Applications of Islamic Legal Maxims and Controls in Sheikh Nawawi al-Jawi’s Work through His Book (Kashifat al-Saja Sharh Safinat al-Naja): An Analytical Study

Abstract

       This research, entitled “Applications of Islamic Legal Maxims and Controls in Sheikh Nawawi al-Jawi’s Work through His Book (Kashifat al-Saja Sharh Safinat al-Naja): An Analytical Study”, studies Sheikh Nawawi al-Jawi’s methodology in using legal maxims and controls in his book Kashifat al-Saja.

       The research problem arises from the question: What is Sheikh Nawawi’s methodology in reasoning with legal maxims and controls? What are the explicitly stated legal maxims and controls in his book? And what are the implicit legal maxims that can be inferred from his work?

       The research aims to explain his methodology in reasoning with legal maxims and controls, and to identify the maxims mentioned in the book, whether explicitly or implicitly, along with their explanations and evidences.

       The research adopted the inductive method, by examining the jurisprudential texts and issues in the book to extract the legal maxims and controls, and the descriptive-analytical method, in order to explain the Sheikh’s methodology in applying them.

       The study found that, as far as the researcher is aware, this is the first work to collect the legal maxims and principles from Imam Nawawi al-Jawi’s Kāshifat al-Sajā. The book contains six explicit maxims, seven implicit ones, and thirteen principles distributed across purification, prayer, zakat, and fasting. The research further shows that Imam Nawawi al-Jawi’s methodology combines foundation and application, supporting rulings with evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah while avoiding sectarian bias, highlighting the uniqueness of his scholarly approach.

       The research concludes with the recommendation to intensify studies on the works of early jurists in order to extract the legal maxims and controls contained within them, with comparisons across different schools of thought, especially regarding contemporary jurisprudential issues.