Imam Abu Hanifa’s Al-Fiqh al-Akbar Explained

 

Al-Fiqh al-Akbar is one of the earliest texts written on Islamic ­creed and one of the surviving works of Abu Hanifa, the Great Imam of jurisprudence and theology. Studied for centuries in the Muslim world, Al-Fiqh al-Akbar offers a more nuanced, textured approach to understanding divine oneness (tawhid), the focal point of Islamic belief. It refines one’s understanding of the Creator, the messengers and divine communication, and enables one to gain much-needed insight into the realities of this life and the events of the hereafter.

Al-Fiqh al-Akbar not only improves one’s understanding of ‘aqida and deepens one’s appreciation of his or her beliefs, but it endeavors to address questions, which, if left unanswered, could leave insidious doubt and cause communal division. Such questions include: Where is Allah? Does Allah evolve? What constitutes true Islamic belief? Are prophets capable of sinning? Is there creation beyond what we see? What comes after death?

This translation of Al-Fiqh al-Akbar is an unprecedented contribution to the subject of ‘aqida in English. A lucid rendering, unhampered by sterile literalism, it draws on a number of commentaries to unlock a subject that has been largely inaccessible to an English readership. This is due both to the subject’s complexity and the lack of reliable works in English. Combining Maghnisawi’s basic commentary with copious notes carefully selected from ‘Ali al-Qari’s super-commentary and the entire Kitab al-Wasiyya of Abu Hanifa, this edition promises to be an essential guide on the intellectual and rewarding journey through Islamic creed.