl al-Dīn al-Rāshidī, May Allah protect him. And other books by contemporary authors on contemporary jurisprudential issues.
Since Imam Al-Marginani, may God have mercy on him, mentioned in his book the sayings of the three Hanafi imams – Imām Abu Hanifa and his two companions and some others there ask some students: ‘Which saying do we take?’ ‘And upon which saying do we act upon?’ ‘And what is the saying of the agreed opinion (mufta bihi)?’
The answer is that the author of “Al-Hidāyah” was himself among the people of preference, as Ibn Kamal Pasha counted him among them. And we have mentioned in the discussion of the etiquette and customs of Imam Al-Marginani in his book that he favors the evidence of the sect that is his chosen one, as well as it is mentioned in “Nihāyah” in the last book of the manners of the judge, and in “‘Ināyah” in the section of corrupt sales (bay’ fāsid), and in “Fath al-Qadir” in the Chapter of exchange and in “Natāij al-Afkār” that it is the constant habit of the compiler to delay the strong evidences when citing evidence for differing opinions. The delayed one falls in the same position as the answer to the advanced, Although the strong was preceded when transmitting opinions. And this is a special sign to know the correct saying, but Imam Al-Marginani, may God have mercy on him, has preferred in some places what is contrary to the opinion of the mufta bihi, so we must go back to the explanations of “Al-Hidāyah” such as “Fath Al-Qadeer” by Ibn Al-Humam and “Al-Bināyah” byAl-Ayni, and to the books of the later jurists such as “Al-Bahr Al-Rā’iq” by Ibn Nujaīm, and “Radd Al-Muhtār” by Ibn Ābideen Al-Shāmi, and others.
Moreover, some took an interest in explaining the most preferred opinions amongst the Hanafi Imams on the ikhtilaafi Masaa’il (Rullings which have difference of opinion). A new book has been published on that called, “Tarjīḥ Al-Rājiḥ bil Riwāyati fī Masā’il Al Hidāyah” by Shaykh Muftī Ghulām Qādir al-Nu’mānī.
It is worth noting that some of our fellow students are content with solving the book with the Hāshiyah of Imām Al-Laknawī, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, and for Takhrīj (extracting) of the hadith, they use “Dirāyah” by Al-Hāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him; Because the printing presses printed this Hashiyah and Takhrīj with “Al-Hidāyah.”
However these two books are not sufficient for solving the book and extracting the hadīth; Imām al-Laknawī, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, was the most knowledgeable of the people of his time in Ahādīthul Aḥkām, except that he has some anomalous opinions that are not accepted in the madhab. His acceptance of the statments as mentioned in the books of jarh and ta’deel with no mention of the inner details was not satisfactory according to anyone who knows that’s in those, as the scholar Al-Kawtharī, may Allah have mercy on him, said.
Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar, may Allah have mercy on him, summarised “Naṣbur Rāyah” and he named it “al-Dirayah,” but al-Ḥāfiẓ adhered to what al-Kashmīrī said, may Allah have mercy on him, he did well in summarising it, as was expected from his level of skill in revising and editing, and he holds a high rank in talkhīs (summarising), but he left many of the the valuable statements which weren’t appropriate for him to leave”.
(This article is translated by the students of Mishkat from the book ‘Al Madhkal Ila Kitabil Hidayah’ by Mahfuz Ahmad)
