Master’s Degree Awarded to Ms. Ruqayya Abdulmajid Mohammed Ismail Al-Suswa in Islamic Comparative Jurisprudence

Ms. Ruqayya Abdulmajid Mohammed Ismail Al-Suswa ‎was awarded a Master’s Degree in Islamic Comparative Jurisprudence with an average of Excellent and a grade of (95) for her thesis titled: The Chapter of Sales in the Book of Takmil Sharh Al-Azhar Al-Muntaza min Al-Ghayth Al-Medrar Al-Mufattah li-Kama’im Al-Azhar by Ahmed Yahya Habis Al-Sa’adi (d. 1061 AH): A Critical Study and Investigation, which was submitted to the Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities– Sana’a University. The MA defense was held on Wednesday, December 17, 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:

#	Committee Members	Designation	Position
1	Assoc. Prof. Mohammed Shawqi Nasser Al-Awar	External Examiner	Chair
2	Dr. Halimah Abdullah Nasser Jahhaf	Main Supervisor	Member
3	Dr. Saeed Ali Mohammed Al-Himyari	Internal Examiner	Member

The study aimed to:

Introduce the scholar Ahmed Yahya Habis and bring to light the manuscript Takmil Sharh Al-Azhar, a significant Zaidi work that functions as a scholarly compendium; enrich the Islamic library through a verified critical edition in comparative jurisprudence, incorporating opinions of Zaidi imams and scholars along with those of the four Sunni schools, free from sectarian bias.
Contextualize the work within the 11th Hijri century, a period marked by substantial scholarly revival grounded in ijtihad and openness among juridical and intellectual schools; demonstrate that the manuscript’s issues, citations, rulings, and diverse juristic sources attest to this milieu.
Identify Habis’ reliance on authoritative commentaries on Matn Al-Azhar, whose authors exerted rigorous scholarly effort in truth-seeking, verification, and critical evaluation.

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

Ahmed Yahya Habis was a leading Zaidi scholar whose writings made significant contributions to religious scholarship and the clarification of legal rulings.
Takmil Sharh Al‑Azhar reflects the structural organization traditionally employed by Zaidi jurists and scholars in their works.
Habis transmitted the texts of the scholar Abdullah Muftah with precision and scholarly integrity.
In Zaidi and Hanafi jurisprudence, sales are classified into valid, void, and irregular (fasid) categories, whereas other schools, such as the Shafi’i, recognize only valid and void classifications.
Habis lived during the formative period of the Qasemi state, contemporaneous with three of its imams, and maintained close ties with and support for them.

In light of these findings, the researcher recommended:

Publishing the edited work, as it comprehensively covers most juristic issues related to sales transactions.
Adopting the book as a core reference for researchers in Islamic jurisprudence generally and Zaidi jurisprudence specifically.
Encouraging scholars and institutions to extract, review, edit, and publish Yemen’s manuscript heritage to unlock its intellectual and cultural wealth for learners and scholars.
Facilitating researchers’ access to essential books and sources, addressing a major obstacle in academic research.
Going beyond contradictions and textual critical investigation to apply the manuscript’s methodological insights to contemporary scholarly and practical life, raising awareness of the role of heritage revival in advancing the Islamic nation.

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