‫زاد المست قنع‬
‫يف اختصار المقنع‬
‫( يف فقه اإلمام أمحد بن حن بل َّ‬
‫الشيبانِ رضي للا عنه )‬
‫( األصل للشيخ موفَّق ال ِدين عبد للا بن أمحد بن قدامة المقدس ِي ُث ال ِدمشق ِي )‬
‫اختصره‬
‫( الع َّّلمة الشيخ شرف ال ِدين أبو النَّجا )‬
‫( موسى بن أمحد بن موسى بن سال بن عيسى بن سال المقدسي احل َّجاوي )‬
‫( ُث الصاحلي ال ِدمشقي)‬
‫( ت غ َّمده للا برمحته )‬
‫عناية‬
‫(آفاق التيسري للبحوث العلمية وتقنية املعلومات)‬
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Introduction by AE
Bismillah.
The following text includes a draft-translation by brother Musa Furber of our main class
directional text: Zād al-Mustaqni‘ of al-Hajjāwi  (d. 968h). Brother Musa’s text,
translation, spelling or grammar has not been altered by Prophetic Guidance or myself
whatsoever, but Arabic transliterations and names have been amended to academic
standard i.e. Zad becomes Zād. We haven’t used complete transliteration such as the use
of dot-fonts because most computers will show syntax errors with the text. Perhaps in
the future for a printed version, we will include full transliteration for ‫ ض‬and ‫ ص‬etc.
Being a work-in-progress from its original translator, there is a plan to go along whilst
we have each study session and see if there’s any way we can improve the current
translation and then perhaps feed that back in the future to its original translator.
The draft translation is only included for students as a rough guide to help them follow
the discussions in class and the general flow of the book, and to save us valuable time in
class translating from scratch. May Allah reward brother Musa for his efforts.
What I have then done with the translation is to split it up into different sentences over
different pages, and attached close to it the corresponding original Arabic text of Zād’lMustaqni‘. You’ll notice the large spaces I have left so that one is free to either print this
out and write their own notes and commentary that I shall teach in shā Allāh, or indeed
to remain in Word and type on your laptops what you feel to be relevant to your level of
study.
Undoubtedly those more advanced students of knowledge will need further notebooks
and space to take down extra notes which I will be providing from larger resources such
as Shaykh al-‘Uthaymīn’s  commentary to this text, known as al-Sharh’l-Mumti‘ ‘alā
Zād’l-Mustaqni‘.
Please forgive us for any mistakes and please remember the entire Prophetic Guidance
team in your du ‘ās. That’s what we depend on.
Jazākumullāhu khayran.
Abu Eesa Niamatullah
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Introductory notes by the translator Musa Furber:
A few notes about the book: This started as Ibn Qudāmah’s second treatise, Al-Muqni`.
Al-Hajjāwi summarized it into Zād al-Mustaqni`, giving only the preponderant positions
in the school without mentioning any differences. Al-Bahūti, Sheikh al-Madh-hab, wrote
a commentary on this, Sharh al-Zād, also known as Al-Raudh al-Murbi`. His commentary
not only explains what was given, but adding many left out furū`, evidence, and ta`līl for
virtually every ruling in the book, all in one volume. A quick examination of different
prints of Al-Raudh lead me to believe that there is quite a bit of theft going on with its
publishers: the same confusion between the matn and the sharh occurs in “unrelated”
prints, and al-hamdu lillah I found two prints of the matn on its own which prove that
these are indeed mistakes.
There are a few hāshiyas written on the book: by Ibn al-Badrān (unpublished), by alNajdi in seven volumes, and one in three volumes by al-`Anbāri (to be found in great
number in Jordan at the really dusty book store near Dar al-Fath). Lacking these books, I
rely on books like al-Bahūti’s own Kashshāf al-qīnā’ to understand what al- Bahūti
intended.
The great Hanbali scholar Imam Muwaffaq Al-Dīn Ibn Qudāmah Al-Maqdisi developed a
program taking students from the very beginning of their studies to the very end: from
having no specialized knowledge in the fiqh to being a mujtahid. His program consisted
of a series of books, moving the student toward the grand goal in stages.
The first book is Al-`Umdah, a basic manual of fiqh for beginners. It covers the basic
rulings that every Hanbali needs. The book gave only the predominant opinion for each
position. While Al-Muwaffaq did not concentrate on evidence, he did tend to begin each
section with a hadith that the student can use for figuring out many of the unmentioned
branch issues.
The second book is Al-Muqni`, which added to the above by mentioning different
opinions for a given issue without telling the student which is the predominant opinion,
and by adding some additional branch issues.
The third book is Al-Kāfi, which introduces evidence for the positions in the madh-hab.
The fourth book is Raudhat Al-Nādhir, a book in usūl al-fiqh. It is a condensed version of
Imam Al-Ghazali’s Al-Mustasfa, but instead of championing the Shāfi`i usūl it champions
the Hanbali.
The fifth and final book is Al-Mughni, which builds on the previous works by adding
opinions from the other madh-habs from the Companions and early Imams (Allah be
well pleased with them) whether still followed or extinct, the opinions within the madhhab with a particular emphasis on what is transmitted from the Imam, the evidence for
all of these various positions, and then a defense of the predominant position in Ibn
Qudāmah’s opinion. The book is also full of minute branch issues.
So, this was the program that Al-Muwaffaq set down, and these are some of the many
books he authored. In today’s circumstances it is very easy to scoff at his program and
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consider it far-fetched, but it did indeed produce a good number of Hanbali mujtahids,
and his final book Al-Mughni has been praised by Hanbalis and non-Hanbalis alike; it an
Imam Al-Nawawi’s Al-Majmū`a are two of the more essential books of fiqh muqārin. The
Shāfi`i mujtahid imam Al-`Izz bin `Abd Al-Salām held back from giving verdicts until
obtaining a copy of Al-Mughni.
The madh-hab did not end with Ibn Qudāmah, and some opinions on rulings have
changed. One of the later scholars, `Ali Al-Hajjāwi, took Ibn Qudāmah’s Al-Muqni` and
reduced it to the predominant position in the madh-hab, removed extraneous issues,
and added some things that were necessary. His book is known as Zād Al-Mustaqni`; it
was greatly accepted, and some scholars said that whoever has memorized Al-Zād is fit
to be a judge. While the book is indeed short, it gives the basics for the Hanbali madhhab, including some things not even found in books twice its length. Later on Al-Bahūti
wrote a commentary on the text titled Al-Raudh Al-Murbi`, which added explanations,
evidence, ta`līl, and some additional rulings. Today Al-Raudh is the more popular
teaching manual in the Gulf area, while Nail Al-Ma‘ārib is preferred in Sham.
Terminology:
Essential, required — for the Arabic wājib
Obligatory — for the Arabic fardh
Recommended — for the Arabic mandūb
Lawful — for the Arabic mubāh
Offensive — for the Arabic makrūh
Prohibited, unlawful — for the Arabic harām
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‫بسم للا الرمحن الرحيم‬
،‫ أفضل ما ينبغي أن يمد‬،‫احلمد لل مح ًدا ال ي ن فد‬
In the name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate. Praise to Allah, a praise never
depleting, the best of what He should be praised.
5
.‫ وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن ت عبَّد‬،‫وصلَّى للا وسلَّم على أفضل المصطفي ح َّمد‬
Allah bless and give peace to the best of all chosen, Muhammad, and upon his folk,
Companions (Allah be Allah be well pleased with them), and whoever worships.
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‫ وهو الراجح يف‬، ‫ على قول واحد‬،‫ فهذا متصر يف الفقه من مقنع اإلمام الموفَّق أيب ح َّمد‬، ‫َّأما بعد‬
،‫مذهب أمحد‬
To commence:
This is a summary of fiqh from the Muqni’ of Imam al-Muwaffaq, Abu Muhammad
following one opinion: the most superior in the madh-hab of Ahmad.
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‫ واألسباب‬،‫ إذ المم قد قصرت‬،‫ورَّّبا حذفت منه مسائل اندرة الوقوع وزدت ما على مثله ي عتمد‬
‫ وهو‬،‫ وال حول وال ق َّوة إال ابلل‬،‫ ومع صغر حجمه حوى ما ي غن عن التطويل‬،‫المث بِطة عن ن يل المراد قد كث رت‬
.‫حسبنا ونعم الوكيل‬
I have hopefully removed issues [masā’il] that rarely occur and I have added what is
relied upon, since aspirations have lowered and reasons which preoccupy from
reaching the goal are numerous. In spite of its small size, what it does include frees need
of lengthiness.
There is no change or power save through Allah. He is our sufficiency and best to rely
upon.
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