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عَلَامَاتُ التَّصْحِيحِ · 'Alamat al-Tashih wa'l-Tarjih
دَلَالَةُ لَفْظِ "الْفَتْوَى" · What "al-Fatwa" Signals
[مَعْنًى] مَا فِيهِ لَفْظُ "الْفَتْوَى" يَقْتَضِي شَيْئَيْنِ: أَحَدُهُمَا: الْإِذْنُ بِالْفَتْوَى بِهِ، وَالْآخَرُ: صِحَّتُهُ — لِأَنَّ الْإِفْتَاءَ بِهِ تَصْحِيحٌ لَهُ، بِخِلَافِ مَا فِيهِ لَفْظُ "الصَّحِيحِ" أَوْ "الْأَصَحِّ"
- What contains the term "fatwa" implies two things: (a) permission to issue fatwa with it, and (b) its correctness; because issuing fatwa is itself a tashih. Unlike what is marked merely "sahih" or "asahh"
📖 مَوْضِعٌ ص ١٥٠ — p. 150
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تَرْتِيبُ أَلْفَاظِ التَّصْحِيحِ · Hierarchy of the Tashih Markers
[مَعْنًى] إِنْ كَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا يُفِيدُ الْحَصْرَ مِثْلَ "بِهِ يُفْتَى" أَوْ "عَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى" فَهُوَ الْأَوْلَى — وَأَوْلَى مِنْهُمَا لَفْظُ "عَلَيْهِ عَمَلُ الْأُمَّةِ" لِأَنَّهُ يُفِيدُ الْإِجْمَاعَ
- If one signal indicates exclusivity; like "by it fatwa is given" or "the fatwa is on it"; it takes precedence. Stronger still is "the practice of the umma is upon it," because it implies ijmaʿ
📖 مَوْضِعٌ ص ١٥٠ — p. 150
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الْأَصَحُّ مَعَ الصَّحِيحِ · al-Asahh against al-Sahih
[مَعْنًى] إِنْ كَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا بِلَفْظِ "الْأَصَحِّ" وَالْآخَرُ بِلَفْظِ "الصَّحِيحِ"، فَالْأَصَحُّ مُقَدَّمٌ — هَذَا فِي كِتَابَيْنِ. أَمَّا فِي كِتَابٍ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ إِمَامٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَلَا يَتَأَتَّى الْخِلَافُ
- If one is marked "asahh" and the other "sahih," asahh prevails; when they are in two different books. Within one book by one imam, the conflict does not arise (since calling X "more sahih" already implies the alternative was sahih to him)
📖 مَوْضِعٌ ص ١٥٠ — p. 150
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تَعَارُضُ تَصْحِيحَيْنِ مِنْ إِمَامَيْنِ · Conflict Between Two Imams' Tashih
[مَعْنًى] إِنْ كَانَ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا بِلَفْظِ "الْأَصَحِّ" أَوْ "الصَّحِيحِ"، فَلَا شُبْهَةَ فِي أَنَّهُ يَتَخَيَّرُ بَيْنَهُمَا إِذَا كَانَ الْإِمَامَانِ الْمُصَحِّحَانِ فِي رُتْبَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ. أَمَّا لَوْ كَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَعْلَمَ، فَإِنَّهُ يَخْتَارُ تَصْحِيحَهُ — كَالْخَانِيَّةِ مَعَ الْبَزَّازِيَّةِ، فَإِنَّ تَصْحِيحَ قَاضِيخَانَ أَقْوَى
- If both use the same word; "asahh" or "sahih"; and the two imams are at the same rank, choosing between them is open. But if one is more learned, his tashih is chosen; like al-Khaniyya vs al-Bazzaziyya, where Qadikhan's tashih is stronger
📖 مَوْضِعٌ ص ١٥٠ — p. 150
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الْمُخْتَارُ وَالْمُعْتَمَدُ وَنَحْوُهُمَا · al-Mukhtar, al-Mu'tamad, and equivalent markers
[مَعْنًى] أَلْفَاظُ التَّرْجِيحِ كُلُّهَا مُتَسَاوِيَةٌ — وَهِيَ: بِهِ نَأْخُذُهُ، أَوْ عَلَيْهِ فَتْوَى مَشَايِخِنَا، أَوْ هُوَ الْمُعْتَمَدُ، أَوْ هُوَ الْأَشْبَهُ، أَوْ هُوَ الْأَوْجَهُ، أَوْ بِهِ يُعْتَمَدُ، أَوْ عَلَيْهِ الِاعْتِمَادُ، أَوْ عَلَيْهِ الْعَمَلُ الْيَوْمَ، أَوْ هُوَ الظَّاهِرُ، أَوْ هُوَ الْأَظْهَرُ، أَوْ هُوَ الْمُخْتَارُ، أَوْ بِهِ جَرَى الْعُرْفُ الْيَوْمَ، أَوْ هُوَ الْمُتَعَارَفُ، أَوْ بِهِ أَخَذَ عُلَمَاؤُنَا
- All the tarjih markers are equal in weight: "we take this," "the fatwa of our mashayikh is upon it," "it is the mutamad," "the most similar," "the most justified," "relied upon," "the practice today," "the evident," "the more evident," "al-mukhtar," "accepted by custom today," "the conventional," "our scholars take this"
[الْحُكْمُ] لَا تَتَفَاوَتُ هَذِهِ الْأَلْفَاظُ فِيمَا بَيْنَهَا — بَلِ التَّفَاوُتُ بِالنَّظَرِ إِلَى مَرْتَبَةِ الْقَائِلِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي وَرَدَ فِيهِ لَفْظُ التَّرْجِيحِ
- These terms do not differ in weight among themselves; the weight difference comes from the rank of the scholar who used the term and the authority of the book it appears in
[الصَّحِيحُ وَالْأَصَحُّ] الْأَصَحُّ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَى الصَّحِيحِ إِذَا صَدَرَا مِنْ شَخْصَيْنِ مُخْتَلِفَيْنِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ اسْمُ تَفْضِيلٍ. وَقِيلَ: الصَّحِيحُ آكَدُ؛ لِأَنَّ خِلَافَ الصَّحِيحِ خَطَأٌ، وَخِلَافَ الْأَصَحِّ صَحِيحٌ فَيُمْكِنُ الْعَمَلُ بِهِ
- Al-asahh (more correct) takes precedence over al-sahih when the two come from different scholars, because it is a superlative. Counter-view: al-sahih is stronger since opposing the sahih is an error, while opposing the asahh is still sahih and permissible to act upon
📖 الْمَصْدَرُ شَرْحُ عُقُودِ رَسْمِ الْمُفْتِي لِابْنِ عَابِدِينَ، فَصْلُ عَلَامَاتِ التَّصْحِيحِ — Sharh ʿUqud Rasm al-Mufti by Ibn ʿAbidin, section on 'alamat al-tashih
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سَبْعُ ضَوَابِطَ عِنْدَ تَصْحِيحِ رِوَايَتَيْنِ مَعًا · Seven Rules for When BOTH Competing Narrations Are Graded "Correct"
[النَّصُّ] إِذَا صُحِّحَ كُلٌّ مِنَ الرِّوَايَتَيْنِ بِلَفْظٍ وَاحِدٍ، تَخَيَّرَ الْمُفْتِي. فَإِنِ اخْتَلَفَ اللَّفْظُ، فَلَفْظُ الْفَتْوَى أَوْلَى؛ فَإِنِ اشْتَرَكَا فِي لَفْظِ الْفَتْوَى، فَمَا أَفَادَ الْحَصْرَ (كَ"بِهِ يُفْتَى") أَوْلَى، وَأَوْلَى مِنْهُ "عَلَيْهِ عَمَلُ الْأُمَّةِ" لِإِفَادَتِهِ الْإِجْمَاعَ
- (1) If both narrations are graded "correct" with the very same word, the mufti freely chooses between them. (2) If the wording differs, whichever carries the fatwa-formula wins. (3) If both carry it, whichever adds exclusivity ("this is what fatwa is given on") wins, and stronger still is "the whole ummah practices this," since it implies ijma'
[مَعْنًى] إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِأَحَدِهِمَا لَفْظُ الْفَتْوَى: فَإِنْ كَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا "الْأَصَحَّ" وَالْآخَرُ "الصَّحِيحَ" فَعَلَى الْخِلَافِ الْمَعْرُوفِ؛ وَإِنِ اتَّحَدَ اللَّفْظُ (كِلَاهُمَا "الْأَصَحُّ" أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا "الصَّحِيحُ") تَخَيَّرَ إِنْ تَسَاوَى الْإِمَامَانِ رُتْبَةً، وَإِلَّا أُخِذَ بِتَصْحِيحِ الْأَعْلَمِ؛ وَإِنْ صُرِّحَ بِتَصْحِيحِ إِحْدَاهُمَا فَقَطْ بِصِيغَةِ التَّفْضِيلِ، أُخِذَ بِالْأَخْرَى ضِمْنًا لَكِنَّ الْأَوْلَى الْأَخْذَ بِالْمُصَرَّحِ بِهَا
- (4) If neither carries the fatwa-word, and one is "asahh" and the other "sahih," the familiar dispute over ranking applies. (5) If the same word is used for both, the mufti chooses freely — unless the two verifying scholars are of unequal rank, in which case (6) the more learned one's verification wins. (7) If only one is explicitly graded with a comparative term, the other is implicitly valid too, but it is still preferable to follow the one explicitly marked
📖 مَوْضِعٌ ص ١٥١-١٥٤ — pp. 151-154
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عَشْرُ قَوَاعِدَ عِنْدَ تَعَارُضِ التَّصْحِيحِ بِلَا مُرَجِّحٍ لَفْظِيٍّ · Ten Rules for When Two "Sahih" Gradings Conflict With No Wording-Based Preference
[النَّصُّ] إِنْ تَجِدْ تَصْحِيحَ قَوْلَيْنِ وَرَدْ فَاخْتَرْ لِمَا شِئْتَ فَكُلٌّ مُعْتَمَدْ؛ هَذَا إِذَا تَعَارَضَ التَّصْحِيحُ، فَتَأْخُذُ الَّذِي لَهُ مُرَجِّحْ مِمَّا عَلِمْتَهُ فَهَذَا الْأَوْضَحْ
- The general rule: if you find two positions both graded sahih, choose whichever you wish, since each is reliable — UNLESS one of the ten specific preference-factors below applies, in which case take the one that has it
[الْقَائِمَةُ] ١- الْأَصَحُّ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَى الصَّحِيحِ. ٢- مَا قِيلَ فِيهِ "عَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى" مُقَدَّمٌ. ٣- مَا وَافَقَ الْمُتُونَ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَى مَا لَمْ يُوَافِقْهَا. ٤- قَوْلُ الْإِمَامِ الْأَعْظَمِ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَى قَوْلِ غَيْرِهِ. ٥- ظَاهِرُ الرِّوَايَةِ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ. ٦- مَا قَالَ بِهِ جُلُّ الْمَشَايِخِ الْعِظَامِ مُقَدَّمٌ. ٧- الِاسْتِحْسَانُ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَى الْقِيَاسِ. ٨- مَا هُوَ أَنْفَعُ لِلْوَقْفِ مُقَدَّمٌ. ٩- مَا هُوَ أَوْفَقُ لِأَهْلِ الزَّمَانِ مُقَدَّمٌ. ١٠- مَا كَانَ دَلِيلُهُ أَوْضَحَ وَأَظْهَرَ مُقَدَّمٌ
- The ten preference-factors, in order: (1) "asahh" beats "sahih"; (2) explicitly fatwa-marked beats not; (3) agreeing with the mutun beats not; (4) Abu Hanifa's own view beats a companion's; (5) zahir al-riwaya beats a lesser transmission; (6) the view of the great majority of senior scholars beats a minority view; (7) istihsan beats qiyas; (8) whichever is more beneficial to a waqf wins; (9) whichever better suits the people of the time wins; (10) whichever has the clearer, more evident proof wins
[مِثَالٌ] لِلتَّاسِعَةِ: عَدَلَ الْمُتَأَخِّرُونَ عَنْ قَوْلِ الْأَئِمَّةِ الثَّلَاثَةِ فِي مَنْعِ الِاسْتِئْجَارِ عَلَى تَعْلِيمِ الْقُرْآنِ إِلَى الْقَوْلِ بِجَوَازِهِ؛ لِتَغَيُّرِ الزَّمَانِ وَوُجُودِ الضَّرُورَةِ. وَلِلثَّامِنَةِ: نَقَضُوا عُقُودَ الْإِجَارَةِ عِنْدَ الزِّيَادَةِ الْفَاحِشَةِ فِي أَجْرِ أَرْضِ الْوَقْفِ، نَظَرًا لِمَصْلَحَةِ الْوَقْفِ
- Worked example for rule 9: later jurists departed from all three imams' prohibition on paid Quran-teaching, permitting it once times changed and real necessity arose. Worked example for rule 8: waqf leases were annulled upon excessive rent increases, purely out of regard for the waqf's own interest
📖 مَوْضِعٌ ص ١٥٥-١٥٨ — pp. 155-158
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الترْجِيحُ الصَّرِيحُ وَالِالْتِزَامِيُّ · Explicit vs Implied Tarjih (Taqī ʿUthmānī)
[النَّصُّ] التَّرْجِيحُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ التَّرْجِيحِ قَدْ يَكُونُ صَرِيحًا، وَقَدْ يَكُونُ الْتِزَامِيًّا، فَحَيْثُ لَمْ يُوجَدِ التَّرْجِيحُ الصَّرِيحُ عُمِلَ بِالتَّرْجِيحِ الِالْتِزَامِيِّ، وَحَيْثُ وُجِدَ التَّرْجِيحُ الصَّرِيحُ فَهُوَ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَى الِالْتِزَامِ
- Tarjīḥ from the people of tarjīḥ is sometimes explicit (ṣarīḥ, صريح) and sometimes implied (iltizāmī, التزامي). Where no explicit tarjīḥ is found, the implied is acted on; and where explicit tarjīḥ is found, it is preferred over the implied.
[مَعْنًى] Explicit means plain words like "fatwa is given on it." Implied is read from the author's practice, such as the view's place in a trusted matn.
📘 التقي العثماني، أصول الإفتاء وآدابه، ص ٢١٩
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