A Manual on Islamic Creed and Hanafi Jurisprudence
Translation, Notes and Appendices by Faraz A.
Khan [Bio]
Written by the eminent 11th
century Hanafi scholar, Abu ’l-Ikhlas al-Shurunbulali, Ascent to
Felicity is a concise yet comprehensive primer in creed and
jurisprudence. It spans all five pillars of Islam, as well as the topics
of slaughtering, ritual sacrifice, and hunting. To supplement the text,
the translator has added key explanatory notes taken from several
reliable works on theology and jurisprudence. He has also added
appendices that comprise numerous supplications related to the five
pillars, presented in Arabic script along with English transliteration,
as well as the etiquette of visiting the Messenger of Allāh (Allah bless
him peace) in Madina.
"An admirable rendering into lucid, fluid
English of Imam Hasan al-Shurunbulali’s primer of Hanafi law, Ascent
to Felicity. This concise but thorough work focuses on the five
acts of worship.
The book has the added feature of a fairly detailed
presentation of the basics of the Muslim Creed. In translating this
introductory section of Imam Shurunbulali’s treatise, Khan’s skill as a
translator is on full display, as he has made sometimes involved
theological concepts easily accessible to the average English reader.
Khan has provided an additional service to both Shurunbulali’s work and
to contemporary Muslims by augmenting the translation with insightful
and extremely useful explanatory notes. The value of this work,
skillfully produced by White Thread Press, goes far beyond its benefit
to adherents of the Hanafi legal school. Rather, it will prove of
benefit to Muslims in general as well as researchers interested in
latter-day presentations of the creed and
practice of Sunni Muslims."
— Imam Zaid Shakir Co-Founder and Resident Scholar, Zaytuna College
"This
book is an important contribution to the growing, but still small,
corpus of traditional Islamic texts available in English translation."
—
Dr Ingrid Mattson President of the Islamic Society of North America
(ISNA)
"Essential for any student of the Hanafī School. . .
makes key concepts of the Hanafi school easily accessible to teachers,
students, and readers."
— Dr. Ashraf Muneeb Dean of Academy,
Sunnipath.com
"An excellent primer in Islamic beliefs and
worship. . . more useful as a first complete text for those seeking
understanding of the fiqh of worship than the more
commonly-studied Nur al-Idah." —Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Educational Director, Seekersguidance.com
"Aside from the
flowing translation, the most impressive thing about this work for me is
the comprehensive collection of nuanced notes. These serve to capture
the wide range of issues one grapples with, but might never find the
right answer to, in the process of his or her purification, prayer,
fasting and other acts of worship. An extremely engaging and educational
read." — Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Scholar, ZamZamAcademy.com
