The Attribution Problem and The Examination of Manuscripts in The Works al-Anwar fi Usul al-Fiqh and Mukhtasar Taqwim al-Adillah

Abstract

This study presents an in-depth investigation into two significant works traditionally attributed to the renowned Hanafi jurist Abu Zayd al-Dabusi (367-430 AH): Mukhtasaru Taqwim al-Adillah and al-Anwar fi Usul al-Fiqh. A central figure in the Hanafi school, al-Dabusi's contributions to Islamic jurisprudence have left a lasting legacy; however, the authenticity of these two works attributed to him has long been questioned. This research aims to examine these works comprehensively, assessing the reliability of this attribution. By analyzing existing manuscript copies, this study not only scrutinizes the language, terminologies, and stylistic elements of these texts but also reviews classical and contemporary sources to provide a holistic understanding of the potential origins and authorship of al-Anwar fi Usul al-Fiqh. Integrating insights from classical Islamic studies with modern academic approaches, this research offers a nuanced perspective on the long-standing association of al-Anwar fi Usul al-Fiqh with al-Dabusi's legacy. The first part of the study delves into the analysis of manuscripts titled al-Anwar fi Usul al-Fiqh held in the Burdur Library and Atat & uuml;rk Library in Istanbul. These manuscripts have historically been attributed to al-Dabusi, yet this attribution has not been substantiated through rigorous verification. Through an extensive content analysis of these manuscripts, it became apparent that the manuscripts are not works of al-Dabusi but instead are versions of Usul al-Shashi, an anonymous text from the Hanafi school with an unknown author. To reach this conclusion, the study involved a careful examination of terminologies, sources, and stylistic elements within these manuscripts and compared them to authenticated works by al-Dabusi. These comparisons revealed inconsistencies with his known writings, showing that al-Anwar fi Usul al-Fiqh, previously believed to be written by al-Dabusi, contains unique features and content that diverge from his established style and approach in jurisprudential works. In the second part of the study, an alternative hypothesis is investigated: that alAnwar fi Usul al-Fiqh might actually be a condensed or abridged version of alDabusi's most famous work, Taqwim al-Adillah. To assess this claim, various manuscripts located in significant collections such as the S & uuml;leymaniye Library, & Ccedil;orum Public Library, and the Goethe Institute in Germany were examined in detail. One of the most critical manuscripts for this investigation was identified as the Bagdatli Vehbi manuscript from the S & uuml;leymaniye Library, a key resource for understanding the historical connections between these texts. A thorough re-view of this manuscript, however, led to a significant finding: it was not written by al-Dabusi but instead appears to be Mukhtasaru Taqwim al-Adillah, a work attributed to Abu Ja'far al-Arsabandi, another prominent yet lesser-known jurist from the Hanafi school. This discovery illuminates al-Arsabandi's role as a vital transmitter of the Hanafi intellectual tradition, though he has remained relati-vely under-recognized in Islamic scholarship. Despite his contributions, al-Arsabandi has not been afforded the prominence he deserves, as he is only bri-efly mentioned in classical Islamic sources and has not been granted an inde-pendent encyclopedia article in key references, such as the Diyanet Islamic Encyclopedia. This study, therefore, contributes to the re-evaluation of his place within Hanafi jurisprudential history, suggesting that his contributions merit greater attention from scholars. In the final section, the study examines manuscript copies of Taqwim al-Adillah and compares them with printed versions to better understand the relationship between these texts, especially between the summarized and complete forms. This comparative analysis evaluates both the manuscript and printed texts through specific examples, highlighting differences and similarities in content and structure. Among the documents reviewed, the manuscript cataloged as Ms. Orient A 929 at the Goethe Institute in Germany proved to be especially noteworthy. However, a closer examination of its contents revealed that this document contains only a table of contents, rather than a full, detailed text, limiting its usefulness for definitive conclusions on al-Dabusi's authorship. Moreover, the manuscript was found to be incomplete, with several sections missing. These gaps further complicate the effort to confirm the work's attribution to al-Dabusi, underscoring the challenges that often arise in the authentication of historical manuscripts. Ultimately, this study concludes that none of the analyzed works can be definiti-vely attributed to Abu Zayd al-Dabusi. Instead, it ascribes Mukhtasaru Taqwim al-Adillah to al-Arsabandi, while al-Anwar fi Uul al-Fiqh is identified as a copy of Uul al-Shashi, an anonymous Hanafi jurisprudential text. This outcome high-lights the need for manuscript libraries and other relevant institutions to revisit and correct these attributions in their records, ensuring more accurate documen-tation of Islamic intellectual heritage. The study further stresses the importance of rigorous authentication methods for historical manuscripts to prevent future misattributions, which can obscure the true contributions of lesser-known scho-lars. It underscores the role of modern academic methods in historical studies, de-monstrating how a combination of traditional Islamic scholarship and contempo-rary research approaches can yield more reliable insights. By bringing attention to these misattributions, the study encourages a more systematic and critical approach to cataloging Islamic manuscripts, promoting greater accuracy in the preservation and study of Islamic scholarly works. This research ultimately ser-ves as a call to action for institutions and scholars to reassess historical attributi-ons within their collections, ensuring that the legacies of Islamic scholars are fa-ithfully represented.