Introduction to Jurisprudential Maxims

Jurisprudential maxims (al-qawa ‘id al-fiqhiyyah) play an important role in determining one’s legal duty in particular situations. When applied, these maxims – such as the ‘Maxim of Purity’, the ‘Maxim of No Harm’, and the ‘The Maxim of Averting Hardship’ – help define the course of action one should take in a given scenario. This book is an English translation of Durus Tamhidiyyah fl al-Qawa ‘id al­Fiqhiyyah, a popular textbook in Islamic seminaries. The work serves as an introductory textbook to the subject and investigates the meaning of sixteen commonly-used maxims, the evidence for their soundness, and the scope of their applicability in every-day situations.Ayatollah Baqir al-Irawani was born in Najaf, Iraq in 1949. He joined the Islamic seminary there at a young age and quickly progressed to the advanced levels where he studied under some of the greatest jurists of his time, such as Grand Ayatollah Abu al-Qasim al-Khu‘i and Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr. D