شیخ عبد السلام الرستمی رحمہ اللہ کا منہجِ استدلال و استنباط: کتاب "غیث السحابۃ على أمة الإجابة" کی روشنی میں ایک تحقیقی و تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Abstract

This study examines the methodology of reasoning and deduction employed by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Salām al-Rustamī in his work Ghayth al-Saḥābah ʿalā Ummat al-Ijābah. The research focuses on the sources, structure, and analytical patterns of his arguments concerning the status, virtues, authority, and defense of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. Using descriptive, inductive, and analytical methods, the study investigates his use of the Qur’an, Prophetic Hadith, reports and opinions of the Companions and Successors, and the views of classical and later Muslim scholars. The analysis shows that al-Rustamī gives primary authority to the Qur’an and Sunnah, while using the understanding of the early generations and scholarly opinions as supporting and explanatory evidence. His method is characterized by cumulative reasoning, in which multiple textual and traditional proofs are combined to establish a comprehensive argument. The study also identifies descriptive, inductive, analytical, and critical dimensions in his approach, particularly in responding to objections related to the Companions. It concludes that al-Rustamī’s methodology is predominantly textual and tradition-based, yet also analytical and defensive, making Ghayth al-Saḥābah an important work for understanding his broader intellectual and evidentiary approach.