"Wajih" in the Shafi'i school of law and the wajihs in al-Nawawi's al-Mi̇nhâj (Example of Kitab al-buyû)

In the history of Islamic jurisprudence, the era of independent jurisprudence came to an end after the formation of schools of law, and the mujtahids continued their fiqh activities in accordance with the ijtihad and rules of the imams of the school. In this context, the jurisprudence of Shafi'i scholars addressing novel issues, while remaining within the framework of the school's principles, is termed 'wajih' (plural wujūh) within the Shafi'i school. Most of these jurists lived in the IVth century Hijri and formed the third stratum of the Shafi'i tabaqa, known as "ashâb al-wujūh". Rāfi'ī and al-Nawawī, known as the "Shaykhayn," were the next generation of jurists who held great importance in the process of choosing between these different jurisprudences in the school. Rāfi'ī and al-Nawawī evaluated these differences in jurisprudence within the school and conducted comprehensive studies on determining which view should be preferred in legal matters. Subsequent Shafi'i jurists accepted the opinions of these two scholars as a benchmark in the school. This thesis examines the concepts of "wajih" and "ashâb al-wujūh" in the Shāfi'ī school of law and the role of Imam al-Nawawī in this school, and discusses the wajih and their evaluations in al-Nawawī's al-Minhāj. The aim of the study is to clarify al-Nawawī's place in the Shafi'i school of law and the wajih in al-Minhāj. The first chapter focuses on al-Nawawī's life and the importance of al-Minhāj, while the second chapter discusses the definition and details of the terms wajih and ashâb al-wujūh in the Shāfi'ī school of law. In the third part, al-Nawawī's wajih in al-Minhāj are analyzed, especially through the example of "Kitāb al-buyū". The conclusion summarizes the findings of this study. Keywords: Shāfi'ī School of Law, al-Nawawī, al-Minhāj, Wajih, Ashāb al-wujūh