Source Priority
Following Ibn 'Abidin's hierarchy in 'Uqud Rasm al-Mufti: matn → sharh → fatawa → late mufta-bihi line. Each mas'ala anchors to whichever layer answers it.
1 Matn
مُخْتَصَرُ القُدُورِيِّ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Mukhtasar al-Quduri, Kitab al-Nikah
كَنْزُ الدَّقَائِقِ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Kanz al-Daqa'iq (al-Nasafi, d. 710H), Kitab al-Nikah
الوِقَايَةُ / مُخْتَصَرُ الوِقَايَةِ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
al-Wiqaya (Burhan al-Shari'a al-Mahbubi) / Mukhtasar al-Wiqaya (Sadr al-Shari'a, d. 747H)
مُلْتَقَى الأَبْحُرِ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Multaqa al-Abhur (Halabi, d. 956H), Kitab al-Nikah · later jami' matn
2 Sharh
Each sharh paired with its parent matn. Consult the sharh whose matn was your starting point.
الهِدَايَةُ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
al-Hidaya (al-Marghinani, d. 593H) · sharh of Bidayat al-Mubtadi (composite from Quduri + Jami' al-Saghir)
الجَوْهَرَةُ النَّيِّرَةُ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
al-Jawhara al-Nayyira (al-Hadadi, d. 800H) · sharh of Mukhtasar al-Quduri
تَبْيِينُ الحَقَائِقِ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Tabyin al-Haqa'iq (al-Zayla'i, d. 743H) · sharh of Kanz al-Daqa'iq
شَرْحُ الوِقَايَةِ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Sharh al-Wiqaya (Sadr al-Shari'a, d. 747H) · sharh of Mukhtasar al-Wiqaya
مَجْمَعُ الأَنْهُرِ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Majma' al-Anhur (Damad Effendi, d. 1078H) · sharh of Multaqa al-Abhur
3 Sharh / Tarjih
البَحْرُ الرَّائِقُ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
al-Bahr al-Ra'iq (Ibn Nujaym), Kitab al-Nikah
Sharh that doubles as tarjih work
4 Fatawa
Top-tier mutaqaddimun first, then other major fatawa works.
خُلَاصَةُ الفَتَاوَى · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Khulasat al-Fatawa (Tahir al-Bukhari, d. 542H)
Top tier
فَتَاوَى قَاضِيخَانَ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Fatawa Qadikhan / al-Khaniyya (al-Uzjandi, d. 592H)
Top tier
الفَتَاوَى الظَّهِيرِيَّةُ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
al-Fatawa al-Zahiriyya (Zahir al-Din al-Bukhari, d. 619H)
Top tier
الفَتَاوَى التَّتَارْخَانِيَّةُ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
al-Fatawa al-Tatarkhaniyya, Kitab al-Nikah
الفَتَاوَى البَزَّازِيَّةُ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
al-Fatawa al-Bazzaziyya, Kitab al-Nikah
الفَتَاوَى الوَلْوَالِجِيَّةُ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
al-Fatawa al-Walwalijiyya, Kitab al-Nikah
الفَتَاوَى الهِنْدِيَّةُ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya / Alamgiri, Kitab al-Nikah
5 Late Mufta-bihi Line (apex)
The relied-upon transmission that 'Uqud Rasm al-Mufti points toward as the operational capstone. Shami doesn't float above the tradition; he sits as a hashiya on Durr, which is a sharh of Tanwir.
تَنْوِيرُ الأَبْصَارِ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Tanwir al-Absar (al-Timirtashi, d. 1004H) · the matn
الدُّرُّ المُخْتَارُ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
al-Durr al-Mukhtar (al-Haskafi, d. 1088H) · the sharh
رَدُّ المُحْتَارِ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn 'Abidin / Shami) · the apex hashiya
Parallel Track · Ta'lil-Expansion
Consulted for tahrir, ta'lil, and tarjih when the matn-sharh-fatawa stack disagrees. Not the first stop for mufta-bihi, but central when an apparent mufta-bihi conflicts with the asl in zahir al-riwayah. Heavy use in nikah for kafa'a, mahr al-mithl calculation, and fasid scenarios.
المَبْسُوطُ — لِلسَّرَخْسِيِّ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
al-Mabsut (al-Sarakhsi), Kitab al-Nikah
بَدَائِعُ الصَّنَائِعِ — لِلْكَاسَانِيِّ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Bada'i' al-Sana'i' (al-Kasani), Kitab al-Nikah
فَتْحُ القَدِيرِ — لِابْنِ الهُمَامِ · كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Fath al-Qadir (Ibn al-Humam) · heavily cited by Ibn 'Abidin himself
Heavy-Tarjih Nodes
Babs that carry an explicit wajh al-tarjih field on every leaf (not just mufta bihi).
Wilaya
شَرْطُ الوَلِيِّ فِي نِكَاحِ البَالِغَةِ العَاقِلَةِ — مَوْضِعُ خِلَافٍ بَيْنَ الإِمَامِ وَالصَّاحِبَيْنِ.
Whether a wali is required for the nikah of an adult, sane woman: contested between the Imam and the Sahibayn. Mufta-bihi varies by riwayah and by region; both qawl require explicit wajh al-tarjih on every leaf.
Kafa'a
تَفَاصِيلُ الكَفَاءَةِ فِي النَّسَبِ وَالمَالِ وَالحِرْفَةِ وَالدِّينِ.
Detailed parameters of kafa'a in lineage, wealth, profession, and din. Multiple riwayat from Imam Muhammad; positions also differ between mutaqaddimun and mutaakhirun masha'ikh.
Mahr
مَهْرُ المِثْلِ وَتَقْدِيرُهُ، وَسُقُوطُ المَهْرِ، وَالمَهْرُ المُسَمَّى.
Mahr al-mithl: how it is calculated; cases of suqut al-mahr (full and half); the named vs. presumed mahr. Heavy ta'lil-expansion required from Bada'i and Mabsut.
Fasid
نِكَاحُ الفَاسِدِ وَأَحْكَامُهُ مِنَ المَهْرِ وَالعِدَّةِ وَالنَّسَبِ.
The fasid nikah: its consequences for mahr, 'idda, and lineage. Distinct from the batil. Each scenario needs its own taswir.
Major Bab Anchors
Top-level structure for the kitab. Each spawns its own fusul and mas'ala notes as covered.
بَابُ أَرْكَانِ النِّكَاحِ وَشُرُوطِهِ
Pillars and conditions of a valid nikah (ijab, qabul, witnesses, lafz)
بَابُ الوَلَايَةِ فِي النِّكَاحِ
Wilaya: the guardian in marriage
بَابُ الكَفَاءَةِ
Kafa'a: equivalence between spouses
بَابُ المُحَرَّمَاتِ فِي النِّكَاحِ
Prohibited categories (nasab, rida', musahara)
بَابُ المَهْرِ
Mahr: types, calculation, fall, payment
بَابُ نِكَاحِ الكَافِرِ وَالعَبْدِ وَالأَمَةِ
Marriage of disbelievers, slaves, and bondwomen
بَابُ نِكَاحِ الفَاسِدِ وَالبَاطِلِ
Fasid and batil marriages and their consequences
بَابُ القَسْمِ بَيْنَ الزَّوْجَاتِ
Qasm: the division of nights between co-wives
بَابُ النَّفَقَةِ
Nafaqa: spousal and child maintenance
Mas'ala leaves populate here as the bab is covered in my Usul al-Ifta course. Each leaf carries its full schema: taswir, asl al-riwayah, aqwal, dalil & ta'lil, wajh al-khilaf, mufta bihi, wajh al-tarjih, sabab al-ifta' (for nawazil), and qawa'id backlinks. Public leaves render here; private notes stay off-site.