al-Lakhmi

Ali ibn Muhammad al-Lakhmi (402–478 AH / 1012–1085 CE) was a prominent Maliki jurist of Qayrawan (Tunisia) in the 5th century AH. His most important work, al-Tabsirah (The Illumination), is an extensive Maliki legal encyclopedia dealing with all areas of Islamic law. It presents the Maliki school's positions with extensive analysis and comparison with other schools. Al-Lakhmi was known for his independent legal thinking and his ability to go beyond the standard Maliki positions when the evidence warranted. He was one of the major figures of the Maliki school in the Islamic West.