Kitab al-Makasib orMakasib (Arabic:كتاب المكاسب,lit. 'Transactions') is a two-volumeTwelver Shi'ah legal manual ofIslamiccommercial law written onFiqh byMorteza Ansari.[1][2] It remains a key textbook in the modernHawza[3][4] and has been the subject of numerous commentaries.[5][6]Makasib and the notable work of Akhund Khorasani,Kefayah al-osul, are taught in advanced classes at theseminaries.[4][7] This book is one of the resources for the examination of theAssembly of Experts.[8]
SheikhMorteza Ansari (1781,Dezful – 1864,Najaf) was one of the most influentialShia scholars of the 19th century.[2] He trained more than a thousand students.[9] He was the leading Shia scholar in the lateQajar period.[10] AfterMuhammad Hasan al-Najafi, Ansari became the generalMarja' of Shia.[5] Two of his most significant works areMakasib andFaraed al-Osul, which are both used as textbooks on Shia law.[11]
This book has three sections. The first section is about forbidden transactions (Arabic:مکاسب المحرمه), the second is about sale (Arabic:بیع), and the third is about options in the sale (Arabic:خیارات). The end of the book is devoted to other issues, such asTaqiya,inheritance, andrada.[12]
Makasib has been the subject of commentaries bySheikh Abbas Qomi,[13]Akhund Khorasani,[14]Muhammad Hossein Naini,[15]Agha Zia Addin Araghi,[16] Mirza Abu'l-Hassan Azarbaijani Meshkini,[17] and Sheikh Mousavi Khansari.[18]
The first edition of the book was completed inTehran, 1886–7. The second edition was completed in Qom, and the last and popular (incomplete) edition was written by Muḥammad Kalāntar in five volumes in Najaf, 1972–5.[19]
There are numerous corrected editions ofMakasib. One of the editions was done by theShaykh Ansari Congress; the first volume was published by 1415AH and other volumes, namely, volumes 2–6, were gradually published until 1420 AH. The corrected edition was produced using one manuscript version and six printed ones. Another corrected edition was done by Hossein Amr Allahi and Muhammad Reza Fakir and issued by the institute of Islamic publication inQom.[20]