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What is the definition of Imam Al-Shawkani and his madhhab, and the madhhab of the Zayidis in general, and why do the Sunnis accept his books, and what is the opinion on his two books, Fath Al-Qadir and Nayl Al-Awtar, and are there any warnings that should be noted when reading them?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Ash-Shawkani was a Zaydi, then he became a verifier who sought and was keen to follow the evidence. He possessed extensive knowledge in instrumental sciences such as language, Usul (principles of Islamic jurisprudence), and terminology, as well as in the sciences of Tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), Hadith, Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), and the sayings of the Salaf (pious predecessors). In his Tafsir, he benefited from Al-Qurtubi, Al-Suyuti, and others. In Nayl al-Awtar, he drew from the works of Ibn Hajar, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, and Ibn Hazm. His books do not represent the Zaydi madhhab (school of thought); rather, they demonstrate his adherence to evidence and the doctrines of Ahl al-Sunnah (Sunnis).

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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