Researchers have shed light on the literary production of the IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Ja士far al-峁⒛乨iq (d. 765), as his successor. since the early 1930s. The cataloguing of these work has been carried out by Ivanow, Fyzee, Goriawala, Poonawala, Gacek, Cortese and de Blois. Many works attributable to Ismaili scholars, however, are still unavailable either because they remain hidden in private collections or because they have not survived.
Ismaili law, in particular, is still a largely unexplored field of study. Al-Q膩岣嵞 Ab奴 岣n墨fa al-Nu士m膩n is generally considered the founder and greatest exponent of Ismaili jurisprudence, Many of his works have been lost, and information on some others is scattered; yet other works remain in manuscript form, and only a few have been published. The present book is a critical edition and translation of al-Nu士m膩n鈥檚 惭颈苍丑腻箩 al-Far膩示i岣, based on its three known copies. It deals with the law of inheritance, one of the most complex in Islamic law.
In comparing the 惭颈苍丑腻箩 with two published works (the Da士a示im al-Isl膩m and Kit膩b al-iqti峁Ｄ乺) as well as a manuscript (Mukhta峁r al-膩th膩r) of al-Nu士m膩n, a significant doctrinal evolution clearly emerges, reflecting his early M膩lik墨 training and then his work under four Fatimid imams. Ismaili law is also compared with the doctrines of the Im膩m墨 school as well as the legal system of the four Sunni schools.
This book thus allows us to determine the time of the composition of the 惭颈苍丑腻箩 al-Far膩示i岣, the development and the originality of Ismaili jurisprudence, and its relation to other schools of law.
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. The life and works of Al-Qadi Abu Hanifa al-Nu鈥榤an
2. Differences among al-Nu士m膩n鈥檚 five Ismaili works, and a comparison of their doctrines with Im膩m墨 and Sunni doctrines on inheritance
Conclusion
Note on the edition
Translation of the 惭颈苍丑腻箩 al-far膩示i岣
Bibliography
English Index
Arabic Index
Arabic Text
Agostino Cilardo is a Full Professor at the 鈥極rientale鈥 (Naples), where he has been the Dean of the Faculty of Arabic-Islamic and Mediterranean Studies. he is the editor of Studi Magrebini (Naples) and of the series 鈥楢rabic-Islamic Culture鈥 (Naples). He is a member of the editorial Board of the Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies and of the Honorary Scientific Board of Studia Asiatica.
A specialist in Islamic law, Professor Cilardo has authored several books, including Teorie sulle origini del diritto islamico (Rome, 1990), Diritto ereditario islamico delle scuole giuridiche ismailita e imamita. Casistica (Rome, 1993), Diritto ereditario islamico delle scuole giuridiche sunnite (hanafita, malikita, shafi士ita e hanbalita) e delle scuole giuridiche zaydita, zahirita e ibadita. Casistica (Rome, 1994), Il diritto islamico e il sistema giuridico italiano. Le bozze di intesa tra la Repubblica Italiana e le Associazioni islamiche italiane (Naples, 2002), The Qur示膩nic Term Kal膩la: Studies in Arabic Language and Poetry, 岣岣嵞汞, Tafs墨r and fiqh鈥擭otes on the Origins of Islamic Law (Edinburgh, 2005), and Due sistemi a confronto. La famiglia nell示islam e nel diritto canonico (with Francesco Mennillo (Padua, 2009).
He has also edited several books, including Atti del Convegno sul tema: Presenza araba e islamica in Campania (Napoli-Caserta, 22鈥25 Novembre 1989) (Naples, 1992) and La tutela dei minori di cultura islamica nell示area mediterranea. Aspetti sociali, giuridici e medici (Naples, 2011).