The tradition of Mukhtasar works in Hanafi literature and an evaluation of Ibn al-Saati's works Majmaʿ al-Bahrayn and Multaqa al-Nayyirayan

With the development of Islamic legal thought, numerous works in the field of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) began to be composed from the 2nd century of the Hijri calendar onward. While some of these works were extensive and detailed, others were written in a concise and systematic style, known as mukhtasar (abridged) texts. These texts, which present legal information in a summarized form without citing evidences and are generally used for educational purposes, were first compiled by Hanafi jurists. Among the most significant of these in the Hanafi school are the four foundational works known as "al-Mutun al-Arbaʿa", which form the strongest links of this tradition. This thesis focuses on one of these four core texts, namely Majmaʿ al-Bahrayn wa Multaqa al-Nayyirayan, authored by the Hanafi scholar Ibn al-Saati (d. 694/1295). In this work, Ibn al-Saati brings together two earlier and important texts: al-Mukhtasar by al-Kuduri (d. 428/1036) and Manzuma by al-Nasafi (d. 537/1143). In Majmaʿ al-Bahrayn, legal issues are presented in an original format, with each scholar's opinion expressed using a distinct sentence structure and the respective views marked with symbolic references. The subjects are addressed in a systematic manner. However, the language of the work is highly concise and requires a certain level of knowledge in both fiqh and Arabic language for proper understanding. Mukhtasar texts are not merely instructional and summarizing works; they also serve as key sources that clarify intra-madhhab preferences, define normative boundaries, and reflect legal authority. In this respect, Majmaʿ al-Bahrayn stands out both as a continuation of the classical mukhtasar tradition and as an original contribution to it. This study aims to explore the tradition of Hanafi mukhtasar texts and to examine Majmaʿ al-Bahrayn as a representative and distinctive example of this genre, highlighting its place in the history of Islamic scholarship. Based on a literature review and employing the historical-document analysis method, the first chapter of the study discusses the definition, historical development, and significance of mukhtasar texts within Hanafi literature. The second chapter provides information about Ibn al-Saati's scholarly and social environment, his life, teachers, students, scholarly personality, and works. The third chapter presents a detailed evaluation of Majmaʿ al-Bahrayn, focusing on its content, structure, methodology, language, and style, as well as the sources it relies on and its significance within the madhhab.