Study The Book of Mabādī Awwaliyah (Introduction of Islamic Law Methodology) by Abdul Hamid Hakim (Part 1)

Introduction

The Mabādī Awwaliyah book was written by a well-known Muslim scholar from West Sumatra named Abdul Hamid Hakim. His customary title is Tuanku Mudo. He was born in Sumpur, Tanah Datar. He was also one of the favorite students of Haji Rasul, a prominent Muslim scholar in Minangkabau. Some of his written works in Arabic are Mabādī Awwaliyah, al-Sullam, al-Bayān, al-Hidāyah 'alā mā Yanbaghī min al-Ziyadah 'alā al-Hidāyah, and Tahdzīb al-Akhlāq.

The Mabādī Awwaliyah book is still being printed today as an introduction to Islamic law methodology in Islamic Schools. Not only in West Sumatra, this book is also studied in various regions of the archipelago.

In the first part, this book explains the  Islamic law methodology, including the understanding of law to ijtihad. Furthermore, this book discusses about forty Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) principles ranging from the principles about intentions to the rules that everything is permissible in its origin.

About Islamic Law Methodology

Uṣūl al-fiqh consists of two words, namely uṣūl and fiqh. From a linguistic point of view, it is something that stands on it, something like a tree whose roots are in the ground. Likewise, fiqh stands on uṣūl al-fiqh or other analogies, a tree branch that is attached to a big tree. So the big tree is uṣūl al-fiqh and the many branches of the tree are fiqh.

In terms, uṣūl is something that is obtained globally, such as the command to pray through the word of God "and establish prayer." This postulate as a theory that all commands are obligations or prohibitions such as "indeed the carcass is forbidden to you." As the basis of the theory every carcass is haram.

The difference with fiqh is that fiqh is obtained from detailed arguments and ijtihād such as the words of the Prophet ""Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah)" as it is obligatory to intend when going to do wuḍūʾ. In contrast to the law that is not obtained through ijtihād, according to him (the author) it is not fiqh such as the obligation to pray or prohibition for adultery. Knowledge consists of five levels, namely ʿilm, ann, shak, jahl, wahm, and jahl.*