بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

20  Jumad al-Aakhir 1444 AH  (Saturday, 14 January, 2023)

This is the session that we allotted this term for the beginner. Besides the text of At-Tadhkirah, we will use this session for going through the essential basics. Hence, we will discuss the ten mabādiʾ (the ten beginning points before delving into a science).

ʿAllāmah Ibn Aṣ-Ṣalāḥ does not discuss all ten essential points to consider before delving into a science. However, the commentators of the Muqaddimah itself delve into these, and they are also discussed in the books that are indirectly linked to the Muqaddimah.

Generally, in formal full-time Takhaṣṣuṣ programs, due to having sufficient time, they go through these commentaries; they teach Tadrīb ar-Rāwī, for example. In contrast, since we do not have lessons every day, we decided that we are not doing repetitions, and hence we will not be formally studying Tadrīb ar-Rāwī (the necessary points will be mentioned in the lessons of the Muqaddimah, in shā Allāh). In formal Takhaṣṣuṣ courses, they do not have notes, hence they repeat the same topics to consolidate and firmly embed those points within a student. Since we are providing notes, we do not have to repeat.

Whilst that might be fine, the one negative is that we will miss out on some of the important topics that are discussed in the introductions of the commentaries. To overcome that, I will simply mention them to you, so that your foundation is solid. Thereafter, if you refer to those introductions, you will fully understand what those authors are saying. And if you are pressed for time and do not manage to read them, you will have the necessary information from there.

Basically, before studying any sciences, there are ten mabādiʿ (starting points) that are considered. This is to determine exactly what you are going to be studying and to understand the objectives and goals. Likewise, you consider the importance, learn the virtues, and understand what exactly you are going into.

In his annotations of Sullam al-Munawraq, Abū ’l-ʿIrfān aṣ-Ṣabbān al-Miṣrī (d/1206 AH) put them in poetic form:

إن ‌مبادئ ‌كل ‌فن عشره … الحد والموضوع ثم الثمره

وفضله ونسبة والواضع … والاسم الاستمداد حكم الشارع

مسائل والبعض بالبعض اكتفى … ومن درى الجميع حاز الشرفا (حاشية السلم المنورق – ص: 35)

Verily, the very basic aspects of every subject are 10 … the definition, subject matter and the benefits.

Followed by its virtues, its relation (to other sciences), its founder… its name, its sources and its legal ruling in Islām.

Lastly, the matters discussed within. Some scholars sufficed by mentioning a few, but the one who knows all attains honour.

As we go along, I will first explain each of these ten mabādīʾ for our study.

Al-Ḥadd (Definition)

هو الجنس والفصل وتمييزه عن غيره

Consists of a jins (Genus) and a fasl (Differentia) and distinguishes it from others.

This refers to the definition of this science, and what differentiates this science. We need to define the science with a definition that is jāmiʿ (comprehensive) and māniʿ (precise).

This is the first step: to know the definition of what we are going to be studying.

Hereunder, I will mention two definitions that scholars gave for this science:

1) Definition of Ibn Ḥajar

وأولى التعاريف لعلم الحديث: ‌معرفة ‌القواعد ‌التي ‌يتوصل ‌بها ‌إلى معرفة حال الراوي والمروي. (النكت على كتاب ابن الصلاح لابن حجر – 1 / 225)

The best definition for the science of Hadīth is: The knowledge of the laws by which the condition of the narrator and narration in known.

This definition covers laws pertaining to the narrator, and laws pertaining to the text/incident/narration that he transmits.

2) Definition of ʿIzz ad-Dīn Ibn Jamā’ah (d. 819 AH)

We have to obtain this definition of his from ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī.

ʿAllāmah ‘Izz ad-Dīn ibn al-Jamāʿah wrote a commentary on his grandfather’s book: Al-Manhal ar-Rawī fī Mukhtaṣar ʿUlūm al-Ḥadīth an-Nabawī. The grandson’s book is called Al-Manhal as-Sawiyy. This quotation is not found in Al-Manhal as-Sawiyy.

The grandfather, Badr ad-Dīn  also wrote a commentary of Muqaddimah Ibn aṣ-Ṣalāh. These books are not printed. We could have assumed that ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī is quoting from these books of the grandfather that are not at our disposal. However, Allāmah Suyūṭī  clearly takes the name of ‘Izz ad-Dīn.

Another possibility is that probably this was transmitted verbally; Allāmah Suyūṭī heard it from a teacher of his, who heard it from a teacher, who heard it from Izz ad-Dīn ibn al-Jamāʿah.

Irrespective, we do not know the source of ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī, but we trust him. ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī also preferred this definition. He wrote:

وأحسن حدوده: قول الشيخ عز الدين بن جماعة “علم بقوانين ‌يعرف ‌بها ‌أحوال ‌السند ‌والمتن. (البحر الذي زخر في شرح ألفية الأثر – 1 / 227)

Its best definition is the saying of Sheikh Izz ad-Dīn ibn Jamā’ah, ” The knowledge of the laws by which the conditions of the chain of narration and text are known.

ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī explains why he preferred this over Ibn Ḥajar’s definition; because Ibn Ḥajar’s definition does not cover the various statuses of the chains. After quoting Ibn Ḥajar’s definition, ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī firstly agrees that both are similar, but Ibn Jamāʿah’s covers that other additional point pertaining to the chain. He writes:

وهذا الحد قريب من حد ابن جماعة، بل حد ابن جماعة أحسن منه من جهة أنه يدخل تحته أحوال السند التي (ليست) حال الرجال كصيغ الأداء بدليل المغايرة بينهما في نوع المسلسل ، ولا يدخل ذلك في حال الراوي والمروي؛ لاختصاص المروي بالمتن، (البحر الذي زخر في شرح ألفية الأثر – 1 / 228)

This definition is close to the definition of Ibn Jamā’ah. However, the definition of Ibn Jamā’ah is better, considering that those conditions of the chain of narration are also included that are not related to the narrators themselves, such as the different words used to denote narration. A clear difference between the two definitions is the inclusion of the categories of musalsal. These are neither included in the conditions of the narrator, nor the narration, as the word ‘narration’ refers the text only.

Correct Method Of Defining this Science

To create a distinction between the different sciences of Ḥadīth and define them accurately, scholars first divided Ḥadīth into two types, and then then defined each type separately. They divided this science into two broad categories:

1) ʿIlm Dirāyat al-Ḥadīth

2) ʿIlm Riwāyat al-Ḥadīth

ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī commences Tadrīb ar-Rāwī with explaining these two terms, quoting from another scholar, but he does not quote them correctly. Hence, we have to get to the bottom of this. For this, we need to go back and determine who exactly was the first person to create these two categories:

The first known person to explain and definite these two terms was Shams ad-Dīn, Abū ʿAbdullāh Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhim al-Akfānī (d. 749 AH) in his Irshād al-Qāṣid ilā Asna ’l-Maqāṣid Fī Anwāʿ al-‘Ulūm. It is printed by Dār al-Fikr al-‘Arabī with the Taḥqīq ʿAbd al-Munʿim Muḥammad ʿUmar. This is a book where he gives the definitions of 60 different sciences. It covers various sciences, whether they are Islāmic, logical or even worldly knowledge. He starts of by explaining the definition of Lughah, then Ṣarf, then Maʿānī, then Bayān, then Badīʿ, then ʿUrūḍ, then Qawāfī, then Naḥw, then Qawānīn al-Kiṭābah, then Qawānīn al-Qirāʾah etc.

It is very basic, the book only starts on page 91 and the book ends at 228.

Ibn al-Akfānī explained both these terms. He explains ʿIlm Riwāyat al-Ḥadīth:

علم رواية الحديث: علم بنقل أقوال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وأفعاله بالسماع المتصل ، وضبطها وتحريرها (إرشاد القاصد – ص: 155)

ʿIlm Riwāyat al-Ḥadīth: The knowledge pertaining to the transmission of the words and actions of the Prophet ﷺ, either by means of linked oral tradition or written transmission.

From this it is clear that ʿIlm Riwāyat al-Ḥadīth pertains to the act of narrating and the method of obtaining a narration; whether the Shaykh is quoting or dictating the narration. It also covers the method that a student receives the narration. This pertains more to the initial years when there would be majālis of samāʿ al-Ḥadīth. In our context, it refers to the Ḥadīth recitations that we do in the final year.

In the middle, on page 157 – for some unknown reason – he explains ʿIlm at-Tafsīr. Then on page 160 he explains ʿIlm Dirāyat al-Ḥadīth:

علم دراية الحديث: علم يتعرف منه أنواع الرواية وأحكامها ، وشروط الرواة ، وأصناف المرويات واستخراج معانيها (إرشاد القاصد – ص: 160)

ʿIlm Dirāyat al-Ḥadīth: The knowledge pertaining to the different types of transmission, its laws, the conditions of the narrators, the different categories of narrations and the extraction of its meanings.

 This refers to the various methods and laws regarding transmitting a narration, the essential qualities that a narrator should possess and the various types of narrations that one gets. That is until the words: aṣnāf ar-riwāyah. It is very clear that until this point, it all refers to Uṣūl al-Ḥadīth, But he added the last words: istikhrāj maʿānīha (deducing the meanings). That last portion refers to sharḥ al-Ḥadith.

In short, he defined Dirāyat al-Ḥadīth to encapsulate Uṣūl al-Ḥadīth and Sharḥ al-Ḥadīth.

This is what Allāmah Ibn al-Akfāni, a scholar of the eighth century wrote.

Now, in the very beginning of Tadrīb ar-Rāwī, ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī quoted this, but he missed out an important point that Ibn al-Akfānī said, and that made the meaning of Dirāyah insufficient and incorrect. This is how ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī quoted it:

قال ابن الأكفاني في كتاب إرشاد القاصد، الذي تكلم فيه على أنواع العلوم:

علم الحديث الخاص بالرواية: علم يشتمل على نقل أقوال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وأفعاله، وروايتها، وضبطها، وتحرير الفاظها

وعلم الحديث الخاص بالدراية: علم يعرف منه حقيقة الرواية؛ وشروطها، وأنواعها، وأحكامها، وحال الرواة، وشروطهم، وأصناف المرويات، وما يتعلق بها. انتهى (تدريب الراوي في شرح تقريب النواوي – 1 / 37

Ibn al-Akfāni states in his book, Irshād al-Qāsid, in which he discusses the different categories of knowledge:

The knowledge of Hadith specific to Riwāyah: The knowledge pertaining to relaying the sayings and actions of the Prophet ﷺ, their transmission, their correct pronunciation and the documentation of their words.

He quoted the definition of Riwāyah precisely.

As for the definition of Dirāyah, there are two segments. In the first segment, he says:

علم يعرف منه حقيقة الرواية (تدريب الراوي في شرح تقريب النواوي – 1 / 37)

The knowledge by which the essence of Riwāyah is understood.

He thereafter explained:

فحقيقة الرواية: نقل السنة ونحوها. (تدريب الراوي في شرح تقريب النواوي – 1 / 38)

The essence of Riwāyah is the transmission of the Prophetic Tradition and other similar matters.

It is clear from this that, despite quoting the Riwāyah correctly, he is again including ibn al-Akfānī’s definition of Riwāyah under the first portion of the definition of Dirāyah.

Nevertheless, that is not the point of discussion here, since he did quote the definition of Riwāyah correctly. At most, it could be said that he is altering the definition and making the relationship between the two words that of ‘Umūm wa Khuṣūṣ.

Our focus is on the remaining portion of his definition. ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī thereafter included the entire first portion of ‘Allāmah ibn al-Akfānī’s definition of Dirāyah and he also presented more detail.

However, he then omitted those last words of ‘Allāmah ibn al-Akfānī. He completed the sentence, and even wrote: intahā.

Shaykh ‘Awwāmah wrote:

ثم إن كلمة “انتهى” بعد هذه الجملة ثابتة في نسخنا الخطية (تعليقه على التدريب – 2 / 14)

The word ‘intahā‘ (end) is present after the sentence in our manuscripts.

This makes Dirāyah al-Ḥadīth synonymous and exclusive with Uṣūl al-Ḥadīth. Hence, many scholars began to then define Uṣūl al-Ḥadīth with Dirāyat al-Ḥadīth. Those last words are what included the commentary of narrations under Dirāyat al-Ḥadīth, and by omitting those, Dirāyah no more incorporates the commentary of Aḥādīth. That essentially means that he misquoted ʿAllāmah Akfānī.

Shaykh ʿAwwāmah says:

إن في كلام ابن الأكفاني المنقول اختصارا مخلا (تعليقه على التدريب – 2 / 14

Defective condensation is found in the transmitted words of Ibn Akfāni.

He confined Dirāyat al-Ḥadīth with only Uṣūl. And the commentary does not come in any of these definitions. I actually think that ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī simply copied this from ʿAllāmah Baqāʾī, without going back to the original source and taking directly from Irshād al-Qāṣīd. The reason is that the same mistake is in An-Nukat al-Wafiyyah. ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī generally quotes a lot from An-Nukat al-Wafiyyah, without giving credit to ʿAllāmah Baqāʿī (due to the bitterness and enmity between them), nor any reference (1). Since ʿAllāmah Baqāʿī quoted it with omission of that last portion, ʿAllāmah Suyūṭi must have just copied it. In An-Nukat al-Wafiyyah ʿAllāmah Baqāʿī quoted from Ibn al-Akfānī like this:

علمُ الحديثِ الخاص بالروايةِ: علمٌ يشتملُ على نقلِ أقوالِ النبيِّ – صلى الله عليه وسلم -، وأفعالهِ، وروايتها، وضبطها، وتحريرِ ألفاظها.

وعلمُ الحديثِ الخاصّ بالدرايةِ: علمٌ تعرفُ منه ‌حقيقةُ ‌الروايةِ، وشروطها، وأنواعها، وأحكامها، وحالُ الرواةِ، وشروطهمْ، وأصنافُ المروياتِ، وما يتعلقُ بها. انتهى. (النكت الوفية بما في شرح الألفية – 1 / 63)

The knowledge of Hadith pertaining to Riwāyah: The knowledge encompassing the transmission of the words and actions of the Prophet ﷺ, their correct pronunciation and the documentation of their words.

The knowledge of Hadith pertaining to Dirāyah: The knowledge by which the essence of transmission is known, along with its requirements, types, rulings, the conditions of the transmitters, their requirements, the different types of transmitted texts and other related matters.

Irrespective, two important books of Uṣūl al-Ḥadīth confines the definition of Dirāyah al-Ḥadīth with Uṣūl al-Ḥadith.

Having these two misquotations in two popular books that were written by two famous experts, altered the whole terminology. It caused many people to refer to Dirāyat al-Ḥadīth incorrectly as Uṣul al-Ḥadīth and that has caused much confusion.

Literal Meaning of Dirāyah

Because of accepting the quotations of these two illustrious scholars, people started to blame Ibn al-Akfānī. This is due to the literal meaning of Dirāyah. Dirāyah means: To know, to comprehend, to understand. This is how we say: Adrī (I know), Tadrī (you know) etc. ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī himself explained it as:

‌الدراية: المعرفة المدركة. (معجم مقاليد العلوم في الحدود والرسوم – ص: 199)

Dirāyah: means to fully understand and comprehend

In his footnotes of the commentary of Fatḥ al-Mulhim, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ Abū Ghuddah writes:

ومعلوم أن هذا ليس من المصطلح في شيء (تعليقة مبادئ علوم الحديث – ص: 58)

It is known that this holds no weight in the field of terminology.

If one really had to confine ʿIlm Dirāyat al-Ḥadīth between Sharḥ and Uṣūl, it would make more sense to confine it to Sharḥ!

Many scholars refuted Ibn al-Akfānī. Whereas, ʿAllāmah Suyūṭi and ʿAllāmah Baqāʿī are the ones who erred and did not quote precisely. Shaykh ‘Awwāmah writes:

وسقوط هذه الجملة من نقل البقاعي، ومتابعة الشارح له على ذلك هنا وفي “البحر الذي زخر” 1: 229 جعلت التعريف في محل الانتقاد للتقسيم كله (تعليقه على التدريب – 2 / 10)

The reduction of this sentence in the the transmission of Baqā’ī and the imitation of the commentator in this regard and in the book Al-Bahr al-ladhī Zakhar 1:229 has made this definition a target for criticism.

ʿAllāmah ʿAbdullāh Ṣiddīq al-Ghumārī wrote a book: Tawjīh al-ʿInāyah li Taʿrīf ʿIlm al-Ḥadīth Riwāyah wa Dirāyah. In this, he quoted the definition of Ibn al-Akfānī from Ṣuyūṭī, and he criticized Ibn al-Akfānī, but it is actually Suyūṭī who ought to be blamed. Yes, Ibn al-Akfānī also deserves some criticism, and we are not going to accept his definitions, as we will soon explain, but Ibn al-Akfānī cannot take all the blame.

ʿAllāmah Baqāʿī went into detail explaining each and every word of ʿAllāmah Ibn al-Akfānī:

فحقيقة الرواية: نقل السنة ونحوها، وإسناد ذلك إلى من عزي إليه بتحديث، أو إخبار، أو غير ذلك.

وشروطها: تحمل راويها لما يرويه بنوع من أنواع التحمل، من سماع، أو عرض، أو إجازة بكتابة أو مشافهة، ونحو ذلك.

وأنواعها: الاتصال والانقطاع، ونحوهما.

وأحكامها: القبول، والرد.

وحال الرواة: العدالة، والجرح.

وشروطهم في التحمل، إن كان بالسماع، وكان الراوي ممن يسمع، فكونه مصغيا للمسموع غير غافل، ولا مشتغل بشيء، وإن كان ممن لا يصح سماعه، فكونه بحيث يمكن سماعه عادة، وإن كان بالإجازة، فكونه معينا مثلا، وفي الأداء كون الراوي مسلما عاقلا خاليا عن بدعة هو داعية إليها، ونحو ذلك.

وأصناف المرويات: المصنفات من المسانيد، والمعاجم، والأجزاء، وغيرها، أحاديث، وآثارا، وأشعارا، وغيرها.

وما يتعلق بها هو: معرفة اصطلاح أهلها. (النكت الوفية بما في شرح الألفية – 1 / 64)

The essence of Riwāyah: refers to the transmission of the prophetic tradition and ascribing it to its narrator with the words of Tahdīth, Ikhbār and other such words

Its requirements: The narrator attains the narration by means of any method of transmission such as listening, presenting, receiving written or oral permission or other such means.

Its types: refers to its Ittisāl (being connected), Inqitā’(being disconnected), and others

Its rulings: its being accepted or rejected

The conditions of the transmitters: refers to them being either reliable or unreliable.

The requirements for the narrators: If the narration was attained by listening and the narrator was capable of listening, then he had to be focused on what he was listening to and not unmindful or busy with something else. And if he was incapable of listening, then he had to be in a position from which words are usually heard. If the narration was attained by permission, then the permission had to be specific (These requirements are by means of example). The requirements for relaying a narration is that the narrator had to be a sane muslim who didn’t believe in an innovative belief which would cause him to narrate that narration and other such requirements.

The types of narrations: refers to the different compilations such as Masānīd, Ma’ājim, Ajzā’ and others. It also refers to ahādith (prophetic sayings), saying of other predecessors, poems and others.

And other such matters: refers to the the knowledge of terminology of the people of Hadīth.

Despite going into so much detail, he did not quote the last two words! As mentioned, my assumption is that ʿAllāmah Baqāʿī is responsible for this, and ʿAllāmah Suyūṭī simply followed him.

Until here, ʿIlm Riwāyat al-Ḥadīth is referring to the text of the narration, and ʿIlm Dirāyah is referring to Uṣūl.

May Allāh Taʿālā have mercy on them all.

سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك ، أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت ، أستغفرك وأتوب إليك