Isnawi's criticisms of al-Rafi'i and al-Nawawi in the Shafi'i school

One of the prominent scholars of Shāfiʿī jurisprudence, Isnawī, adopted an approach rarely seen within the school by presenting dissenting opinions against the jurists who represented its main line. In his works al-Muhimmāt fī Sharḥ al-Rāfiʿī wa-l-Rawḍa and Jawāhir al-Baḥrayn fī Tanāquḍ al-Khabrayn, he expressed criticisms of Nawawī and Rāfiʿī, arguing that they sometimes failed to correctly understand Imām al-Shāfiʿī and were occasionally insufficient in grasping his views. Isnawī's sharp criticisms of these scholars provoked the reaction of Shāfiʿī jurists and became the subject of many refutations, particularly by his student ʿIrāqī. In fact, in the introduction of al-Muhimmāt, he listed under specific headings the points on which he believed these authorities erred, stating that one of his main purposes in writing the work was to expose such misinterpretations. Some researchers have evaluated Isnawī's stance as an attempt at an "internal return to the essence" of the school. This study will examine Isnawī's criticisms of Nawawī and Rāfiʿī, which have not been sufficiently addressed in the Turkish literature. His aforementioned works will serve as the primary sources, alongside other relevant studies. The aim is to fill an important gap in the field. Moreover, the fact that Isnawī, despite being a dissenting voice, was still accepted as an authoritative figure within the school is a remarkable point. The research will comparatively analyze Isnawī's criticisms and reveal his purpose in choosing to target these scholars. Ultimately, it will seek to determine the foundations of his objections, assess how far they were considered in subsequent periods, and thereby clarify Isnawī's position within the Shāfiʿī school.