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Masa'il al-'awis (book)

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Masa'il al-'awis
Authoral-Shaykh al-Mufid
Original titleمَسائل العَویص
LanguageArabic
Series1 vol.
Subjectjurisprudence
Published1413/1992-3


Masāʾil al-ʿawīṣ (Arabic: مَسائل العَویص) or Jawābāt al-masāʾil al-Nishābūrīyya (Arabic: جوابات المسائل النیشابوریة) is a book concerning Shiite jurisprudence in Arabic, written by al-Shaykh al-Mufid (d. 413/1022), one of the most prominent Shi'a scholars of jurisprudence and theology in the 4th/10th century. It contains some abstruse jurisprudential problems posed by Abu l-Hasan al-Nishaburi and answers by al-Shaykh al-Mufid. In addition to providing answers to jurisprudential problems, al-Shaykh al-Mufid also concerned himself with consensus or disagreements among Shiite and Sunni scholars.

The word, "al-'awis", literally means abstruse words. The book is also known as al-ʿAwīṣ or al-ʿAwīṣ fī l-aḥkām.

Author

Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Nu'man (d. 413/1022) known as al-Shaykh al-Mufid was among Shia scholars of the end of the 4th/10th century and the beginning of the 5th/11th century. He was among revivers of Islamic sciences and preachers of Shia culture and jurisprudence.[1]

Titles of the Book

The book is also known as follows:

  • Al-'Awis
  • Al-'Awis fi l-ahkam[2]
  • Jawabat al-masa'il al-Nishaburiyya
  • Masa'il Abi l-Hasan al-Nisaburi[3]

Topic

Al-'Awis is a collection of jurisprudential problems posed by Abu l-Hasan al-Nishaburi and answered by al-Shaykh al-Mufid. He was later asked by one of his fellows to rewrite those questions and answers in the form of a book.[4] The problematic jurisprudential questions seem to be sent to al-Shaykh al-Mufid from Nishabur.[5]

The book has 5 parts, 85 questions, and 94 answers. Some problems in the book are similar to puzzles. Sometimes the author proposes over 10 solutions for a problem.[6]

Titles and Contents

The book is concerned with the following issues:

  • Problems of hudud, diyat (blood money), qisas (retaliation) and its manners
  • How to prove a lineage and cases of disagreement
  • Swearing and rare cases of divorce
  • Admitting other people's rights[7]

Manuscripts and Publication

The book was published by Dar al-Mufid Publications in Beirut in 1414/1993-4.

Notes

  1. Amīn, Aʿyān al-Shīʿa, vol. 9, p. 422.
  2. Āqā Buzurg Tihrānī, al-Dharīʿa, vol. 15, p. 362.
  3. Mufīd, al-ʿAwīṣ, p. 6,7; Masa'il al-'awis (book) (Persian)
  4. Masa'il al-'awis (book) (Persian)
  5. Mufīd, al-ʿAwīṣ, p. 6.
  6. Ṣabāḥī, Taʼlīfāt-i maʿrūf wa mujūd-i Shaykh Mufīd: masāʼil al-ʿawīṣ.
  7. Mufīd, al-ʿAwīṣ, p. 1; Rajāʼī, Muʿarrifī-yi risāla-yi khaṭṭī-yi al-ʿAwīṣ.
  8. Ṣabāḥī, Taʼlīfāt-i maʿrūf wa mujūd-i Shaykh Mufīd: masāʼil al-ʿawīṣ.

References

  • Amīn, al-Sayyid Muḥsin al-. Aʿyān al-Shīʿa. Edited by Ḥasan Amīn. [n.p]: [n.n], [n.d].
  • Āqā Buzurg Tihrānī, Muḥammad Muḥsin. Al-Dharīʿa ilā taṣānīf al-shīʿa. [n.p]: [n.n], Beirut: 1403 AH.
  • Mufīd, Muḥammad b. Muḥammad al-. Al-ʿAwīṣ. Beirut: Dār al-Mufīd, 1414 AH.
  • Rajāʼī, Aḥmad ʿAlī. Muʿarrifī-yi risāla-yi khaṭṭī-yi al-ʿAwīṣ fī al-aḥkām wa muʼallif-i ān. Journal of Nāma-yi Āstān-i Quds. No 22 & 23. (1344 Sh).
  • Ṣabāḥī, Mahdī. Taʼlīfāt-i maʿrūf wa mujūd-i Shaykh Mufīd: masāʼil al-ʿawīṣ. Journal of Majmūʿa-yi Maqālāt-i Kungira-yi Shaykh Mufīd. No 82. (1372 Sh).
  • مسائل العویص (Masa'il al-'awis (book) (Persian)). Accessed: 2025/04/29.