Differences of Opinion in Fiqh

This translation of "al-Insaf" is a humble endeavour to introduce the noble works of Shah Wali Allah al-Dihlawi to the English-speaking world. I tis a modest tribute to his scientific investigation of the historical factors and other circumstances, which led to the development of Islamic jurisprudence and the subsequent emergence of its different schools of thought. Al-Inshaf's significance to Islamic jurisprudence does not deserve recognition merely because it is written by a scholar of repute like Shah Wali Alla. Rather, its author's fair analysis coupled with reasoned judgment, objective criticism, and examination of differences among different madhahib also need to be see in the wider context of his overall scheme of reforming the Ummah by tracing its original roots.