Ibn Jāsir’s Critical Revisions of Preceding Ḥanbalī Jurists in His Work Mufīd al-Anām

Abstract

Abstract:

The work Mufīd al-Anām wa-Nūr al-Dhalām fī Taḥrīr al-Aḥkām li-Ḥijj Bayt Allāh al-Ḥarām by Shaykh ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Jāsir is considered a distinguished treatise on the rites of ḥajj within the Ḥanbalī school. One of the defining features of this work is the author’s critical engagement with earlier Ḥanbalī scholars. These engagements are organized into a structured introduction and four central sections.

The introduction outlines the significance of the subject, the rationale for choosing it, a brief biographical sketch of the author, an overview of Mufīd al-Anām, and a methodological explanation of his critiques.

The first section addresses the prerequisites for the obligation of ḥajj, concluding that sight is not a condition for entering iḥrām. The second section discusses iḥrām and its restrictions, concluding that converting one’s intention from ḥajj to a standalone ʿumrah is impermissible, and that it is permissible for a woman in iḥrām to cover her face when necessary.

The third section examines the use of perfume on the Kaʿbah and the rulings related to entering Makkah, arguing against seeking healing through its fragrance and disputing the recommendation of gesturing toward the Yemeni Corner.

The fourth and final section explores the rituals of ḥajj and ʿumrah, concluding that praying two rakʿahs after shaving the head is not recommended, nor is performing ṭawāf prior to entering iḥrām.