Ibn Muflih

Shams ad-Din Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Muflih ibn Muhammad al-Maqdisi al-Hanbali (712-763 AH / 1312-1362 CE) was one of the foremost Hanbali jurists of the 14th century and one of the most distinguished students of Ibn Taymiyyah. Born in the Maqdisi region near Jerusalem and raised in Damascus, he studied under Ibn Taymiyyah, who reportedly said of him that there was no one more knowledgeable of his madhhab under heaven than Ibn Muflih.

Ibn Muflih's magnum opus is al-Furu' (The Branches), a massive encyclopedic work of Hanbali jurisprudence that presents the questions of the madhhab systematically and comprehensively, documenting the opinions of major Hanbali scholars and the evidential basis for their positions. Al-Furu' became one of the most important reference works in the Hanbali tradition and remains a standard citation in Hanbali legal scholarship.

He also authored al-Adab ash-Shar'iyyah (Canonical Conduct), a comprehensive guide to Islamic ethical and social conduct grounded in the Hanbali tradition, which combines legal rulings with ethical guidance and remains a valued reference. His Usul al-Fiqh (Legal Methodology) is another important contribution.

Ibn Muflih was known for his meticulous scholarship and his deep grounding in both the textual and the legal dimensions of the Hanbali tradition. He passed away in Damascus in 763 AH. Al-Furu' and al-Adab ash-Shar'iyyah remain indispensable references in the Hanbali legal tradition.