درجة الإمام الشرنبلالي في الاجتهاد

Abstract EN

Imam Shurunbilali was a unique figure of his time, the kind which Allah Most High gifts to His nation (ummah) in order to preserve its religion (din).

He reached a lofty station.

His books, treatises, jurisprudential choices, and giving preference to certain rulings over others (tarjihat) in the Hanafi School of Law (madhhab) were many, causing us to be in great need of understanding his rank in independent reasoning (ijtihad).

As long as his jurisprudential declarations (aqwal) are numerous, it is guaranteed that opinions will be ascribed to the Hanafi School of Law.

In order for our assessment of his statements to be founded on firm, knowledge-based foundations, I have spoken about the ten functions of a mujtahid and the classification of the Hanafi levels [of mujtahids and jurisprudence].

I have also discussed the extent to which Imam Shurunbilali realized each of these levels so as to make his jurisprudential standing and the scope of dependence upon his books apparent to us.

It has become entirely clear to me that he is a very great imam.

He has met with astonishing acceptance because of the intensity of his sincerity (ikhlas) and the strength of his knowledge, so his books have becomethe object of inspection and study of the scholars of jurisprudence (fuqaha) from those who came after him.

He is a mujtahid in a school of law (mujtahid fi’l madhhab) who reached a lofty rank even though he did not reach its perfection.

So, we need to makesureabout what he adhered to in his giving preponderance to certain opinions of others, his critically analyzing jurisprudential rulings, and his differentiating between certain principles of giving legal verdicts by considering: Have others agreed with him in regards to what he decides?