A Concise Description of Islamic Law and Legal Opinions

Authored in the eleventh century, al-Nihayah remains a jurisprudential classic. Initially written as a shariah guide to issues as diverse as ritual worship, business transactions, and civil law, it offers the modern reader a unique insight into early Shi‘a Islamic jurisprudence as well as the habits and customs of the Muslim world at the time. Written by one of the pioneers of the development of the Islamic legal system, Sheikh Mohammad ibn Hasan ibn Ali Abu Ja‘far al-Tusi, this work was recognised as one of the major early sources of, references for, and textbooks on Islamic law in the Shi‘i school of thought. An excellent reference book and textbook for studies in Islamic law.

Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Tusi (also known as Sheikh al-Ta’ifah) was born in Tus, Iran in 995 CE. An accomplished jurist, he compiled two of the four primary collections of Shi‘i hadith, Tahdhib al-Ahkam and al-Istibsar. Many of his books were burnt in the political instability accompanying the fall of the Abbasid caliphate. Although he passed away in 1067 CE, his work continues to be influential today.