 Cover of the book | |
| Author | Ibn Babawayh |
|---|---|
| Language | Arabic |
| Published | 10th century |
| Part ofa series onShia Islam |
| Twelver Shi'ism |
|---|
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Man Lā Yaḥḍuruhu al-Faqīh (Arabic:مَنْ لَا يَحْضُرُه ٱلْفَقِيه,lit. 'He Who Has NoJurisprudent') is aHadith collection by the famousTwelverShia Hadith scholarAbu Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn ʿAli ibn Babawayh al-Qummi, commonly known asIbn Babawayh orSheikh al-Saduq (lit.The Truthful Scholar). This work is included amongthe Four Books of Twelver Shia Islam.
The book has also been translated as "Every Man His Own Lawyer."[1][2]
In his introduction to the book the author explains the circumstances of its composition and the reason for its title. When he was at Ilaq near Balkh, he met Sharif al-Din Abu 'Abd Allah known as Ni'mah. He brought a book compiled by Muhammad b. Zakharia al-Razi entitledMan La Yahduruhu al-Tabeeb (English:He who has no Doctor) to the attention of al-Shaykh al-Saduq. He, then, asked him to compile a book onFiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), theHalal and theHaram (the permitted and prohibited) andal-shara-i' wa-'l-ahkam (revealed law and ordinary laws) which would draw on all the works which the Shaikh earlier had composed on the subject. This book would be calledMan La Yahduruh al-Faqih and would function as a work of reference.[3][4]
In the preface, Saduq explains that the book was compiled from earlier famous books which earlier Shiites had relied upon:
And all that which is in it (i.e. my book al-Faqih) is taken from famous books, on which we (the whole Ta’ifa) rely and to which we refer such as the book of Hariz b. Abdallah al-Sijistani, the book of Ubaydallah b. Ali al-Halabi, the books ofAli b. Mahziyar al-Ahwazi [etc.] [...][5]
Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih is mainly concerned withFuru al-Din.[6] The book is meant to be a reference book to help ordinaryShia Muslims in the practise of the legal requirements of Islam. Generally, theIsnad's (list of the narrators) is absent. Thus, the book is a summary of the study of legal traditions.[7][8] Shaikh al-Saduq himself said about his work:
I compiled the book withoutIsnads so that the chains (of authority) should not be too many (-and make the book too long-) and so that the book's advantages might be abundant. I did not have the usual intention of compilers (of books of traditions) to put forward everything which they (could) narrate but my intention was to put forward those things by which I gave legal opinions and which I judged to be correct.[9]
Shia Muslims regards this book as among the most reliable Hadith collections. Thus, the book is included inThe Four Books of the Shia, together withAl-Kafi,Al-Istibsar andTahdhib al-Ahkam. As with all Hadith collections, however, there is no guarantee of the authenticity of each individual hadith and the reliability of each must be separately assessed.[10][11]
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