Jurisprudential Questions in Azmi Zadeh's (d. 1040 AH) Commentary on Durar al-Hukkam

(An Analytical Study)

Abstract

Imam Azmi Zadeh's commentary on Durar al-Hukkam is considered one of the most authoritative commentaries in Hanafi jurisprudence. Scholars such as the author of Kashf al-Zunun, al-Zarkali, and al-Muhibbi have unanimously attributed this commentary to him. Although the book lacks an introduction explaining the reason for its composition, the evidence suggests that the widespread popularity of Mulla Khusraw's Durar and its adoption as a basis for legal rulings and judgments in the Ottoman state prompted Azmi Zadeh to write these commentaries to clarify its expressions and explain its ambiguities. Jurisprudential commentaries in the later Hanafi school are considered a rich record of criticism and analysis, not merely explanatory commentaries. Among these commentaries, Azmi Zadeh's commentary on Durar al-Hukkam stands out as a unique example of raising "scientific questions" aimed at scrutinizing evidence and clarifying narrations.