Sources of The Treatise

The importance of the book; its title and authenticating its attribution to the author
April 15, 2019
Abu al Khayr’s Teachers
April 15, 2019

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Sources of the treatise

 

The author used a large number of works in compiling his treatise. Most of the sources are books authored in the third century. He would narrate the traditions found in these works with a complete chain –from himself until the Prophet-, if he narrates from the work for a second time he merely mentions the name of the author whose work he is narrating from. In narrating from the Sahih of Imam Muslim, he mentions the entire chain of narration when narrating for the first time, when he narrates for a second or third time he suffices himself stating, “Muslim narrates…” This is done by the author to maintain brevity.

I will now mention the works the author used in this treatise, mentioning the number of narrations he takes from each and its sequence of appearance:

  • Sahih of Imam Muslim, He narrates 4 narrations from his works (1-4).
  • Sunan of Ibn Majah, He narrates 4 narrations from his work (6-9).
  • Marifat al Sahabah of Abu al Nuaim, He narrates 2 narrations from his work (15 and 16).
  • Hilyah al Auliya’ of Abu al Nu‘aym, he narrates 1 narration from this work (18).
  • Fada’il al Sahabah of Imam Ahmed, he narrates 18 narrations from this work (28-38 and 42-59).
  • Itilal al Qulub of al Khara’iti, he narrates a single narrations from him (24).
  • Juz’ al Hassan ibn Arfah, he narrates a single narration from the work (14).
  • Musnad of Ishaq ibn Rahuyah[1], he narrates 9 narrations from this work (10-13, 22,25,38-40).
  • Tarikh Nishapur[2] of Hakim, he narrates 5 narrations from this work (5, 18, 23, 26, 27).
  • Juz’ Muhammad ibn Yaqub al Asam, he narrates a single narration from him (19).
  • Musnad al Harith, he narrates a single narration from him (20).
  • He narrates three narrations from Muhammad ibn Abu al Muzaffar al Sam’ani (19-21). (I do not know which book he narrates from.)

I did not find narration 41 in the works that were at my disposal, nor do I know where the author sourced this narration from. In fact, some of the works used by the author in compiling the treatise are lost, a salient fact which is indicative of the works eminence.

 

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[1] A large portion of this book is lost. The author narrates from ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Shirawayh and Ahmed ibn Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Nasr. They are the two most prominent students of Ibn Rahuyah who narrated the Musnad. Based on this, we can confidently assert that these narrations are found in the Musnad.

[2] The author reported it from Zahir ibn Tahir from Abu ‘Uthman al Sabuni from al Hakim. In these narrations of al Hakim is great benefit, as he was well acquainted with Nisabur. For example he states, “And Bar is a town in Nisabur,” and in the twenty-seventh narration he says, “Abu Ya’qub Ishaq ibn ‘Isa ibn Yunus al Jurjani narrated to us in Nisabur.” Through this we are able to ascertain that his narrations from al Hakim are from his Tarikh.

BACK Return to Table of contents

 

Sources of the treatise

 

The author used a large number of works in compiling his treatise. Most of the sources are books authored in the third century. He would narrate the traditions found in these works with a complete chain –from himself until the Prophet-, if he narrates from the work for a second time he merely mentions the name of the author whose work he is narrating from. In narrating from the Sahih of Imam Muslim, he mentions the entire chain of narration when narrating for the first time, when he narrates for a second or third time he suffices himself stating, “Muslim narrates…” This is done by the author to maintain brevity.

I will now mention the works the author used in this treatise, mentioning the number of narrations he takes from each and its sequence of appearance:

  • Sahih of Imam Muslim, He narrates 4 narrations from his works (1-4).
  • Sunan of Ibn Majah, He narrates 4 narrations from his work (6-9).
  • Marifat al Sahabah of Abu al Nuaim, He narrates 2 narrations from his work (15 and 16).
  • Hilyah al Auliya’ of Abu al Nu‘aym, he narrates 1 narration from this work (18).
  • Fada’il al Sahabah of Imam Ahmed, he narrates 18 narrations from this work (28-38 and 42-59).
  • Itilal al Qulub of al Khara’iti, he narrates a single narrations from him (24).
  • Juz’ al Hassan ibn Arfah, he narrates a single narration from the work (14).
  • Musnad of Ishaq ibn Rahuyah[1], he narrates 9 narrations from this work (10-13, 22,25,38-40).
  • Tarikh Nishapur[2] of Hakim, he narrates 5 narrations from this work (5, 18, 23, 26, 27).
  • Juz’ Muhammad ibn Yaqub al Asam, he narrates a single narration from him (19).
  • Musnad al Harith, he narrates a single narration from him (20).
  • He narrates three narrations from Muhammad ibn Abu al Muzaffar al Sam’ani (19-21). (I do not know which book he narrates from.)

I did not find narration 41 in the works that were at my disposal, nor do I know where the author sourced this narration from. In fact, some of the works used by the author in compiling the treatise are lost, a salient fact which is indicative of the works eminence.

 

NEXT⇒ Abu al Khayr’s Teachers


[1] A large portion of this book is lost. The author narrates from ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Shirawayh and Ahmed ibn Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Nasr. They are the two most prominent students of Ibn Rahuyah who narrated the Musnad. Based on this, we can confidently assert that these narrations are found in the Musnad.

[2] The author reported it from Zahir ibn Tahir from Abu ‘Uthman al Sabuni from al Hakim. In these narrations of al Hakim is great benefit, as he was well acquainted with Nisabur. For example he states, “And Bar is a town in Nisabur,” and in the twenty-seventh narration he says, “Abu Ya’qub Ishaq ibn ‘Isa ibn Yunus al Jurjani narrated to us in Nisabur.” Through this we are able to ascertain that his narrations from al Hakim are from his Tarikh.