بسم الله وحده والصلاة والسلام على من لا نبي بعده
Written By: Syed Sharaheel Shuja Hashmi
Checked and Approved:
Mufti Ismail Moosa
www.ulumalhadith.com
written by Imām Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī
researched by Nūr ad-Dīn ʿItr
published by Dār al-Minhāj Al-Qawīm
comprising of 182 pages
Genre: ḥadīth; advice; ethics; travel
Overview and Introduction
Travelling to seek knowledge: a component of learning present from the era of the noble prophets until today, for both religious and secular knowledge, practised by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It was this habit that a 5th century scholar sought to document for future generations.
Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī (d. 463 AH), referred to as al-Khaṭīb, was a prolific writer, traditionist (muḥaddith), and Islamic scholar. Most famously associated with his tour de force, the multi-volume Tārīkh Baghdād, he also authored many works in the science of ḥadīth (ʿilm al-ḥadīth). These works took such a space in the schooling of the Islamic scholars to come, that their praise is best summed in the citation of Abū Bakr ibn Nuqtah by the erudite ḥadīth master Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī stating, ‘All [people] who are just know that the ḥadīth scholars (muhadithūn) after al-Khaṭīb are dependent upon his books.’[1]
As a culmination of the genres of ḥadīth, advice, ethics, and history, Ar-Riḥlah fī Ṭalab al-Ḥadīth (lit. The journey in the pursuit of knowledge) is a compilation of 81 traditions discussing travelling in pursuit of knowledge, beginning from the noble prophet Mūsā ʿalayhis salām down to the travels of the latter-day scholars. The work is split into 4 chapters:
- [The chapter of] of travelling for the pursuit of knowledge, the command for it, the urging for it, and an elucidation of its virtues;[2]
- [The chapter of] the one who travels for a single ḥadīth from the noble companions;[3]
- [The chapter of] the narrations about the successors (tābiʿūn) and those of the latter-day like what was mentioned;[4] and
- [The chapter of] the one who travels to an elder (shaykh) in hopes of attaining a shorter chain ʿ‘uluw isnād) but he passes away before the seeker meets him and attains his goal.[5]
The book seeks to inculcate into the reader: (1) an appreciation of the immense trials and hardships of the pious predecessors (ṣalaf aṣ-ṣāliḥ), (2) an understanding that travelling in the pursuit of knowledge is ancient tradition practised even by the noble prophet Mūsā ʿalayhis salām and, (3) a desire to embark on one’s own travels in the pursuit of knowledge.
Review of the work of the researcher (muḥaqqiq)
The work of Shaykh Nūr ad-Dīn ʿItr (d. 1442 AH) for this book can be divided into four components:
The extensive introduction covers a wide variety of topics starting with a basic prelude[9] where after the traditional basmalah, ḥamd, and ṣalawāt, the researcher mentions the immense hardships that the Islamic scholars faced in their travels for knowledge. He then mentions that the book Ar-Riḥlah fī Ṭalab al-Ḥadīth is the best documentation of these travels and that the reason for this publication is to inspire the youth. He then states that the main purpose of his footnotes is to discuss the prophetic narrations and analyse their chains (asānīd) as well as to aid in understanding the difficult passages.
This prelude is followed by a few pages[10] where the scientific miracles of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ are discussed, such as his knowledge considering he was illiterate, his strong and pure call (daʿwah), and the miracle of the Qurʾān. It also highlights how the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ did not use the eclipse on the day of his son’s death to highlight the authenticity of his message, as many expected him to do or as a charlatan might take advantage of the situation, rather he ﷺ emphasized that the sun and the moon are the signs of Allāh and do not eclipse for anyone’s death.
Then he lays a couple of pages[11] where he highlights the importance of hadīth and [its] chains (sanad). This is perfectly fitting for the context since the book Ar-Riḥlah fī Ṭalab al-Ḥadīth follows the style of its predecessors, i.e. the book is filled with chains. This system of chains is an innovation exclusive to the Muslim nation and is the chosen method of safeguarding and preserving texts like the Qurʾān and Ḥadīth.
The next section[12] discusses the very concept of travelling for knowledge in Islam and after establishing its standing in the Qurʾān, the prophetic tradition (sunnah), and the scholarly traditions, he establishes the reasons of travelling. They are: (1) for the acquisition of ḥadīth, (2) for the verification of ḥadīth, (3) in search for shorter chains (ʿuluw fī sanad), (4) the search for information of the narrators, and (5) discussion with scholars regarding the critique of ḥadīths and hidden defects (ʿilal).
This is followed by a section denoting the benefits of travelling for knowledge. They are: (1) mastering of the various aspects of knowledge, (2) spreading knowledge, (3) widening the breadth of the people, (4) perfecting one’s inner self, (5) making trustworthy new companions, and many more.
The next portion discusses the manners and methodology of travelling for knowledge: Firstly, to acquire from the scholars of the local region. Secondly, to carefully select and choose the regions populated with scholars that can be benefitted from. Thirdly, to focus on the actual knowledge and transmissions received over attaining a great number of teachers. Fourthly, to keep the company of the experts until the seeker attains the true depth of knowledge. Finally, to observe proper care and etiquette throughout the journey.
The researcher’s personal introduction concludes with discussing the history of travelling for the sake of knowledge: a concept present even for the prophet Mūsā ʿalayhis salām, and refuting the claims of orientalists who state that the concept of travelling for knowledge arose only during the Umayyad era.
The next section of the introduction brings a brief biography[13] of the author al-Khaṭīb where he discusses his personality,[14] his standing in knowledge,[15] his methodology in Islamic theology (ʿilm al-kalām),[16] his methodology in Islamic law and jurisprudence (fiqh),[17] his methodology in the science of ḥadīth,[18] his impact on subsequent Islamic scholarship,[19] and his written works.[20]
After the biography, he discusses the author’s methodology in laying out the book and some of the employed terminology.[21] The researcher then informs the reader about the manuscripts used for this publication.
The first manuscript was handwritten by al-Faqīḥ Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd ar-Rahmān ibn Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAhmad al-Maqdīsī al-Ḥanbalī in Ramadan 640 AH and can be found in the famed Dār al-Kutub az-Zāhiriyyah in Damascus. The manuscript writer wrote three chains between himself and the original author: (1) ʿAbd ar-Rahmān – Abū ’l-Ḥasan ʿAbd al-Khāliq ibn Aḥmad – Abu Muḥammad Saʿd Allāh ibn Ayyūb – al-Khaṭīb. (2) ʿAbd ar-Rahmān – Abū ’l-Ḥasan ʿAbd al-Khāliq ibn Aḥmad – as-Sayrafī – al-Khaṭīb, and (3) ʿAbd ar-Rahmān – Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Abū as-Safar – Ibn al-Akfanī – al-Khaṭīb. This first manuscript is titled Kitāb ar-Riḥlah fī ḥadīth (lit. The book of travelling for ḥadīth).
The second manuscript was handwritten by ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Balsī and can also be found in Dār al-Kutub az-Zāhiriyyah. It is via the transmission of Ibn al-Akfānī and Ibn al-Akfānī al-Khushūʿī and was written around Rabīʿ ath-Thānī 20 AH.
Finally, the researcher concludes with a discussion of his methodology in highlighting manuscript differences and footnote discussions.
The footnotes are a pleasant read, simple and clear, which do not distract the reader. They point out manuscript differences without feeling overbearing. If a wording conforms or differs from the norm of the traditionalists (muḥaddithūn), then a mention is made of this. For example, the opening of the book has the words ‘he said’ (qāla) missing in the manuscript, but the researcher points out that it is to be verbalised but has been left out [for the sake of brevity] as per the habit.[22] All the Prophetic traditions have been referenced extensively to document other appearances and chains. Proper nouns are pointed out to prevent confusion, and if a wording seems to be an ambiguous metaphor, it is mentioned. For example, a report mentions that a man remarks that, ‘there was nothing but seven or nine dirhams that stood in the way of me meeting Ibn ʿAbbās’, and the researcher points out that this indicates the man’s status as a slave who was working to pay his manumission, and was hence was near the end of his contract but he was too late to meet Ibn ʿAbbas raḍī’allāhu ʿanhu as the noble companions passed away.[23]
The researcher also supplemented the work with 39 traditions that he gathered to make up for what al-Khaṭīb missed. To quote the researcher himself, ‘The travels of the companions to the Prophet ﷺ: al-Imām Abū Bakr al-Khaṭīb did not bring anything from this topic, but it is bountiful [in availability]; because many of the companions would intend to travel to the Prophet ﷺ…”.[24] Finally, the index is sufficiently detailed and leaves no grievances.
Summary of the work
[The chapter of] of travelling for the pursuit of knowledge, the command for it, the urging for it, and an elucidation of its virtues
Al-Khaṭīb begins the book with the famous prophetic narration, ‘search for knowledge even if it is in China, for indeed, the search of knowledge is mandatory (farḍ) upon every Muslim’,[25] narrating it via several chains all reaching Anas ibn Mālik. After establishing the mandate, he moves onto its virtue by narrating, via several chains, the famous ḥadīth of Abū Dardāʾ raḍī’allāhu ʿanhu[26] wherein a man travels from Madīnah to Abū Dardāʾ raḍī’allāhu ʿanhu in Damascus solely for a single prophetic report. After verifying the man’s intentions, Abū Dardāʾ raḍī’allāhu ʿanhu conveys the virtue of his journey by relating:[27]
Verily I heard the Messenger or Allah ﷺ saying,
‘Whoever travels a path, seeking in it knowledge, [Allāh] makes his path from the paths to paradise; verily the angels spread their wings in honour (riḍā) of the seeker of knowledge; the virtue of a scholar over the worshipper is akin to the virtue of the full moon over the roaming planets; those in the heavens and the earth seek forgiveness for the scholar, even all the fish in the depths of the sea; the scholars are the inheritors of the prophets, the prophets do not leave behind dinars or dirhams, rather they leave knowledge; so whoever partakes from it has acquired abundant good fortune.’
After inculcating the virtues of knowledge from such an illustrious report, al-Khaṭīb takes care to remind the reader not to fall into confusion or mock that which the mind cannot immediately perceive, by relating the story of a man who mocked the seekers by remarking ‘raise your legs from the wings of the angels, do not break them’. He did not move a single step before his feet become paralyzed and he fell.[28] This also serves as a reminder to the original testament of the honour of a seeker of knowledge.
Al-Khaṭīb then reminds the reader of the sacrifices of the seeker by relaying Allāh’s revelation to the prophet Dāwūd ʿalayhis salām, ‘Take shoes of iron, a stick of iron, and seek knowledge until the stick fragments and the shoes break.’[29]
At this point, a reader may question that if such honour is accorded to seekers of knowledge, then where is their mention in the Qurʾān? Al-Khaṭīb relates the exegesis of the verse ‘those who journey’[30] by explaining that, ‘they are [those who are] seeking knowledge.’[31]
Once the reader is grounded in the importance of seeking knowledge, al-Khaṭīb strengthens this foundation by relating the mercy that seeking knowledge attracts, as is evident in the words of Ibn al-Mubārak when he was seen in a dream, ‘He forgave me due to my travelling for ḥadīth’[32], and the honour it attracts is evident in a comment about Ibn al-Mubārak, ‘there were none like Ibn al-Mubārak in his era.’ [33] The rest of the chapter is dedicated to statements of scholars on the honour and knowledge of others due to their travels or their own willingness to travel.
Here, the subchapter ‘the travels of the prophet Mūsā ʿalayhis salām’ enters where al-Khaṭīb relates via several chains the famous story of Mūsā and al-Khiḍr ʿalayhimā salām that Allāh mentions in the Qurʾān.
[The chapter of] the one who travels for a single ḥadīth from the noble Companions
Al-Khaṭīb begins this chapter by relating Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh’s self-report, via several chains, concerning how he heard that another companion in Syria had heard a prophetic ḥadīth which Jābir had not, and so he set out immediately on a month’s journey out of fear that one of them would perish before he could complete his task.[34] Al-Khaṭīb then brings the report of another companion, Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī, via several chains, that he travelled to Egypt for a similar reason.[35] These two reports, with all their chains, take up nineteen traditions and thus filling most of the chapter, heavily emphasising the truthfulness of the reports and the need to emulate their content.
Al-Khaṭīb finishes the chapter with a scolding of Imām Al-Awzāʿī to a student of his: ‘You find 30 ḥadīth in 4 days to be a small quantity? Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh travelled to Egypt. He bought a mount and rode it until he [arrived and] asked ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir for a single ḥadīth, and then left. Yet, you think that 30 ḥadīth in 4 days is a small quantity?’[36]
[The chapter of] the narrations about the successors (tābiʿūn) and those of the latter-day like what was mentioned
Now that al-Khaṭīb has inculcated all the necessary understanding of travelling for the sake of knowledge, he displays a good mastery of rhetoric and rather than building on what has already been completed, he spends the entirety of the chapter showing examples, anecdotes, sayings, and stories of predecessors about their travels for knowledge. For example, he relates, via several chains, Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyab’s statement,[37] ‘I travelled days and nights in pursuit of a single ḥadīth.’[38] Then, al-Khaṭīb wishes to convey a more practical example and relates from Abū ʿUthmān, ‘A hadīth of Abū Hurayrah reached me… so, I made pilgrimage that year. I had not intended to do so except to meet him for [clarification] on that ḥadīth.’[39] Another example is the story of the Palestinian Ibn al-Daylāmī who travelled to the Medinan ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-Ās, only to find out that the latter was in Makkah, so he travelled there and sought a ḥadīth from him.[40] The best example of travelling and its very essence is encapsulated in the report of Shuʿbah, where, after a student of his narrated something, he remarked:
Be careful about what you narrate: Abū Isḥāq narrated this incident to us from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAṭāʾ, from ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir raḍī’allāhu ʿanhu. I thus asked Abū Isḥāq,
‘Who is ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAṭāʾ?’
However, instead of giving me an answer, he became angry at my question, and so I demanded of him,
‘You’d better help me authenticate this or else I’ll be sure to tear up everything that I’ve written from you!’
One of those present, Misʿar ibn Kidām, thus told me that I would be able to find ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAṭāʾ in Makkah. I therefore travelled all the way to Makkah, having had no intention for Ḥajj or for anything but this one narration. In any case, I met ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAṭāʾ, but upon enquiring from him about the narration, he informed me that it was actually Saʿd ibn Ibrāhīm who had narrated it to him! Imām Mālik ibn Anas raḥimahullāh, who was also present at the time, informed me that I would be able to find Saʿd ibn Ibrāhīm in Madīnah, in which direction I thus set out. However, upon meeting Saʿd and enquiring from him about the narration in question, he informed me,
‘This ḥadīth is from your people! Ziyād ibn Mikhrāq narrated it to me!’
When he mentioned Ziyād’s name, I exclaimed,
‘What kind of a narration is this? First it was from the people of Kūfah, then it was from the people of Madīnah, and now it’s suddenly from the people of Baṣrah!’
In any case, I then travelled all the way to Baṣrah, where I then met Ziyād ibn Mikhrāq and enquired from him about this narration. However, his initial response to me was simply,
‘Don’t worry about this narration; it’s not your business.’
I repeated my question, saying,
‘Narrate it to me!’
‘Don’t ask me again!’ he replied.
But again, I demanded,
‘Narrate it to me!’
He finally relented, saying,
‘Shahr ibn Ḥawshab narrated to me, from Abū Rayḥānah, from ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir raḍī’allāhu ʿanhu…’
When he said this, I finally admitted defeat, exclaiming,
‘Trying to verify this narration has finished me up! For a statement like this to be authentically narrated from Rasūlullāh ﷺ would have been more beloved to me than my family, my wealth, and all of mankind put together.’[41]
[The chapter of] the one who travels to an elder (shaykh) in hopes of attaining a shorter chain (ʿuluw isnād) but he passes away before the seeker meets him and attains his goal
The purpose of this chapter is several-fold: (1) to remind the reader and the traveller that not everything will go as planned, (2) to not become discouraged regardless of what difficulties arrive, (3) to remind the reader that Allāh may have something better planned than that which has been missed, (4) and that as long as you have set out with a sincere intention and remained steadfast, even if the original plan fails, things will work out. This chapter really highlights the genius of al-Khaṭīb.
Al-Khaṭīb begins with the mention of the noble Prophet ﷺ by relating from al-Sunābihī, via two chains, that he said, ‘When the Prophet ﷺ passed, a man reached me at Juhfah, so I said, “what is the news O ʿAbd Allāh?” and he replied, “I swear by Allah the news is immense or [he said] large, we buried the messenger of Allah ﷺ the day before yesterday.”’[42] A similar passage is brought from Zayd ibn Wahb.[43]
[The chapter of] additions on the book of travelling from what Ḥafiz al-Khaṭīb did not mention
The purpose of this chapter has already been mentioned. Here, the researcher brings several reports from the Ṣaḥīḥayn, the Musnad and ‘Ilal of Aḥmad, the works of Tabarānī, the Mu’jam al-Buldān of Yāqūt al-Hamawi, the Mustadrak of Hākim, Muhaddith al-Fāsil of Rāmahurmuzī, Tadhkirah al-Huffāz of Dhahabī, Jāmi al-Bayān al-‘Ilm wa-Fadlihī of Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr, the Sunan of Abu Dawud and of Ibn Mājah, the Jarh wa’t-Ta’dīl of Ibn Abī Hatim, al-Kifāyah of Al-Khatīb, the Maw’dū’āt of Ibn al-Jawzī, the Sharh Muslim and Muqaddimah of Ibn as-Salāh, Lisān al-Mizān and Tahdhīb at-Tahdhīb of Ibn Hajar, and the Jāmi’ of Tirmidhi, concerning Bedouin Arabs travelling to the Prophet ﷺ for counsel or advice. He follows this with several reports of the successors in their travels.
Finally, he finishes his chapter with some brief profiles of famous traditionalists (muḥaddithūn) and their sufferings in pursuing knowledge.
Notes
All translations, transliterations, counting, and numbering, are my own unless otherwise specified. A literal translation approach has been adopted. I ask the noble reader to pardon me if an error is made.
[1] Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, Nuzhah an-Naẓr fī Tawdīhī Nukhbah al-Fikr (Damascus: Dār Ibn Kathīr, 2019), 60.
[2] p. 59.
[3] p. 81.
[4] p. 91.
[5] p. 114.
[6] pp. 7-56.
[7] pp. 125-152.
[8] p. 155.
[9] pp. 7-9.
[10] pp. 11-13.
[11] pp. 14-15.
[12] pp. 16-32.
[13] pp. 33-50.
[14] pp. 37-39.
[15] pp. 39-40.
[16] pp. 41-43.
[17] pp. 43-45.
[18] pp. 45-48.
[19] p. 48.
[20] pp. 48-50.
[21] pp. 51-52.
[22] p. 59.
[23] pp. 119.
[24] p. 25.
[25] p. 59.
[26] Al-Khaṭīb also narrates a prophetic report of similar meaning from Safwan ibn ʿAssāl al-Murādī, p. 65.
[27] p.63.
[28] p. 67.
[29] p. 67.
[30] Qurʾān: 9:112).
[31] p. 68.
[32] p. 80.
[33] p. 80.
[34] p. 81.
[35] p. 86.
[36] Pg. 90
[37] Can be pronounced with a fathah or a kasrah upon the yā.
[38] p. 91.
[39] p. 94.
[40] p. 95.
[41] p. 104. The translation is extracted from: Hudhaifa Karolia, ‘In Pursuit of Just One Ḥadīth: Shuʿbah bin Ḥajjāj’ (2022) <https://hudhaifakaroliablog.wordpress.com/2022/03/20/in-pursuit-of-just-one-hadith-shubah-bin-hajjaj/> accessed 1 February 2023. The reason for Shuʿbah’s despair is that Shahr ibn Ḥawshab was not reliable to him.
[42] p. 114.
[43] p. 115.