Legacy of the Great Four Imams – (English) – (PB)

“The importance of the classical great Imams who laid down the laws of Sunni Islam cannot be denied. Over the years many significant studies have analysed the life and contributions of these great jurists of Islam. However it is necessary to see the life and work and contribution of these amazing men in every generation through a new and different perspective and in the light of recent researches.

This book is a humble exercise towards this end. It reviews the history of Islamic religious-legal thought over the past fourteen centuries beginning with the mission of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings of Allah be with him), goes through the controversies, and evaluates the most recent studies and researches on Islamic thought and practices.

The Islamic religious- legal tradition, like any other tradition, needs to be continuously reinterpreted in the light of the past experiences of, and new realities, facing the Islamic umma. For Islamic tradition is not a dead tradition; on the contrary it is a live model that has significant relevance for modern times.

The legalist rulings of the classical imams, and their associated schools of thought were space and time bound. They were concerned with solving the problems of their own societies and examined these problems in the light of available knowledge. They gave their judgments without fear or favour and were concerned with what they considered to be the truth.

However, none of the great imams ever claimed finality for their rulings, judgements or opinions. Their rulings were or the ultimate understanding not meant to be the final word, of a particular precept of the Shariah. The great imams never intended that their judgments should become eternal law: that would amount to claiming divine Author Name(s)ity; this is why they all, without exception, emphasised that their rulings were their own opinions, derived from the sources of the Shari’ah, and should not be aCCepted uncritically.

Contemporary Muslim societies have a great deal to learn from the experience of the great imams such as their judgments on theological matters, beliefs and prayers. But Shari’ah is not theology; it is an amalgam of law, ethics and methodology. Lessons can be drawn from how the imams applied this amalgam to the particular situations of the time; but there is no substitute for contemporary Muslim societies to work out their own problems. Indeed this exercise of going back to the sources of the Shari’ah to find solutions to new, different and emerging problems must be applied to every epoch; for every century produces radically different and new problems which cannot be foreseen and which are not amenable to traditional solutions. A fresh, contemporary understanding of the Shari’ah is crucial for the emergence of a Muslim civilisation of the future.

The following pages offer an overview of the nature, significance and evolution of the Islamic law in the post-Prophetic period. An attempt is also made to understand Islamic law in the light of the mission# goals and practices of our beloved Prophet and critically evaluate the significance and contribution of the four greatest imams of Sunni law.

Aftab Shahryar

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