The Scope of Dalālat al-Naṣṣ in Ḥanafī Jurisprudence: AResearch Review of Its Conceptual Framework, Practical Forms, and Evidentiary Status

Abstract

This research presents a comprehensive analytical study of the concept of Dalālat alNaṣṣ (textual implication) within Ḥanafī jurisprudence, examining its theoretical
foundations, practical applications, and evidentiary authority in legal reasoning.
While classical works of Uṣūl al-Fiqh generally present Dalālat al-Naṣṣ as a single mode
of textual implication, this study argues that its application in the Ḥanafī tradition
extends far beyond its conventional definition. By employing inductive and analytical
methods, the research examines the discussions of leading Ḥanafī jurists, particularly
al-Jaṣṣāṣ, al-Dabūsī, al-Sarakhsī, al-Marghīnānī, and Ibn al-Humām, and identifies six
major forms of Dalālat al-Naṣṣ derived from their juristic discourse. It further
demonstrates that these forms constitute a coherent methodological framework for
legal interpretation and deduction rather than isolated juristic applications. The study
also clarifies the distinction between Dalālat al-Naṣṣ and Qiyās, arguing that the former
is based on meanings directly established through the linguistic and contextual
implications of the revealed texts, whereas the latter relies on juristic identification of
the effective legal cause (ʿillah). Furthermore, it explains that juristic disagreements
regarding Dalālat al-Naṣṣ mainly concern the realization and application of its
operative meaning rather than the principle itself. The study concludes that Dalālat alNaṣṣ represents an independent and comprehensive interpretive principle in the
Ḥanafī school and provides a broader framework for understanding textual
interpretation and legal deduction in Islamic legal theory.