A Study on the Principle of the Priority of Determination (taʿyīn) over Giving Option (takhyīr) (Analyzing Nature, Opinions, and Proofs)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Faezeh Haddad Mohammad Abadi ¹
• Mohammad Hasan Haeri ²
• Mohammad Taqi Fakh’ali ²

¹ PhD Graduate, Fiqh and Foundations of Islamic Law, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

² Professor, Department of Fiqh and Foundations of Islamic Law, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

10.22067/jfiqh.2021.70651.1120

Abstract

Choosing between determination and giving option, which some have referred to as a principle, is among the topics which have been extensively discussed in Islamic jurisprudence with examples cited in various chapters, albeit dispersedly. Scholarly debate surrounds this question: In case of uncertainty regarding the determined or optional nature of ruling, which one should be supported? Each of these perspectives leads to distinct consequences. The majority of jurists support determination on the basis of rational judgment and precaution, while others have preferred giving option based on reasoning such as facilitation (taysīr) for the legally responsible person (mukallaf), and Quranic verses indicating exemption (barāʾah). Some scholars have also proposed detailed (context-sensitive) positions in this regard.  The present study was conducted through a descriptive-analytical approach and explains the various perspectives and reasonings, concluding that although the majority of jurists are in favor of determination, in many cases adopting a detailed (context-sensitive) approach offers more practical guidance for the legally responsible. The study also concludes that this principle can be considered both a jurisprudential and a methodological (uṣūlī) principle, but the uṣūlī classification seems to be better fitting.

Keywords

• determination
• giving option
• choosing between determination and giving option
• prioritizing determination

Main Subjects

• Principles of jurisprudence

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