Master’s Degree Awarded to Mr. Waddah Al-Jabzi in Islamic Studies (Hadith)

Mr. Waddah Saif Saeed Al-Jabzi was awarded a Master’s Degree in Islamic Studies – Hadith for his thesis titled: Al-Futuhat Al-Elahiyyah: Takhrij ma fi Al-Thamarat min Al-Aḥadith Al-Nabawiyyah by Judge Abdullah Muhyiaddeen Al-Arasi (d. 1187 AH): A Critical Study and Investigation from the Beginning of Aal Imran to the End of Al-Ma’idah, which was submitted to the Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Sana’a University. The MA defense was held on Monday, September 9, 2025.

The MA Viva-voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:

The thesis involved study and investigation of Al-Arasi’s commentary on the hadiths of “Al-Thamarat al-Yani‘ah” by Judge Yusuf Al-Thala’i (d. 832 AH), covering the Quranic section from the beginning of Aal Imran to the end of Al-Ma’idah.

The study aimed to produce a verified hadith compilation linked to the Prophetic traditions and verses of legal rulings authored by Al-Arasi (d. 1187 AH) — one of the prominent scholars of the Zaydi school — who combined in his work the methodologies of both Zaydi scholars and the broader community of hadith scholars, in service of a major scholarly reference such as “Al-Thamarat Al-Yani‘ah wal-Ahkam Al-Wadihah Al-Qati‘ah” by Yusuf Ahmad Al-Thalā’i (d. 832 AH).

The study yielded several key findings summarized as follows:

• Al-Arasi, proved to have extensive knowledge, scholarly breadth, and rigorous analytical approach as reflected in his deep engagement with sources and verification of narrations.
• The Zaydi scholars have strong interest in citing reports from their Companions and Successors.
• His book is featured with comprehensive presentation of theological and jurisprudential issues from different Islamic schools and legal traditions, supported by their respective evidences.
• Al-Arasi, authenticated hadiths from their original sources— tracing their chains of transmission and attributing them to the most authoritative collections such as Sahih, Sunan, Musnad, Mu‘jam, and Musannaf

In light of these findings, the researcher recommended that:

• Greater attention should be given to editing and publishing Yemen’s rich scholarly heritage to make it more accessible to researchers and scholars worldwide.
• The various volumes of the text under focus in this study should be investigated, compiled, and published as a complete, unified work for ease of reference.
• Researchers should embrace patience, diligence, and open-mindedness in academic investigation, tackle scholarly issues broadly, remain receptive to diverse views and interpretive endeavors, and avoid blameworthy partisanship and odious bias. One would do well to contemplate the methodology of the erudite scholar Al-‘Arasi—a man who drew from every wellspring, sipped from every school of thought, and committed to his work the finest gems of opinions he encountered.

The defense session was attended by a number of academics, researchers, colleagues and the researcher’s family members.‎