Contributions of Ahmad Ibn Yahya al-Wansharisi to Islamic Political Thought: A Contemporary Analytical Perspective

Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Wansharisi (d.914 AH/1508 CE) is considered one of the most prominent Maliki scholars in the Islamic Maghreb, who witnessed radical political transformations marked by the fall of Al-Andalus and the collapse of Islamic kingdoms.This raises a research problem concerning the extent to which jurists like him interacted with these crises and how this interaction shaped an Islamic political vision capable of confronting challenges.The significance of this study lies in addressing an academic gap: the scarcity of research linking al-Wansharisi's juristic heritage, particularly his work Al-Miyr al-Murib, to his political theorizing during an era characterized by internal conflicts and external threats.The research aims to analyze al-Wansharisi's contributions to Islamic political thought by deconstructing his historical and intellectual contexts, uncovering the mechanisms he employed to reconcile Maliki jurisprudence with lived realities, and assessing his subsequent influence on reformist discourse in the Maghreb.The study's importance lies in bridging the knowledge gap regarding Maghrebi political thought, understanding the roots of concepts such as justice and legitimacy in Islamic heritage, and deriving contemporary solutions from his jurisprudence on novel cases (al-nawzil).The research adopts a methodology combining historical analysis to trace events influencing his thought, a critical comparison of his views with Eastern jurists, and textual analysis of his political fatwas in Al-Miyr.Key findings reveal that al-Wansharisi developed a "crisis jurisprudence" by linking religious law to reality, emphasizing the ruler's responsibility to achieve public welfare.His theorizing also served as a reference for later reform movements.Central terms include Islamic political thought, sharia-based governance (siysa shariyya), jurisprudence of novel cases (fiqh al-nawzil), and authoritarian rule.