مختصر فوائد الرستفغني

A Summary of the Masterpieces of Al-Rustafghani

The erudite hanafi scholar Ahmad bin Musa bin Isa Al-Kashi (d. 550 AH) mentions in his book Majmu’ al-Hawadith wal-Nawazil wal-Waqi’at— fatwas and writings of hanafi scholars preceding his era—among them Mukhtasar al-Fawa’id (The Summary of Benefits) by Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Sa’id al-Rustafghani (d. 345 AH). Upon examining its contents, we find confirmation of what biographical sources mentioned in their description of this book, stating that it encompassed various types of sciences, as it compiled numerous sciences from jurisprudence to exegesis, hadith, Sufism, ethics, literature, wisdom, and other sciences. On some of its pages, we read purely jurisprudential issues, while on others we see Al-Rustafghani’s discussions in theology and speculative thought, along with the opinions of other schools and sects that he cites. We also find him mentioning his debates with his opponents or the sermons he delivered in mosques or during his scholarly gatherings.