Prayer Rulings in the Manuscript Ganj al-Hadi by Shaykh al-Qur’an Qazi Abdul Hadi Rustami: An Analytical and Referential Exploration

This research paper explores the jurisprudential rulings on prayer (Ahkām al-Ṣalāh) as presented in the manuscript Ganj al-Hadi authored by Shaykh al-Qur’an Qazi Abdul Hadi Rustami (RA). The study involves critical editing, scholarly referencing (takhrīj), and Urdu translation of the manuscript’s relevant sections. Topics examined include prayer times, prerequisites, integrals and obligations of prayer, prostration of forgetfulness (sajdah al-sahw), prayer for the ill and the traveller, as well as invalidators and disliked acts during prayer. The research highlights the manuscript's classical legal reasoning and its relevance to Hanafi jurisprudence.Through analytical commentary and source-based validation, the paper evaluates how Ganj al-Hadi presents structured guidance for common and exceptional prayer cases. The research contributes to Islamic legal heritage by reviving an important but lesser-known manuscript. It is hoped that this work facilitates future scholars and jurists in understanding traditional legal discourse, particularly within the South Asian Hanafi context.