المجموع شرح المهذب میں امام النووی کا منہج --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Methodology of Imam Nawawi in Al-Majmu‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab

Abstract

Al-majmu‘ is interpretation of a basic source of Shafi‘i  Fiqh al-Muhadhdhab. Imam Shirazi during the compilation of Al-Muhadhdhab followed methodology of Imam Shafi‘i which he has laid down in al-Risalah and al-Umm. However due to certain ambiguities the benefit from this one of an important source of Shafi‘i Fiqh was limited. This reason encouraged many scholars including Imam Nawawi to work on the various aspects of Al-Muhadhdhab. Some researchers have also taken into consideration this valuable corpus and published it with notes and additions. In compilation of al-Majmu’ Imam Nawawi followed well established Islamic methods of research. He has highlighted his methodology in the inroduction of al-Majmu’. His work explores philological roots of words, discusses levels of various narrations of Hadith and identified its sources. He also introduced the personalities that have been mentioned in al-Muhadhdhab and verified the legal nature of the facts that were discussed by Imam Shirazi. The process of extracting the applicable ruling in al-Muhadhdhab was also elaborated by Imam Nawawi. The work of Imam Nawawi on sharh al-Muhadhdhab was later on completed by Imam Subki and others on the same pattern.  The article proceeds with review of the literature of Shafi‘i school of Islamic Law. It followed by discussion on the life of Imam Shirazi and his compilation al-Muhadhdhab. The importance of this source of Shafi‘i Fiqh and its methodology is also elaborated in this section. The life of Imam Nawawi and his work al-Majmu’ is discussed in the next part of the research. The last part of the research focused on the typology of Imam Nawawi in Sharh al-Muhadhdhab and highlights with examples the important characteristics of the research work of Im┐m Nawawi in al-Majmu’. Important outcome of the research is presented in the conclusion of the article.