Fatawi-e Baburi, a Significant Text of Islamic Jurisprudence in Babur Era

Fatawi-e Baburi is one of the most prominent sources of Islamic jurisprudence [fiqh] in Babur era which was written at the behest of Zahir Aiddin Muhammad Babur, the founder of Gurkani dynasty in India. The author’s motive was achieving position in Babur court not to mention the financial benefits. Fatawi-e Baburi consists of five chapters and the third chapter, which is the most important one, is about Friday Prayers. Expressing the importance of Friday Prayers and its performance, the author also has emphasized that learning Shari’at [Islamic law] and fiqh [Islamic Jurisprudence] would lead to salvation in this world and in the hereafter and found learning of religious knowledge quite essential for a sultan and has regarded a sultan as true meaning of “The Shadow of God” and a master of power and high authority among nobbies. Therefore, in some way, the idea of sultan’s being shadow of God has influenced a conception and aim of the author in writing this book. He has tried to inculcate the idea that a sultan has authority not only in political but also in religious affairs into the public.