Jurisprudence which has gained widespread popularity and currency in recent years in our Islamic seminaries which are called “Arabic madrasahs”. I started my writing work limiting myself and my efforts to the realm of this book. I also took assistance from one of the professors of Darul 'Ulum Nadwatul 'Ulama, dear brother Nazrul Hafiz An Nadwi. However, my other writing commitments and journeys obstructed me from completing this work though its need was intense and I realized its importance. Nevertheless, the thought did not part from me at any time. So when it became certain that there was no alternative, I decided to assign this to one of the professors of Nadwah3 who had been engaged in teaching Jurisprudence, was aware of the science of Hadith and was capable of writing for children in plain language and simple style. My eyes for selection fell upon dear brother Shaikh Shafiq-ur Rahman An Nadwi. Allah’s guidance was his ally in completing the work in accordance with what I envisaged and what I sketched out for him. He did the work in an excellent manner in a short time and came out with the book which I named “Al Fiqhul Muyassar”4. His main reference was the book “Nur-ul Izah” owing to its several features. He has started every section and major chapter with Quranic verse and Prophet's Hadith so that the student may know the significant position the juristic topic holds in Islamic Shari'ah and the important status it has with Allah and His Prophetﷺ. This will inculcate in him the consciousness about faith in Allah and doing deeds for His pleasure. He then took up the definition, literal meaning and juristic description of juristic terms. He has kept away from mentioning the rulings which are inappropriate for the age and intellect of the students as this was the principal reason for writing this new book for children. He has also avoided discussing differing juristic opinions and has kept himself restricted to the juristic opinion to be followed in practice. He has also avoided things which could create confusion and misunderstanding. So he has mentioned the nouns instead of pronouns and classified the subject-matter in the style of modern academic works. He has preferred plain and clear language and has added rulings of some issues which are needed in this age but had not occurred in the age of the authors of the past, like Salah in a train or airplane. He has also provided the modern equivalents for ancient units of weights and measurements like dirham, mithqal and sa'. Thus, the book “Al Fiqh-ul Muyassar” which lies in front of the readers comes up as a simple book for the young for learning Islamic Jurisprudence and grasping its basics. It fills a void in the religious academic library of the young and fulfills the need of our religious seminaries which was being felt by the people running these seminaries, and those concerned with the education and psychology of the children, and ardent about educating the young students in religion and training them in a manner suitable for their age and intellect, and conforming with the temperament of the modern age and its natural development in the permissible bounds. In the end, I thank the dear author for his endeavor and present this book, deriving authority from my strong bond with Nadwatul 'Ulama and my general association with religious seminaries, as a gift dedicated to the professors engaged in teaching at Darul 'Ulum in the faculties of Arabic language, literature, grammar and composition. I hope that the religious seminaries will welcome this book 3 4
Nadwah = short form for Darul 'Ulum Nadwatul 'Ulama. The literal meaning is “Simplified Fiqh”.
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