An Appraisal of Sheikh abid Sindhi`s Tawali -al- Anwar Sharh Durr –ul- Mukhtar: A Jurisprudential Analysis

Abstract

Sheikh Abid Sindhi (d. 1252 A.H) was one of the most distinguished Islamic scholars, jurists, and prolific authors of the Hanafī School of jurisprudence in the twelfth-century A.H from Sindh. He was widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on Hadīth and one of the omniscient men of the recent era of Hanafī Jurisprudence. His expertise in various branches of Islamic knowledge is unique. The most monumental and significant work of Sheikh Abid Sindhi is a commentary on Durr -ul- Mukhtar named: Tawali -al- Anwar Sharh -al- Durr -ul- Mukhtar. Though the commentaries on Durr -ul- Mukhtar are many and varied, the most famous and widespread commentary is Radd -al- Muhtar by Muhammad Amin ibn Abidin Shami (d.1252 A.H). This book is very crucial among Islamic scholars, but Tawali -al- Anwar is a comprehensive, extensive, rich, and authoritative commentary from every aspect of research. It was studied from the Qur‘ānic perspective, referenced from the verses of the Holy Qur‘ān, Qurānic exegesis (Tafsīr), Hadīths, Science of Hadīth, and jurisprudential approaches of Hanafī scholars and intellectual evidence. Undoubtedly, it deserves to be acknowledged as the finest and comprehensive and informative commentary on Durr-ul-Mukhtar. This study focuses on the author`s biography, methodology, and its importance in the Hanafī School of jurisprudence.

Keywords: Abid Sindhi Tawali-al-Anwar Sharh-al-Durr-ul-Mukhtar, Hanafī School of Jurisprudence, Qurānic exegesis, Tafsīr, Hadīths, Science of Hadīth.