Al-Mabsut fi fiqh al-Imamiyya (book): Difference between revisions

Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Tusi, known as [[al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] (b. 385/995 d.460/1067-8), was a Shiite scholar in the 5th/11th century. He was an expert in [[jurisprudence]], the [[exegesis of the Qur'an]], [[rijal]], [[theology]], and [[usul]]. His most important jurisprudential works written before ''al-Mabsut'' include ''[[al-Tahdhib]]'', ''[[al-Istibsar]]'', ''[[al-Nihaya]]'', and ''[[al-Khilaf]]''.

''Al-Mabsut'' is regarded as a complete compilation of the Shiite jurisprudence. Al-Shaykh al-Tusi believed that the book was unique among the Shiite and Sunni jurisprudential books because it contained all jurisprudential principles and ancillaries. ''Al-Mabsut'' was frequently cited in Shiite jurisprudential works.

Al-Shaykh al-Tusi says that his motivation for writing the book, ''al-Mabsut'', was to give a practical response to the anti-Shiistic claim that the [[Imami]] jurisprudence was too small, that is, it had few ancillaries and problems, because it rejects the methods of [[qiyas]] and [[ijtihad]]. However, al-Shaykh al-Tusi tried to show that all such ancillaries and problems could be found in [[hadith]]s from the Shiite [[Imams (a)]]. Thus, in his ''al-Mabsut'', he cited many hadiths from [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] about jurisprudential problems and ancillaries.  

In his book, ''[[al-Jumal wa l-'uqud]]'', [[al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] had promised to devote a book to jurisprudential ancillaries so that the combination of this book and ''al-Nihaya'' could cover all jurisprudential issues. However, he changed his mind on the grounds that jurisprudential ancillaries could be fully understood only if they were put beside jurisprudential principles. He later wrote ''al-Mabsut'' for this purpose.

Al-Shaykh al-Tusi says that he knew of no book in which all jurisprudential principles and ancillaries were discussed in terms of Shiism.

''Al-Mabsut'' is devoted to jurisprudential rulings, such as those concerning [[tahara]] (cleanliness), [[prayer]], [[fasting]], [[khums]], [[zakat]], [[hajj]], [[i'tikaf]], [[marriage]], [[divorce]], [[usurpation]], [[renting]], [[waqf]] (endowment), [[almsgiving]] (sadaqa), [[gifts]] (hiba), [[mudaraba]], [[rida']], [[hudud]], [[diyat]], and so on. He refers to the main parts of ''al-Mabsut'' as "kitab" (book), and then divided every "kitab" into chapters. Al-Tusi compiled jurisprudential ancillaries within 30 or 80 kitabs.

''Al-Mabsut'' is characterized as covering all jurisprudential sections, its restriction to jurisprudential issues, its avoidance of mentioning supplications and manners, and brevity. Al-Shaykh al-Tusi does not mention the names of the scholars whom he cites. There is only one case in which he mentions "[[Ibn al-Barraj]]".

The author of ''al-Rawdat'' appeals to the opening sermon of ''al-Mabsut'' to show that the book was the last jurisprudential work written by [[al-Shaykh al-Tusi]]. Al-Shaykh al-Tusi cites or mentions other books by himself, including ''[[Misbah al-mutahajjid]]'', ''[[al-Khilaf]]'', ''[[al-Nihaya]]'', ''[[al-Jumal wa l-'uqud]]''. However, since in his book, ''[[al-Iqtisad al-hadi ila tariq al-rashad]]'', he refers to ''al-Mabsut'', the latter was probably written prior to the former.

''Al-Mabsut'' was lithographically printed with the handwriting of Muhammad 'Ali Khwansari as edited by Mirza Masih in 1270/1853-4 in [[Iran]]. Also, the book was published by al-Maktabat al-Murtadawiyya in 1387/1967-8 with the marginal commentaries of Muhammad Taqi Kashfi as edited by Muhammad Baqir Bihbudi in 8 volumes.

[[Aqa Buzurg al-Tihrani]] refers to two old manuscripts of ''al-Mabsut'' dating back to 586/1190 and 613/1216-17. The book, ''Muqaddama'i bar fiqh-i Shi'a'' (an introduction to the Shiite jurisprudence), refers to various manuscripts of the book the oldest of which dates back to 507/1113.

* The material for this article is mainly taken from {{ia|[[:fa:المبسوط فی فقه الامامیه (کتاب)|المبسوط فی فقه الامامیه(کتاب)]]}} in Farsi WikiShia.

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