“Merâkı’l-Felâh,” a commentary written by the great 17th-century (11th century AH) Hanafi jurist Allame Shurunbulali (may Allah have mercy on him) on his own work titled “Nûru’l-Îzâh,” which was taught as a textbook in Ottoman madrasas, has been prepared for publication by collating two manuscript copies.

Imam Shurunbulali was born in the town of Shubrabalu in Egypt in 994 (1586 AD). While still young, he studied under great scholars in Cairo. Deepening his knowledge, he went on to teach and author numerous works. He passed away in Cairo in 1069 (1659 AD). Renowned for his profound knowledge, noble character, and Sufi disposition, Imam Shurunbulali is a scholar whose works have garnered significant attention. It is evident from his works that he was skilled in many sciences, and thanks to the plain language he employed, his books have been able to reach a wide audience.

Before Merâkı’l-Felâh, the author first wrote a commentary on the text titled Imdâdü’l-Fettâh, which explains words with obscure meanings, and then created Merâkı’l-Felâh by abridging this commentary. He completed the text on 14 Jumada al-Awwal 1032 (March 16, 1623), Imdâdü’l-Fettâh on 12 Rabi al-Awwal 1046 (August 14, 1636), and Merâkı’l-Felâh in early Rajab 1054 (September 1644).

In this work, which is enriched with footnotes consisting of takhrij (verification of hadiths), translations, references, and citations, the layout has been designed so that the text and the commentary are presented in two distinct blocks.