Al-Hidaya Sharh Bidayat al-Mubtadi (Part Three)

This is the third of a multi-part fiqh course dedicated to a careful study of al-Imam al-Marghinani's renowned work of legal commentary, al-Hidaya. The arguments presented in the Hidaya will be carefully analysed to show how the text really does convey a science of jurisprudence, and how a methodical approach to the text prepares one for the highest levels of legal reasoning. This part covers a complete presentation of Muslim Family law – from marriage, to divorce, to maintenance, to childcare, to establishing lineage, to the final bequest, and related topics.

In this course, we study a complete presentation of Muslim Family law – from marriage, to divorce, to maintenance, to childcare, to establishing lineage, to the final bequest, and related topics. Throughout, we reflect deeply on the institution of family, and the intersection of marriage, society and courts. In the course of this reflection, we will consider competing framings for Muslim marriage and divorce in modern states, both in Muslim majority and minority settings. We complement our reading of family law with the chapters that pertain to halal and haram, hunting, food and drinks. This is the third course in a five-part reading of the entire Hidaya. As in previous two courses, we will maintain our deep and discursive approach to reading the text and, through it, inculcating a strong understanding of Hanafi jurisprudence. Recordings and resources shall be available on the course homepage and forums.