Taysir al-Allam: Explanation of Umdat al-Ahkam

Author's name: Abdullah Al-Bassam

Praise be to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own souls and the wickedness of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whoever He leads astray, none can guide. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and we bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, his family, his companions, and those who follow them in righteousness.

And then;

This collection is a carefully selected selection from the most authentic narrations of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, namely the two illustrious books, Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The author, may God bless him and grant him peace, chose them from these two books and arranged them according to the classification of the jurists in the books of jurisprudence, so that they may be an aid to those who memorize and contemplate them in order to derive rulings from their sound evidence. For they are fundamental principles and rules to which the advanced scholar refers, and a ladder by which the beginner ascends to the books of Islam transmitted from the best of mankind.

It has received commentaries and scholarly attention, but none of these commentaries have yet been published, and we do not know whether they are still preserved or have been lost to the ravages of time (1). The renowned scholar Ibn Daqiq al-Eid is widely known.

This commentary—despite the author's eminence and the immense benefit of his approach, which involves branching out issues based on fundamental principles and rules—has preoccupied him with these topics, diverting him from many of the intricacies of hadith jurisprudence, the required rulings, and the clarification of conflicting opinions. Furthermore, the nature of the research undertaken by the author is complex and profound, exceeding the comprehension of many students of knowledge and seekers of learning.

Therefore, I sought God Almighty’s help in creating an explanation that is easy to understand, with detailed topics, so that its issues do not overlap and its research does not become confused, causing bewilderment and confusion.

I began by addressing the overall meaning, striving for consistency with the apparent wording, and clarifying the wisdom, legislation, preamble, and other implications implied by the phrases and words. If the context required further clarification through other hadith narrations not cited by the author, I summarized them, highlighting their usefulness and ensuring the research proceeds smoothly.

Then I extract from the hadith what it indicates in terms of rulings and etiquette, then I mention the strong differences of opinion among scholars, along with mentioning their evidence and arguments, turning away from weak differences that are not based on strong evidence, so that the reader does not fall into unnecessary intellectual confusion.

I was keen to demonstrate the wisdom of Islamic legislation, the beauty of Islam, the sublimity of its goals, and the noble aims behind these texts, so that the reader may appreciate the virtues of his religion and its honorable objectives, and understand that it is both a religion and a state. This is so that he will not be influenced by false claims against Islam and its lofty principles. For, unfortunately, there are many who claim to be Muslims, yet they have been seduced and deceived by this false Western civilization. They do not give any weight to these Islamic rulings and Prophetic traditions, and they see them as obstacles to progress. If you were to ask them for their argument, you would find it no different from the argument of those who said, “We found our fathers following a certain way, and we are following in their footsteps” (Quran 43:23). They have no basis for their false claim except the clamor of the enemies of the faith from the West. I ask God Almighty to make it beneficial, a reminder for the advanced student and an insight for the beginner, and to make it purely for His noble countenance, drawing us closer to Him in Paradise. Amen. May God’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions.