Abstract

Al-Ḥārith al-Muḥāsibī (d. 243/857) was one of the early ṣūfīs and zāhids (ascetics), and also known for his identity as a mutakallim (theologian), faqīh (jurist), and uṣūlī (scholar of Islamic legal theory), is among the influential figures in the history of Islamic thought through the works he authored. Al-Muḥāsibī was a contemporary of al-Shāfiʿī (d. 204/820). Bibliographic sources (ṭabaḳāt) contain assessments indicating that he was among the first generation of Shāfi‘īs to adopt al-Shāfi‘ī’s perspective. As far as we know, apart from the book attributed to him under the title Fahm al-sunan, about which we have insufficient information, al-Muḥāsibī did not write any independent works on the uṣūl al-fiqh (Islamic legal theory). Al-Muḥāsibī’s views, which could serve as examples of the principles of uṣūl al-fiqh, are scattered as small fragments of information in his works on taṣawwuf (sufism), zuhd (asceticism), and kalām (theology), and to a lesser extent, on the uṣūl al-fiqh. The aim of this study is to examine al-Muḥāsibī’s connection with al-Shāfi‘ī’s thought on uṣūl al-fiqh, based on his works in various disciplines. As is well known, al-Shāfi‘ī's position in the history of uṣūl al-fiqh has been the subject of much debate in the modern era. On the one hand, it has been argued that al-Shāfi‘ī was the founder of uṣūl al-fiqh, while on the other hand, various assessments have been put forward claiming that his usul work, the al-Risāla, did not have a significant impact after him, and even that the al-Risāla was not his own work, but was written by his later followers. The aim of this study is to trace the influence of al-Shāfi‘i’s methodology on al-Muḥāsibī’s thought, taking these discussions into account. Identifying traces of al-Shāfi‘i’s methodology in al-Muḥāsibī’s thought will offer a different perspective on the views put forward in the modern period regarding the history of uṣūl al-fiqh. The study examined al-Muḥāsibī’s connection with al-Shāfi‘i’s scholarly circle and ultimately sought to trace the influence of al-Shāfi‘i’s uṣūl al-fiqh thought within al-Muḥāsibī’s intellectual framework. Employing the case study method, a qualitative research approach commonly used in the social sciences, the research aimed to demonstrate the impact of al-Shāfi‘i’s methodology on al-Muḥāsibī’s thought.