The use of general legal maxims in al-Ikhtiyār li Ta'līl al-Mukhtār by al-Mawsilī

This study focuses on the universal principles used in justifying the rulings in al-Ihtiyar li-ta'lil al-Muhtar and how the author employed these principles. In this work, which serves as an important commentary on al-Muhtar by the same author, the study aims to identify the universal principles referred to in the justification of the rulings, examine the contexts in which these principles are used, and analyze the method of their application. The research adopts descriptive and analytical methods. Accordingly, the universal principles used in the work were first identified, and then these principles were subjected to systematic classification. The first chapter of the study addresses the historical development of the universal principles. The second chapter examines the principles that Mevsili employed when justifying rulings, along with the ways these principles were used within their respective contexts. In the conclusion, the findings are listed in a structured manner. As a result, it was determined that Mevsili used the universal principles as a supporting element when justifying rulings. Additionally, it was observed that while the author preserved the fundamental meaning of the principles when considering them in different contexts, he occasionally altered the wording to adapt to the specific context.