Translated text
Jane Riley
ame...@marketingbase.com
Hi Jane,
I did some initial checking and AI platforms including Copilot.com, ChatGPT, Perplexity.AI, and Claude.AI all report the same finding: there is no complete English translation of al‑Sanhuri’s ten‑volume al‑Wasit. Only partial translations appear to exist, typically limited to sections translated for academic use in articles, theses, or dissertations. These excerpts are scattered and highly topic‑specific (for example, contract defects, liability, or sources of obligation). There are also some commissioned or project‑based translations, but nothing approaching a full, publicly available edition. Recent publicly available sources that support this conclusion include:
- Industry Arabic, “The Sanhuri Translation Project” (2023) — describes translating portions of al‑Wasit for clients and does not reference any existing full English edition.
https://industryarabic.com/sanhuri-translation-project/ - some sections are for sale.
- Rohy Alsaad, LinkedIn post (2023–2024) — a practitioner inquiry asking whether an English translation exists; no respondents cite a complete translation, and no follow‑up indicates one has appeared.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rohy-alsaad_sanhuri-translation-activity-7064680030030401536-2W8H/
- Recent scholarship (2024–2025) — English‑language articles continue to cite al‑Wasit only in Arabic, with no reference to an English edition. For example, Brill’s Arab Law Quarterly and other comparative‑law journals consistently cite the Arabic volumes.
- Major law library catalogs (Harvard, SOAS, AUB, Library of Congress) — as of 2024–2025, none list a complete English translation; holdings are limited to Arabic editions and partial translations embedded in theses.
The following recommendations are from Copilot.com:
Please note that I have not independently verified these results
- You can purchase several sections from Sanhuri Translation Project, Industry Arabic
https://industryarabic.com/sanhuri-translation-project/
- Partial translations available through libraries:
- SOAS University of London
This becomes the top choice for a UK‑based researcher. SOAS has the strongest Arabic, Islamic, and Middle Eastern law collection in the UK, and several theses include translated excerpts of al‑Wasit. Access is straightforward for UK academics.
- University of Exeter
Exeter’s Arab & Islamic Studies department has produced dissertations with partial translations, especially in obligations and contract law. For someone in the UK, this is the second most accessible and relevant collection.
- British Library + EThOS (UK doctoral theses)
Many UK theses containing translated sections are deposited here. EThOS is free to search and often free to download. This is a major advantage for someone in the UK.
- American University in Cairo (AUC)
Still highly relevant because of proximity to Egyptian legal scholarship, but access is less convenient from the UK. However, AUC materials are often available through interlibrary loan or digital request.
- Harvard Law School Library
Harvard remains one of the richest sources of partial translations, but for a UK researcher, access is more cumbersome. Still extremely valuable if the needed section is rare.
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
Per CoPilot:
What you will typically find in these partial translations
• Sources of obligation
• Contract formation and defects
• Liability and damages
• Unjust enrichment
• Civil responsibility (tort)
• Property and possession (less commonly translated)
CoPilot also notes: “If you tell me which part of al‑Wasit you need, contracts, torts, obligations, property, I can point you to specific dissertations and specific libraries that contain translated pages, so you don’t have to search blindly.”
I hope some of this information is helpful---Amelia
Amelia Kassel
Research Consultant – Semi-Retired
AIIP Member Emeritus
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