The Book ‘Man la yahduruh al-Faqih’ This work is included in...

The Book ‘Man la yahduruh al-Faqih’ This work is included in the four major books of the traditions of Shi’ite Islam Despite the fact that many of his other works are extremely important, this book must be regarded as his most important work However some authorities maintain that there were five major books of traditions and they include another of al Shaikh al Saduq’s works Madinat al-‘ilm, in this number.(8) Al-Tusi mentions that the latter work was bigger than Man la yahduruh al-faqih .(9) It appears that this book is no longer existent.

It seems to have been concerned with usul al-din (the principles of religion) rather than the furu’, which are the practical regulations for carrying out the shari’a, the holy law of Islam. As its title implies Man la yahduruh al faqih was concerned with furu’. It has be neatly translated by E. G. Brown as “Every man his own lawyer”(10) In his introduction to the book al-Shaikh al-Saduq explains the circumstances of its composition and the reason for its title.

When he was at Ilaq near Balkh, he met Sharif al-Din Abu ‘Abd Allah known as Ni’mah whose full name was Muhammad b. Al-Husain b. Al-Husain b. Ishaq b. Musa b. Ja’far b. Muhammad b. Ali b. Al-Husain b. Ali b. Abi Talib. He was delighted with his discourses with him and his gentleness, kindness, dignity and interest in religion. He brought a book compiled by Muhammad b. Zakharia al-Razi entitled Man la yahduruh al-Talib or “Every man his own doctor” to the attention of al-Shaikh al-Saduq.

He, then, asked him to compile a book on fiqh (jurisprudence), al-halal Wa-‘1-haram (the permitted and prohibited) al-shara-i’ wa-‘l-ahkam (revealed law and (ordinary) laws) which would draw on all the works which the Shaikh had composed on the subject.

This book would be called Man la yahduruh al-faqih and would function as a work of reference.(11) In fact, the work represents a definitive synopsis of all the traditions which al-Shaikh al-Saduq had collected and included in individual books on specific legal subjects. In the lists of books of al-Shaikh al-Saduq, individual works are attributed to him on every subject of the furu’; examples are such works as Kitab al-nikah “Book of Marriage” or Kitab al-hajj “Book of the Pilgrimage”.