Mustafa al-Bugha

Mustafa Dib al-Bugha (1357-1441 AH / 1938-2020 CE) was a Syrian Shafi'i scholar and professor of Islamic jurisprudence at the University of Damascus. Born in Damascus, he studied under leading Syrian scholars and earned advanced degrees in Islamic law at Damascus University and al-Azhar.

Al-Bugha is best known for his widely used fiqh textbooks that became standard university teaching materials across Syria and beyond. His most influential works are al-Wafi fi Sharh al-Arba'in an-Nawawiyyah (a commentary on Imam an-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths), Nuzhah al-Muttaqin Sharh Riyad as-Salihin (a commentary on Imam an-Nawawi's Riyad as-Salihin), and al-Fiqh al-Manhaji ala Madhhab al-Imam ash-Shafi'i (co-authored with Mustafa al-Khin and Ali ash-Sharbaji), a systematic presentation of Shafi'i jurisprudence in five volumes designed for university teaching.

Al-Fiqh al-Manhaji became one of the most widely used Shafi'i fiqh textbooks in the Arab world and in Southeast Asian Islamic universities. Its clear organization, academic style, and comprehensive coverage made it suitable for modern higher Islamic education while remaining faithful to the Shafi'i tradition. His Nuzhah al-Muttaqin similarly became a widely used classroom text.

He was known as a dedicated and accessible teacher who served the University of Damascus for decades. He passed away in Damascus in 2020. His textbooks remain in widespread use in Shafi'i-tradition Islamic education.