The Scholarly Contributions of Sheikh Hamza Abu Faris to the Science of Al-Qawaid Al-Fiqhiyyah (Legal Maxims in Islamic Jurisprudence).

جهود الشيخ العلامة حمزة أبو فارس في علم القواعد الفقهية

Abstract

 The Scholarly Contributions of Sheikh Hamza Abu Faris to the Science of Al-Qawaid Al-Fiqhiyyah (Legal Maxims in Islamic Jurisprudence).

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, our Master Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.

This study, entitled “The Scholarly Contributions of Sheikh Hamza Abu Faris to the Science of Legal Maxims (Qawāʿid Fiqhiyyah)”, seeks to highlight the Sheikh’s multifaceted role in advancing this field. The introduction outlines the research objectives, central questions, and adopted methodology.

The first section provides a definition of the legal maxim both linguistically and technically, and offers an overview of the most significant Maliki works in this discipline, along with their principal commentaries.

The second section examines the Sheikh’s authorship, documenting nine contributions ranging from full-length books to academic papers.

The third section analyzes his efforts in critical editing, which include three works—one published independently and two in collaboration with others.

The fourth section addresses his teaching and supervisory roles. Sheikh Abu Faris taught legal maxims at several Libyan universities, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and regularly conducted private lessons at his residence, which continues to attract students from Misurata and beyond. In terms of academic supervision, he oversaw numerous postgraduate dissertations, ten of which specifically focused on legal maxims.

The study concludes with key findings and recommendations, followed by a comprehensive list of sources and references.