PhD Degree Awarded to Mr. Sulaiman Abdullah Maqbooli Al-Ahdal in Islamic Jurisprudence‎ and Its Foundations

Mr. Sulaiman Abdullah Maqbooli Al-Ahdal was awarded a PhD degree in Islamic Jurisprudence‎ and Its Foundations for his dissertation titled: Fatawa of Sulaiman bin Yahya bin Omar Maqbool Al-Ahdal (d. 1197 Hijri) From the Beginning of the Manuscript to the End of Purification Chapter: Critical Study and Investigation, which was submitted to the Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Sana’a University. The dissertation defense was held on Thursday, December 4, 2025.

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

#	Committee Members	Designation	Position
1	Prof. Huda Ali Yahya Al-Emad	Internal Examiner	Chair
2	Prof. Adel Saleh Al-Faqih	Main Supervisor	Member
3	Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Mahmoud Al-Rousi	External Examiner	Member

The study aimed to:

Edit and produce the manuscript in a sound scholarly manner, ensuring accurate verification and annotation.
Produce the manuscript in a sound scholarly form and ensuring proper verification, annotation, and study.
Introduce the author as a distinguished scholarly figure and highlight his juristic opinions and deductions.
Present and clarify the methodology adopted by the author throughout these Fatawa.

The study yielded a number of key findings summarized as follows:

Sulaiman bin Yahya bin Omar Maqbool Al-Ahdal excelled in a wide ‎range of sciences and disciplines.‎
His Fatawa constitute a valuable scholarly treasure, in which the author compiled ‎numerous benefits and insightful annotations.‎
The author demonstrated extensive knowledge and drew upon a large number of ‎references and sources.‎
The author cited and referenced the opinions of a large number of scholars and ‎jurists, over two hundred in this part alone.‎
The Fatawa include numerous preferences and determinations of Shafi‘i jurists, along with the author’s own juristic preferences.‎
The author possessed mastery in multiple fields of knowledge, which is clearly ‎reflected in his Fatawa.‎
Al-Ahdal adopted a clear methodology in presenting sound Prophetic traditions and ‎demonstrating how they are used as evidence for legal rulings.‎
He also followed a systematic method in presenting weak narrations and explaining ‎the manner in which they are used in argumentation.‎

In light of these findings, the researcher recommended:

Compiling a global inventory of manuscripts and their locations, along with cataloguing the titles of works already edited.
Facilitating exchange procedures between libraries and universities for manuscript reproduction and access.
Editing and publishing the major scholarly heritage of Sulaiman bin Yahya bin Omar Maqbool Al-Ahdal, as most of his works remain in manuscript form.
Studying Yemeni scholars and their methodologies in Islamic jurisprudence‎, its Foundations, and other scientific fields through their writings.
Conducting a comprehensive academic study on the life and scholarly contributions of Sulaiman bin Yahya bin Omar Maqbool Al-Ahdal.
Encouraging researchers and students to devote greater attention to the scholarly verification of classical manuscripts and authored works.

The dissertation defense was attended by a number of academics, researchers, and specialists, students, colleagues, and the researcher’s family.