UṢŪL AL-FATWĀ
Miṣbāḥ al-Faqīh of
Muhammad al-Nābigha ibn ʿUmar al-Ghallāwī
Miṣbāḥ al-Faqīh fī Uṣūl al-Fatwā (“The Jurist’s Lamp in the Principles of Legal Verdicts”) is a foundational text in the field of uṣūl al-fatwā—the methodology, ethics, and framework for issuing Islamic legal opinions (fatāwā). Authored by the Mauritanian scholar Aḥmad al-Ṣaghīr ibn Ḥamā al-Tishītī al-Maslamī, the work represents a significant contribution to the scholarly tradition of West Africa, particularly within the Mālikī school of law.
The text lays out the theoretical and practical foundations that govern the process of issuing fatwā. It discusses the conditions and qualifications of the muftī, the nature of the fatwā itself, the principles of ijtihād and taqlīd, the relationship between the muftī and the mustaftī (questioner), and the proper use of legal sources. Al-Tishītī emphasizes the importance of piety, legal precision, and adherence to scholarly tradition, while also highlighting the moral responsibility that accompanies legal authority.
Written in a clear and systematic style, Miṣbāḥ al-Faqīh reflects the intellectual rigor of the Mauritanian maḥẓara (scholarly seminary) tradition, where the discipline of iftāʾ is taught as a specialized science distinct from general fiqh. The work serves both as a primer for advanced students preparing to engage in iftāʾ and as a reference for scholars seeking to uphold the integrity of legal reasoning in the contemporary context.
Through this treatise, Aḥmad al-Ṣaghīr preserves and transmits a legacy of careful juristic deliberation rooted in both textual fidelity and contextual awareness—illuminating the path of the faqīh with a balance of knowledge, ethics, and responsibility.
Consists of 51 classes.
The course was taught by Shaykh Zuhayr Qazzān in 2021.
