Al-Ikhtiyar li ta'leel al-Mukhtar (3 Volume Set) Dar al-Manhal الاختيار لتعليل المختار

Al-Ikhtiyar li-Ta’lil al-Mukhtar ("The Selection for the Explanation of al-Mukhtar"), is one of the most celebrated and authoritative manuals of Hanafi fiqh. It serves as an indispensable reference for students of Islamic law and jurists alike.

The Author

The book was authored by the eminent scholar Imam Abu al-Fadl Majd al-Din Abdallah bin Mahmud bin Mawdud al-Mawsili al-Hanafi, who passed away in the year 683 AH (1284 CE). Born in Mosul, Iraq, he studied under the prominent scholars of his era and became a leading authority in jurisprudence, prophetic traditions, and legal theory.

Origin of the Book

Originally, Imam al-Mawsili authored a concise legal text called Al-Mukhtar lil-Fatwa ("The Chosen for Verdicts"). In this primer, he compiled the core, relied-upon rulings of the Hanafi school, focusing primarily on the views of Imam Abu Hanifa.

When this primer gained popularity and became widely studied, his students requested him to write a commentary. They wanted a work that would clarify its phrasing, explain its meanings, and most importantly, provide the underlying legal rationales (ta’lil) and textual evidences (dalil) from the Quran, the Sunnah, scholarly consensus, and legal analogy. This book was the result.

Methodology of the Author

The author adopted a structured approach that combines legal rulings with evidence. He systematically linked each ruling to its textual evidence from the Quran and Sunnah, or to its logical and legal reasoning. While focusing on Imam Abu Hanifa, he regularly cited the opinions of his two main disciples, Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Shaybani, as well as Imam Zufar, detailing their agreements and differences. The author occasionally referenced the opinions of other major schools, particularly the Shafi’i school, discussing their arguments with high scholarly etiquette and objectivity. The book is written in an elegant, accessible, and concise style, free from unnecessary complexity, making it highly suitable for teaching.

Status in the Hanafi School

Al-Ikhtiyar, along with its original text Al-Mukhtar, is considered one of the primary references for issuing legal verdicts in the later Hanafi tradition. It has received widespread acceptance among scholars across centuries and continues to be taught in Islamic universities and traditional seminaries globally.