بسم الله وحده والصلاة والسلام على من لا نبي بعده
Ālimah Siddiqa al-Fārsiyyah
Student, Takhassus Fi 'l-Hadith
Checked and Approved:
Mufti Ismail Moosa
www.ulumalhadith.com
Title: Arbaʿ Rasāʾil fī ʿUlūm al-Ḥadīth
Genre: Ḥadīth
Language: Arabic
Publisher: Maktabah Maṭbūʿāt al-Islāmiyyah
Muhaqqiq: Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ Abū Ghuddah
Pages: 300
Overview
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ (raḥimahullāh) has gathered four treatises in one book, edited, and annotated them. The first treatise, Qāʿidah fī al-Jarḥ wa at-Taʿdīl, and the second one, Qāʿidah fī al-Muʾarrikhīn, are authored by Imām Tāj ad-Dīn as-Subkī (raḥimahullāh). The third one, al-Mutakallimūn fī ar-Rijāl is authored by Imām Shams ad-Dīn as-Sakhāwī (raḥimahullāh), and the fourth one, Dhikru man Yuʿtamadu Qawluhu fī al-Jarḥ wa at-Taʿdīl, is authored by Imām Shams ad-Dīn adh-Dhahabī (raḥimahullāh). As evident, this book includes discussions on the topic of al-Jarḥ wa at-Taʿdīl (criticism and authentication), which comprises of four main themes: criticism and authentication, the reports of historians, the critics of the narrators of ḥadīth, and those who are relied upon in criticism and authentication.
The Muḥaqqiq
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ bin Muḥammad bin Bashīr bin Ḥasan Abū Ghuddah was a one of the leading scholars of the 20th century in the field of Ḥadīth and of the Ḥanafī school of Fiqh. He was born in the famous city of Aleppo (may Allāh revive it) in 1917 and lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for a major part of his later life. He studied under over a hundred prominent scholars such as Shaykh ‘Īsa al-Bayānūnī, Shaykh Ibrāhīm as-Salqīnī, Shaykh Muhammad Rāghib at-Tabbākh, Shaykh Mustafā as-Sabrī, and Shaykh Muhammad Zāhid al-Kawtharī. He has contributed extensively to the field of Ḥadīth and has authored approximately 67 works including his own books and footnotes on other books.
Imām Tāj ad-Dīn Subki
He is Abū Naṣr ʿAbd al-Wahhab ibn Taqī ad-Dīn ʿAlī as-Subkī, ash-Shāfiʿī, ad-Dimashqī. He was a jurist, traditionalist,, historian, linguist, and the judge of Greater Syria during his time. He was born in Egypt in the year 727 AH into a family that was brimming with knowledge. He got his primary education from his father Shaykh Taqī ad-Dīn ʿAlī, followed by senior scholars of his time such as Imām Mizzī, Imām Dhahabī, Imām Ibn Sayyid an-Nās, Imām Abū Ḥayyān al-Andalusī, and others. He authored over twenty books, the most famous ones being his Jamʿ al-Jawāmiʿ in the principles of fiqh, Ṭabaqāt ash-Shāfiʿiyyah al-Kubrā, and Muʿīd an-Niʿam wa Mubīd an-Niqam. He taught in some of the most famous masjids of Damascus of his time including in the masjid of Shāfiʿī, and the Madrasah Shaykhuniyyah, and Jāmiʿ Ṭūlūnī. He was given the position of chief judge in Greater Syria and remained in this lofty position until his demise. He passed away in Damascus on Tuesday, the 7th of Dhul Hijjah, 771 AH. May Allah shower him with mercy. Āmīn.
First treatise
In the first treatise, Qāʿidah fī al-Jarḥ wa at-Taʿdīl, which is approximately 65 pages, Imām Subkī discusses the principle: Criticism is given preference over authentication, and how it is not applied generally, rather it contains conditions and exceptions. One such exception is the criticism of a leading scholar whose reliability and rank has been strongly established, and thus, any criticism levied against him must be disregarded. Thereafter, he discusses the ruling regarding the criticisms that scholars made against their contemporaries, and how, it also must be disregarded as jealousy, and malice is common among them. Finally, the author discusses that no form of criticism will be accepted against leading scholars, whose ranks have been recognised and who have been received by the ummah with acceptance. All throughout the treatise, Imām Subkī elaborates on these central principles, often giving examples to explain their application.
Second treatise
The second treatise, Qāʿidah fī al-Muʾarrikhīn is only approximately 15 pages, including the annotations of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ (raḥimahullāh), which indicates just how brief it is. It includes one main discussion which is: the conditions of a historian when criticising and praising narrators of ḥadīth. In the beginning, Imām Subkī speaks harshly against his teacher, Imām Dhahabī for his comments against certain narrators in his Tārīkh al-Islām, which he — Imām Subkī — felt contained excessiveness and prejudice against the Ashāʿirah. Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ (raḥimahullāh) shed much needed light on this dispute. Thereafter, the author mentions around nine conditions to consider when dealing with the comments of historians and gives many examples of their application.
Imām Sakhāwī
He is Abū al-Khayr and Abū ʿAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān as-Sakhāwī, al-Qāhirī, ash-Shāfiʿī. He was a traditionist, historian, jurist, exegete, linguist, and an author who wrote extensively. He was born in Cairo Egypt in the year 831 AH. He memorised the Qurʾān at a tender age and gained his primary Islamic knowledge from the scholars of his homeland. Thereafter, he travelled to ʿAllāmah Shihāb ibn Asad and completed the memorisation of al-ʿUmdah, al-Minhāj (in uṣūl), Alfiyyah of Imām Mālik (raḥimahullāh), an-Nukhbah and the different modes of the recitation of the Qurʾān. He had also memorised the Alfiyyah of Imām ʿIraqī (in muṣṭalaḥ), Sharḥ an-Nukhbah, ash-Shāṭibiyyah, among other texts. The most senior of his teachers was ʿAllāmah Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī. He accompanied him at all times and even delayed going for ḥajj until after his demise out of fear of losing him. After his teacher’s demise, ʿAllāmah Sakhāwī then travelled to over 80 places, and took knowledge from, or simply met, a total of 1200 teachers. He authored almost 200 books, some of the well-known ones being: aḍ-Ḍawʾ al-Lāmiʿ in history, and Fatḥ al-Mughīth bi Sharḥ Alfiyyah al-Ḥadīth in the principles of ḥadīth. He remained occupied with learning and teaching until he passed away. He passed away on Sunday, the 28th of Shaʿbān, 902 AH in Madinah Munawwarah, and he was buried next to Imām Mālik (raḥimahullāh). May Allah shower him with mercy. Āmīn.
Third treatise
Imām Sakhāwī (raḥimahullāh) has commenced his treatise, al-Mutakallimūn fī ar-Rijāl, which is in 70 pages, by mentioning the Ṣaḥābah (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhum) who passed comments regarding others, followed by the Tābiʿūn who did this. He then elaborates on when weak narrators emerged and when they started to increase, which was during mid-end of the era of the Tābiʿūn; which was also when a more serious need arose to analyse the narrators of ḥadīth. As time progressed, there was an increase in the number of narrators, including weak ones, thus, the science of rijāl was formulating, names were being compiled, and critics began scrutinising. Imām Sakhāwī mentioned the names of 210 scholars who were critics of the narrators of ḥadīth. He mainly listed their names so having the annotations of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ (raḥimahullāh) helps one get an insight into how they these scholars were involved in this field.
Imām Dhahabī
He is Abū ʿAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad adh-Dhahabī — and Ibn adh-Dhahabī — ad-Dimashqī, ash-Shāfiʿī in fiqh, al-Hanbalī in creed. He was a traditionist, historian, researcher, and the leader of the qurrāʾ and historians of his time. He was born in Damascus in the year 673, originally a Turkmen. He gained his primary knowledge and then turned his focus to the studies of ḥadīth in the year 692 AH, when he was 18 years old. He continued to seek knowledge until he become a leading scholar of his time. His student, Imām Subkī said, “There are only four huffādh in our era: Mizzī, Birzālī, adh-Dhahabī, and the esteemed scholar, my honourable father.” Moreover, Imām Suyūṭī (raḥimahullāh) said regarding him, “It has been related from ʿAllāmah Ibn Ḥajar that he said: I drank the water of zamzam in order to reach the rank of Imām Dhahabī in memory/comprehension.” Furthermore, Mawlānā Anwar Shāh Kashmīrī (raḥimahullāh) said, “[Imām] Dhahabī is he regarding whom it has been said that if he were placed on a hill and the narrators [of ḥadīth] were all in front of him; he would be able to tell who each and every one of them are with their names and the names of their fathers.” Imām Dhahabī continued authoring until his eyesight was badly damaged in the year 741 and he passed away on Monday, the 3rd of Dhul Qaʿdah 748 AH in Damascus. May Allah shower him with mercy. Āmīn.
Fourth treatise
Imam Dhahabī’s treatise, Dhikru man Yuʿtamadu Qawluhu fī al-Jarḥ wa at-Taʿdīl, is approximately 77 pages. Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ (raḥimahullāh) preludes the treatise with a brief but comprehensive biography of Imām Dhahabī (raḥimahullāh), and how he was undoubtedly a leading figure in the field of those who analysed the narrators of ḥadīth. Imam Dhahabī commenced the treatise by dividing the critics of ḥadīth into two categories, and then further classifying the scholars in each category. Thereafter, he discusses the reason why there was little need for analysing narrators in the beginning eras and why the need gradually increased. Finally, he mentions every ṭabaqah (level) of critics according to their era and continues to do so until he lists 22 ṭabaqāt, which was until his era.
Conclusion
These four treatises gathered and annotated by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ (raḥimahullāh) are highly recommended for students of uṣūl al-ḥadīth. Although they are quite brief, the advantage of that is that it will allow a beginner student to get an introductory or a brief understanding of each topic, whilst an advanced student can read the topics in more detail by reading the footnotes of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ. This is especially helpful for students who are not well-grounded in the branch of al-jarḥ wa at-taʿdīl and need something small to get started with.
May Allāh Taʿālā have mercy on them all.
The PDF can be accessed here.