The Introductory Usul Text in "Jawhar Al-Nidham" by Nur Al-Din Al-Salmi: An Objective Analysis and Scholarly Treatment 10.35781/1637-000-128-004

Abstract

This study explores the Usūlī (legal theory) introduction in Jawhar al-Niẓām fī ʿIlmay al-Adyān wa al-Aḥkām by Imam Nūr al-Dīn al-Sālimī (d. 1332 AH), considering it a unique example of uṣūl al-fiqh introductions found within works of substantive law rather than dedicated uṣūl treatises. The study aims to analyze this introduction, reveal its scholarly value, determine its methodological nature, and assess its suitability as a teaching text for students of legal theory. It also reconstructs the content according to the conventional classifications of the discipline. The research is guided by central questions regarding the value, thematic structure, and methodological coherence of the introduction with uṣūl frameworks. It employs various approaches, including descriptive, analytical, inductive, and comparative methods. The study concludes that the introduction contains significant uṣūl content but is presented in an unconventional manner, requiring reclassification based on established uṣūl methodology. The findings show that the introduction combines brevity, precision, and instructional purpose, making it well-suited as an introductory textbook- especially for beginners. The study recommends greater scholarly attention to similar uṣūlī introductions embedded in fiqh literature, given their scientific and methodological importance in understanding the legacy of uṣūl al-fiqh, particularly within the Ibāḍī school.