Twenty Commentaries on the Multaqa al-Abhur of Ibrahim al-Halabi

The Multaqa is one of the foremost primers (mutun) in the Hanafi school. Despite being authored in the tenth century, some centuries after the significant matn-authoring period, Halabi does a phenomenal job of gathering the masa’il of the major primers of the school and expressing them with clarity, distinguishing between the positions of the Imam and those of the Two Companions (sahibayn).

Given its magnificent authorship, it’s certainly no surprise that numerous juristic authorities deemed it worthy of a commentary (sharh). What follows is a list of some of the most famous commentaries on the Multaqa, most of which, as is presently the norm for works of the Hanafi legal thought, are unpublished. There is a lot of work to be done in that regard, perhaps something that can be discussed at a later point. 

The works are listed in chronological order. But some of the authors’ dates are unknown as much isn’t known about them.

(1) Majra al-Anhur ‘ala Multaqa al-Abhur – Nur al-Din al-Baqani (1003 AH)

(2) Sakb al-Anhur ‘ala Fara’id Multaqa al-Abhur – ‘Ali b. Nasir al-Din al-Tarabulsi (1032 AH)

(3) Fara’id Multaqa al-Abhur – Isma ‘il b. Sinan al-Siwasi (1048 AH).

(4) Khalij al-Bihar – Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Mubarak / Qassab Zada (1055 AH?)

(5) al-‘Ata’ – ‘Abd al-Rahman Khisali (1061 AH?)

(6) al-Murtaja fi Sharh al-Multaqa – al-Fadil al-Tarsusi (1065 AH?)

(7) Ghawwas al-Bihar – Muhammad Ahmad al-Rumi (1070 AH?)

(8) Jami‘ al-Nuqul wa Lami ‘ al-Usul – Mustafa b. ‘Umar / Jalab Mustafa Efendi (1070 AH?)

(9) Izhar Fara’id al-Abhur fi Sharh Multaqa al-Abhur – Khalil b. Rasul al-Sinubi (1075 AH) 

(10) Majma‘ al-Anhur fi Sharh Multaqa al-Abhur – ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Muhammad / Shaykhi Zada or Damad (1078 AH) 

(11) al-Durr al-Muntaqa fi Sharh al-Multaqa – Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Haskafi (1088 AH) 

(12) Sharh al-Multaqa – Muhammad b. Muhammad al-Halabi (1104 AH)

(13) Jami‘ al-Shuruh – Ahmad b. Muhammad  (1120 AH) 

(14) Muhtadi al-Anhur ila Multaqa al-Abhur – Mahammad Wahdati b. Muhammad al-Uskubi (1130 AH) 

(15) Zad al-‘Uqba fi Sharh al-Multaqa – ‘Abd al-Nafi‘ al-Qirimi (1140 AH?)

(16) al-Mu‘adil – ‘Abd al-Rahim b. Abi Bakr al-Mar‘ashi / Sari Ahmad Efendi-Zada (1149 AH) 

(17) Sharh al-Multaqa / Kamal al-Diraya – Muhammad b. Wali al-Izmiri (1165 AH) 

(18) Kashif al-Anhur fi Sharh Multaqa al-Abhur – Muhammad b. Yusuf (1170 AH)

(19) Kifayat al-‘Uqul wa al-Nuqul – Muhammad Hafidi Efendi (1170 AH)

(20) Durr al-Bihar wa Kunuz al-Akhyar – al-Sayyid Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Qaysari (1181 AH)

There are also about thirty others, and probably many more in manuscript libraries. This compilation was extracted from a useful thesis which you can find here.

And Allah alone gives success.