The Layman's Guide to Utilizing the Books of Rijal
by Abul Layth
One of the most liberating experiences for the student of knowledge is learning to utilize the books of Rijaal, or the books containing the names of the narrators throughout history declaring their reliability or lack thereof. These works are encyclopedias of historical knowledge, entries that contain the man’s (or woman’s) entire lineage, whether their memories were sound, whether or not they were ‘deviants’ or simply had minor ‘deviation’ in creed, whether or not they were pious or lax in their religiousity. The entries mention who they studied beneath, when they were born, when they died, what their companions said of them, where they were born, where they studied etc.
The Letter & Number Symbol Key Utilized by the Imams of Hadith Within Their Books
The later scholars of hadith used a letter and number symbol system to identify which Imams used the narrator in their books of hadith. This system is utilized in the encyclopedic biographical works such as Tahthib At-Tahthib of Hafith Ibn Hajr, his Taqrib , Adh-Dhahabi in his Al-Mizan and other works of immense benefit in the science of Hadith.
Examples:
The following are a few examples of the Letter & Number Symbol system:
Click Image
At the end of the entry of As-Sa’ib An-Nukri you find the two letters مد . This is the symbol system. Now if you use the key below you will be able to determine what book of hadith meem daal represents; Abu Dawud’s Marasil.
Another example:
Click Image
In this example ‘Amir ibn ‘Ubdah Al-Baahili is used. At the end of his entry you find the letters خت . Now using the key below you will see that khaa taa stands for Bukhari’s Sahih in Mu’allaq form.
Another example:
In this example I have used the entry Abdul-Aziz ibn Abi Bakra Ath-Thaqafi who is, as Ibn Hajr states, Saduq. At the end of the entry you can see the symbols خت د ت ق . Note that one should be careful not to combine letters or else it will change the referencing and one will be mistaken when verifying or utilizing the symbol system.
So using the code system below one can determine that Abdul-’Aziz’s narrations are found in Bukhari’s Sahih in Mu’allaq form, Abu Dawud’s Sunan, Tirmidhi’s Sunan, and the Sunan of Ibn Majah.
Last Example is for You to Figure Out
This narrator’s name is Qartha’, the only narrator named such in the books of hadith. He is Saduq (honest) according to Hafith Ibn Hajr in this entry. What books of Hadith narrate through him as stated by Hafith Ibn Hajr?
Please post your findings in the comments of this thread so that I know someone understands the system!
The following is a general key as mentioned by Hafith Ibn Hajr Al-’Asqalani in his Intro to Taqrib At-Tahthib:
Codes for Imam al-Bukhari:
خ – Bukhari’s Sahih
خت – Bukhari’s Sahih in Mu’allaq form
بخ – Bukhari’s Adab Al-Mufrad
عخ – Bukhari’s Khalq Af’al Al-’Ibad
ر – Bukhari’s treatise “Juza’ Al-Qira’at”
ي – Bukhari’s Rafa’ul Yadayn
Codes for Imam Muslim
م – Muslim’s Sahih
مق – the Muqaddimah of the Sahih of Imam Muslim
Codes for Imam Abu Dawud
د -Abu Dawud’s Sunan
مد – Abu Dawud’s Marasil
صد – Abu Dawud’s Fadaa’il Al-Ansaar
خد – Abu Dawud’s Naasikh
قد -Al-Qadir
ف – At-Tafarrud
ل – Masaa’il
كد – Musnad Maalik
Codes for Imam Tirmithi
ت – Sunan
تم – Ash-Shama’il
Codes for Imam An-Nasa’i
س -Sunan
عس – Musnad ‘Ali
كن – Musnad Imam Malik of Imam An-Nasa’i
Hafith Shu’ayb Al-Arna’ut mentions two more that Ibn Hajr does not that are sometimes used for Imam An-Nasa’i:
سي – ‘Amal Al-Yawm wal-Laylah
ص – Khasa’is ‘Ali
Codes for Imam Ibn Majah:
ق -Sunan
فق – Tafsir
If the narrator is within all of the six books of hadith the letter ع is used. If the number 4 is used then it is in the four sunan without the two Shayks (i.e. Bukhari and Muslim).
In other than these works the Hafith Ibn Hajr uses تميز (tamayyaz).
Edited 5-30-09
The Age Span of the Muslim Nation (Ummah)
Written by Br. “Mu’awiya”
Imam Al-Bukhari narrates in his sahih from Abdullah Ibn Umar that he heard the Prophet of Allah sallahu 3laye wasalam say : ” verily your stay in compared to the nations before you is like the time period between the prayers of ‘Asr ( mid-afternoon ) till sunset, The people of the Torah were given the Torah and they worked until noon and they couldn’t continue further, so they were given one Qirat, then the people of the Gospel were given the Gospel and they worked until the time of ‘Asr or mid-afternoon then they couldnt continue further, and were given a single Qirat, then we were given the Quran and we worked until the time of the sunset and were given two Qirats. (Seeing this) The people of the Book said :” Oh Allah you had given them ( the ummah of Muhammad sallahu 3laye wasalam ) two Qirats whereas you have given us only one and we are the most in terms of deeds.” He said,” Allah said (to them):” Have I oppressed in anything in your rewards?” and they said : “No.” (then) Allah said: “It is my bounty to whomsoever I wish I bestow”
In another variation Bukhari reports in his Sahih from Abu Musa (ra) from the Prophet sallahu 3laye wasalam : ”
- The example of the Muslims, Jews and Christians is like that of a person who hired a people who would work for him till evening, but worked till noon and said : “we have no need for your compensation”, then another people were hired and told : “Complete what has remained of the day’s work and you will have what has been promised”, and so they worked until when the time of Asr(mid-afternoon) prayers came and they said: “this is all what we could have worked”, and so another people were hired and they worked for the rest of the day until the sunset and thus they completed the reward of both (of the previous) groups.”
These two narrations compare the time span of the people of Musa alihyesalam and Esa ibn Maryam alihyemusalam, with that of the age of the nation of Allah’s Final Apostle Muhammad sallahu 3laye wasalam. The age of the people of Musa alihesalam has been described with that of half a day and it began with the descend of the Torah till the time of the coming of the Messiah Esa ibn Maryam (as). In contrast to this, the age of the people of Esa ibn Maryam alihyemusalam has been described in span as the period between noon and mid afternoon and this is from the descend of the Gospel on Esa (as) till the advent of Allah’s Final Apostle Muhammad sallahu 3laye wasalam. Followed is the time of stay of the nation of Prophet Muhammad sallahu 3laye wasalam which has been compared to that of the time between the ‘Asr/mid-afternoon till sunset, whose beginning is marked by the first Quranic revelations on Sayidna Muhammad sallahu 3laye wasalam at Hira in Makkah, and its end will be at a time after the rising of the sun from the west, when a cool breeze from Yemen will move on earth taking away the souls of all those who believed. The Prophet of Allah sallahu 3laye wasalam is reported to have said : ” In between the hands of the hour(Qiyamah), there will come out a breeze/wind and it will take away the spirit of every believer.” (reported by Ahmad, Muslim, Thirmidhi and Ibn Majah), and in another narration he(saws) said ,”Verily Allah(swt) will send a wind from Yemen that will be more softer than silk, and it will not leave a person with even a single seed of eman, but will take his soul away.”( reported by al-Hakim)
Hafiz Ibn al-Hajr al-Asqalani says in his Fat-hul Bari , (in vol.4 , book of hire/ijara, page 448-449 )commenting on these two narrations : “and it is evident ( from these stated narrations) that the lasting of this Islamic nation is somewhat a thousand years, this is because the age of the Jewish nation is equivalent to that of the time periods of the Christian and Muslim ages combined, and the people of transmission (ahl an naql) have agreed that the period of the Jews till the advent of Allah’s final Apostle Muhammad Sallahu 3laye wasalam was more than 2000 years, and the span of the age of the Christians was 600 years from them..and also this narration points the fact about how little of the age of this world has remained.”
So from this saying of Ibn Hajr it is derived :
1) The time period of the Jews is equivalent to the age of the Christians and Muslims combined, so in other words
Age of the Jews = Age of the Christians + Age of the Muslims
2) The time span of the Christian age was 600 years and this has been stated in an authentic report from Bukhari who transmitted from Salman Farsi radiallaho 3anh that : “The length of time between Esa (as) and Muhammad (saws) is 600 years.”
3) So the age of the Muslims = Age of the Jews – the Age of Christians
Since the age of the Jews from the time of Musa(as)/Torah till the advent of Sayidina Muhammad sallahu 3laye wasalam is somewhat of a 2000 years or more, so putting the numbers in the equation we get
Age of the Muslims = 2000 years (approx.) – 600 years
= 1400 years (approx.)
So from these calculations the estimated age of the muslims is derived a little more than 1400 years.
Imam as Suyuti mentions in his book “Risalah Al-Kashf ‘an mujawazt hadehel ommah al alf”, or “treastie on revealing of the proceeding of this nation beyond the thousand, ” page 206 about the advent of the Mahdi that, “from what the narrations reveal is that the age of this ummah extends beyond a thousand but it doesnt exceed in increase another 500 in actuality beyond this thousand.”
However it should be pointed out that the Prophet sallahu 3laye wasalam wished an increase in the age of his ummah, In this regards there is another narration collected by Imam Ahmad, al-Hakim and Abu Dawud in their respective works, and Abu Nai’m in his hilyaa who report from Sa’d ibn Abi Waqas from the Prophet 3layesalat wasalam that he(saws) said, “It is my hope that for my ummah Allah swt will delay them another half a day.” Sa’d was asked, ” how much is half a day?” he replied, “it is 500 years”.
So even if the age of the Jews is a little more than 2000, and the resultant assumed age of the Muslims is 1400 from the mentioned calcuation, but now with the extra half a day added to the age span of the Muslims, the real time period of this ummah would be close to 1900 years or more,
So the age of Muslims = ( Age of the Jews – Age of the Christians) + extra half a day requested by the Prophet(saws)
= 1400 + 500
= 1900 years approximately,
and Allah knows best.
Abul-Hasan Al-Mahamili an Imam of the Shafi'is
Compiled by Abul Layth
The following biography of Imam Abul Hasan Al-Mahamili (المحاملي) is my abridged summation of the introduction of Dr. Abdul Karim Al-’Umari (ghafar Allahu lahu) of Al-Lubab fi Fiqh Ash-Shafi’i. His commentary and notes of the Lubab of Imam Abul Hasan Mahamili is the best published, to my knowledge. For more detail regarding Imam Abul Hasan’s life please refer to his work, or to the Tabaqaat of the Shafi’i scholars such as Ibn As-Subki, Ibn Kathir, Adh-Dhahabi, Ibn Shahbah and others.
His full name:
أحمد بن محمد بن أحمد بن القاسم بن إسماعيل بن محمد بن إسماعيل بن سعيد بن أبان الضبي، المحاملي، البغدادي، الشافعي
Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Al-Qasim ibn Isma’il ibn Muhammad ibn Isma’il ibn Sa’id ibn Aban Ad-Dabbi Al Mahaamili, the Baghdadian, the Shafi’i, his kunya being Abul-Hasan. ((See Tabaqat Ash-Shafi’yyah for Imam Al-Isnawi as well as Tabaqat Ash-Shafi’iyyah for Ibn Kathir ))
A Defence of The Hadith: My Life is Good for You…and My Death is Good for You, for your actions will be presented to me…
Compiled by Abul Layth
It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhis salam) said:
حَيَاتي خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ تُحْدِثُونَ وَيُحْدَثُ لَكُمْ ، فَإِذَا كَانَتْ وَفَاتي خَيْراً لَكُمْ ، تُعْرَضُ عَلَيَّ أَعْمَالُكُمْ ، فَإِنْ رَأَيْتُ خَيْراً حَمِدْتُ اللَّهَ ، وَإِنْ رَأَيْتُ شَرًّا اسْتَغْفَرتُ لكُمْ
“My life is good for you. You will relate about me and it will be related to you, and my death is a good for you, for your actions will be presented to me. If I see goodness I will praise Allah, and if I see other than that I will ask forgiveness of Him for you.”
In this article we will be reviewing the chains and texts of this narration. It will also be our objective to respond to doubts raised regarding its authenticity.