Ibn Qudamah's Methodology in Opposing al-Kharqi's "Al-Mukhtasar"

Abstract

This study examines Ibn Qudāmah's methodology in disagreeing with al-Khiraqī's Mukhtaṣar as reflected in his work al-Mughnī. The study employs the descriptive and analytical approaches following a comprehensive survey of the book. It comprises two main chapters: the first provides a brief introduction to Ibn Qudāmah and his work, while the second addresses his general approach to comparative jurisprudential discourse, followed by his specific methodology in disagreeing with al-Khiraqī, which encompasses over three hundred issues. The study concludes that these disagreements fall into three categories: explicit disagreement, in which Ibn Qudāmah clearly states his preferred opinion using direct terminology such as "the correct view" (al-ṣaḥīḥ) and "the more correct view" (al-aṣaḥḥ); apparent disagreement, in which he favors the opinion opposing al-Khiraqī through authoritative jurisprudential terms such as "the established position of the school" (al-madhhab), "the well-known opinion" (al-mashhūr), and "the explicitly stated opinion" (al-manṣūṣ), without expressly adopting them; and implicit disagreement, in which he signals the preponderance of an opinion contrary to the Mukhtaṣar through methodological indicators, such as presenting the opposing narration first, elaborating extensively on its evidence, undermining the basis of al-Khiraqī's position, or citing the views of leading scholars of the school without commenting on them.