Section 1: An overview of some recommended Hanafi texts
Section 2: Recommended Hanafi texts in Arabic with download links
Section 1: Some Recommended Books in Hanafi Fiqh
(Compiled by Noura Shamma from Sidi Faraz Rabbani’s lesson on ‘Recommended Books’ in his sessions on al-Khulasa in Hanafi fiqh)
The books are of three types:
Relating to Worship.
Those normally studied in traditional curriculums.
Reference works.
Relating to Worship:
I. Nur al-Idah – this is the main matn/text studied in fiqh of worship. Maraqi al-Falah, is the sharh/commentary on the text. Both of these are by the same author, Imam al-Shurunbulali.
Al-Hashiya (Marginal Notes) of Imam al-Tahtawi is also important to have.
Useful to have each of these three works separately.
Damascus edition is the best; avoid the Beirut editions – not useful at all.
Another edition (?) of Nur al-Idah with footnotes by: Abd al-Jalil ‘Ata and Abd al-Hamid Mahmoud, is available and good.
II. Al-Hadiyah al-Ala’aiyyah – by ‘Alaadin ibn Abidin, son of Ibn Abidin, who is the reference on fatwa in the school. Al-Hadiyah is based on his father’s work, though he differs on a few matters. The Hadiyah is a summary on the final word on worship; also has a very useful section on the fiqh of halal and haram and section on Aqidah. It was intended as a work for elementary level students.
Damascus edition is good; look for edition with notes by Shaykh al-Burhani.
Should be read along with Nur al-Idah.
III. Al-Halabi al-Kabir – by Shaykh Ibrahim al-Halabi. Photocopying is the only way to get a copy of this work.
Books in the Traditional Curriculum:
I. Al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab – by Abd al-Ghani al-Maydani (who was a student of Ibn Abidin). This work is a sharh/commentary on Mukhtasar al-Quduri.
Quduri is the first work studied in fiqh across all Muslim lands.
Available editions are mediocre.
II. Al-Tas’hil al-Daruri – Mawlana ‘Ashiq al-Ilahi.
Published by Dar al-Arqam
Contemporary work; puts the sections of Quduri in a Q&A format.
Indian commentaries on Quduri, some available on-line, on albalagha.net bookstore
If you can read Urdu, Al-Subh al-Nuri is a good commentary.
In Turkish, Muqaya al-Quduri is very useful.
In Arab lands:
Al-Ikhtiyar – by Imam al-Musuli; commentary on the matn of Qurduri.
Edition by Shaykh Muhammed Adnan Darwish published by Dar al-Arqam is available.
If you can wait, a new edition by Shaykh Su’aib al-Arna’ut is coming soon.
Related Text: I. Fath Bab al-‘Inayah – Sharh al-Nuqaya – by Mullah Ali al-Qari.
Published in 3 vols. by Dar al-Arqam
Very clear, one of clearer works available
Give legal reasoning and textual evidence
Two editions on the market, both mediocre
III. Multaqa al-Abhur – Ibrahim al-Halabi (d.956 A.H.) is a matn. Title means the meeting of oceans. In this work, he gathered four major mutun of the mathhab, and added useful issues from other sources as well.
Contains masa’il/issues of all four texts/matn.
Language very clear.
Text was used extensively in Ottoman lands; he was head teacher at Sultan Muhammed al-Fatih mosque and madrassah, which was one of the highest teaching positions in Ottoman lands.
Has two great commentaries on it, by Shaykh Zada and Shaykh al-Haskafi (see below).
IV. Majma’ al-Anhur – Shaykh Zada
Extremely useful, clearest commentary in Hanafi fiqh; he defines all the terms, gives examples, and clear explanation.
Old edition is excellent; Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyah is a disaster, avoid.
Shaykh Zada has a Hashiya on al-Baydawi’s tafsir, the scholars said, “If it wasn’t for Shaykh Zada, al-Baydawi wouldn’t have been understood.”
Also has a commentary on Qawaid al-Irab of Ibn Hisham.
V. Al-Durr al-Muntaqa – by Shaykh al-Haskari, who is the author of al-Durr al-Mukhtar on which Ibn Abidin wrote his Hashiya.
This commentary is the exact opposite of Shaykh Zada; he uses the most concise expressions possible. He said what counts is the weightiness of the secrets and not the size of the volumes.
It is to 1/3 size of Shaykh Zada’s work but has two to three times as many issues.
Final work studied: Al-Hidayah – by al-Marghinani
Called the pride of the Hanafis.
Took 12 years to write, during which the author was constantly fasting (secretly).
It’s only a 1000 pages, but he really distilled it; it is the culminating fruit of the Hanafi mathhab.
There are a number of important works on it; need two of them:
1. Hashiyat al-Lakhnawi.
He explains basically just explains the text of the Hidayah without elaborations. It is very clear.
Available in Damascus as a photocopy.
2. Fath al-Qadir – by Al-Kamal ibn al-Humam.
The edition you want is published with two other commentaries: al-Kafiyah by al-Khawarizmi and al-‘Inayah by Akmal al-Din.
Bulaq published this old edition – reprints are available.
Fath al-Qadir builds on the Hidayah, doesn’t explain out the text entirely. It is the greatest, most brilliant commentary in the mathhab.
Al-Kamal ibn al-Humam is the arguably last person agreed on in the Ummah to be a mujtahid imam; he is buried by request right next to Sidi Ibn ‘Ata’illah in Cairo.
References:
I. Legal Dictionaries:
Al-Mughrib – by al-Mutarrazi, he was a student of the students of al-Zamakhshari. Very useful.
Tilbat al-Talabah – by Imam al-Nasafi.
Arranged by chapters of fiqh
Explains terms in some detail.
Dar al-Nafa’is (Beirut?) is only one worth having – cross-references terms.
Al-Misbah al-Munir – by Al-Fayumi.
Not specific to Hanafi fiqh
General dictionary of Arabic
Explains well, easier to understand than other Arabic/Arabic dictionaries like al-Qamus al-Muhet.
II. Hashiyat Ibn Abidin
He is know in the Indian subcontinent as Shami
This is the work for legal details.
Bulaq edition is a must, its 5 vols., 6th volume is a completion and 7th are notes by al-Rafidi.
Some other recommendations: 1. Al-Durar al-Mubahah fi al-Hathir wa al-Ibahah – by al-Nahlawi
This is available in electronic format.
Contains the fiqh of halal and haram – he expanded the section in al-Hidayah. Very practical
Book on taqwa, defines the importance and need for taqwa and knowledge.
Helps to map it out – lots of cross-references.
Ulama gave a lot of attention to this work; still taught today in Turkey
Many commentaries on it, including:
3. Al-Bariqah fi Sharh al-Tariqa – Imam al-Khadimi, in 2 big volumes.
4. Al-Hadiqah al-Nadiyah – Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, also in 2 volumes Both are great commentaries; fiqh of taqwa and inward sins, very important.3. In Arabic, two CDs to purchase:
5. al-Mawsu’ah al-Shamilah; have 980 books on it. worth getting, available free from Sidi Faraz.
6. Jami’ al-Fiqh al-Islami – produced by Harf (www.harf.com) in Egypt. It costs about 100$. It has about 100 books in it; all the major reference works of each mathhabs as well as biographies, dictionaries and has excellent search capabilities.
7. Awarif al-Ma’arif – by al-Suhrawardi; one of the key works in tasawuf.
8. Works of Shaykh Al-Alawi al-Makki – many available now in Ghazali bookstore.
9. Miftah al-Jannah – by Shaykh Ahmad al-Haddad; is translated but the Arabic is worth having; also available at Ghazali.
Recommended Books – given at various times
Al-Risalah al-Qushariyah – with Hashiyat al-Arusi
Adab al-Ikhtilfa – Muhammed ‘Awama
Hayat al-Sahaba – al-Kandahlawi; 4vol edition by Dar ibn Kathir.
Qimat al-Zaman ‘inad al-Ulama – Shaykh Abd al-Fatah Abu Ghouda
Safahat min Sabr al-Ulama’ – Shaykh Abd al-Fatah Abu Ghouda.
Tathkirat al-Saami’ wa al-Mutakalim fi Adab al-Ilm wa al-Muta’alim – Ibn al-Jum’ah
Al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib – Sayyid Abbas al-Maliki/al-Makki?
Maraqi al-Muftah sharh Miskat al-Misbah – Mulla Ali al-Qari
Mufradat – Raghib al-Isfahani, Dar al-Qalam edition.
Al-Mar’a – Shaykh al-Bouti
Fiqh al-Sirah – Shaykh al-Bouti
Nida’ al-Muminin fil Qur’an al-Mubin – also translated by Muhtar Holland.
And Allah alone gives success.
Section 2: Recommended texts of Hanafi Fiqh with download links
طريقة الخلاف في الفقه بين الأئمة الأسلاف - Author: محمد بن عبد الحميد الأسمندي - Links: تحميل الكتاب | تحميل المقدمة
الاختيارات الفقهية للشيخ عبيد الله المباركفوري كتاب الصيام والاعتكاف جمعا ودراسة - Authors: موافقي الأمين - Links: تحميل
المخارج في الحيل - Author: محمد بن الحسن الشيباني - Links: تحميل | تصفح
مجمع الضمانات في مذهب الإمام الأعظم أبي حنيفة النعمان - Author: غياث الدين أبو محمد بن غانم بن محمد البغدادي - Links: تحميل | تصفح
نور الإيضاح في الفقه علي مذهب الإمام أبي حنيفة النعمان - Author: حسن بن عمار الشرنبلاني أبو البركات - Link: الكتاب
سبيل الفلاح في شرح نور الإيضاح ومعه هبة الفتاح بتكملة نور الإيضاح - Link: الكتاب
مراقي الفلاح بإمداد الفتاح شرح نور الإيضاح ونجاة الأرواح وبهامشه متن نور الإيضاح مع تقريرات من حاشية الطحطاوي - Author: حسن بن عمار بن علي الشرنبلالي الحنفي - Link: الكتاب