The Indicative Meaning of the Imperative (Dalālat al-Amr) in Jurisprudential Deduction (al-Istinbāṭ) according to Imams Al-Razi and Al-Amidi: A Comparative Usuli Study

Abstract

This research examines the methodological approaches to jurisprudential deduction (istinbāṭ) employed by two luminaries in the field of the Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (Uṣūl al-Fiqh), Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and Imam Sayf al-Din al-Amidi, through an analysis of their respective understandings of the indicative meaning (dalālah) of the imperative form (al-amr) in divine legal discourse (al-khiṭāb al-sharʿī). The study focuses on elucidating the rational and methodological foundations that underpinned Al-Razi and Al-Amidi's comprehension of the imperative's signification, while also clarifying the impact of this understanding on the process of deriving legal rulings.

The research aims to provide a brief introduction to both Imams and to illuminate key features of their deductive methodologies through the specific lens of the imperative. The study is structured into an introduction and two main chapters: Chapter One: The Nature of the Imperative (Ḥaqīqat al-Amr) and Its Addressees. Chapter Two: The Indicative Meaning of the Imperative according to Imams Al-Razi and Al-Amidi.

The research concludes with several key findings, including:

1. Al-Razi and Al-Amidi concur that the default principle regarding the imperative form is that it denotes immediate obligation (al-wujūb) unless contextual evidence (qarīnah) dictates otherwise—a view held by the majority of legal theorists (jumhūr al-uṣūliyyīn).
2. Both Imams Al-Razi and Al-Amidi were distinguished by their exceptional proficiency in logic and theological discourse (kalām), exemplified by their ability to differentiate between verbal (lafẓiyyah) and rational (ʿaqliyyah) indications.

Recommendations:

1. Encourage comparative studies among legal theorists on issues pertaining to the semantic implications of utterances (dalālāt al-alfāẓ), to further reveal the influence of rational and theological methodologies on the construction of usuli theory.
2. Emphasize the importance of revisiting major foundational texts, such as Al-Maḥṣūl and Al-Iḥkām, and making them accessible to contemporary students through systematic and modern explanatory approaches.