Wahba az-Zuhayli

Wahba Mustafa az-Zuhayli (1932-2015 CE / 1351-1436 AH) was a Syrian scholar and one of the most prolific and respected Islamic jurists of the modern era. Born in Dair Atiyah near Damascus, he received both traditional Islamic education and modern academic training, earning a doctorate in Islamic law from al-Azhar University. He served as a professor at Damascus University's Faculty of Shariah for over four decades.

Az-Zuhayli's magnum opus is al-Fiqh al-Islami wa-Adillatuhu (Islamic Jurisprudence and its Evidences), an eight-volume encyclopedia that systematically presents the positions of all four Sunni schools of jurisprudence on every major legal question, along with their evidence. This work became the standard reference for comparative Islamic law in universities across the Muslim world. He also authored at-Tafsir al-Munir (The Illuminating Commentary), a comprehensive modern tafsir; al-Fiqh al-Islami fi Uslubih al-Jadid, a systematic presentation of Islamic law; and Athar al-Harb fil-Fiqh al-Islami on Islamic international law.

Az-Zuhayli authored over 200 books and research papers, making him one of the most productive Islamic scholars in history. He served on multiple international fiqh academies and Islamic finance boards. His ability to present classical Islamic law in a systematic, comparative, and accessible academic format made his works indispensable for modern students and practitioners of Islamic law. He was widely respected across different scholarly orientations for his balanced approach and encyclopedic knowledge. He passed away in Damascus.