Ta’nib al-Khatib of ‘Allamah Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari

Attached is the brilliant rebuttal of ‘Allamah Muhammad Zahid Kawthari to the section of Imam Khatib Baghdadi’s Tarikh Baghdad on Imam Abu Hanifah in which Khatib Baghdadi mentions a number of false reports in dispraise of the great Imam Abu Hanifah in a manner that suggested that he agreed with them. Although the book isContinueContinue reading “Ta’nib al-Khatib of ‘Allamah Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari”

Hadith: Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (Foundations of Islam) by Jonathan A.C. Brown

Contrary to popular opinion, the bulk of Islamic law does not come from the Qur’an but rather from hadith, first-hand reports of the prophet Muhammad’s words and deeds, passed from generation to generation. However, with varying accounts often only committed to paper a century after the death of Muhammad, Islamic scholars, past and present, haveContinueContinue reading “Hadith: Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (Foundations of Islam) by Jonathan A.C. Brown”

The Evolution of a Hadith: Transmission, Growth, and the Science of Rijal in a Hadith of Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas by Shaykh Dr. Iftikhar Zaman

Shaykh Iftikhar Zaman, one of today’s most researched scholars in the science of Hadith and yet almost entirely unknown in our community for his expertise in the field, has yet to publish his brilliant PhD thesis on the evolution of a hadith of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas that he authored while at the University ofContinueContinue reading “The Evolution of a Hadith: Transmission, Growth, and the Science of Rijal in a Hadith of Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas by Shaykh Dr. Iftikhar Zaman”

The Canonization of al-Bukhari and Muslim: The Formation and Function of the Sunni Hadith Canon by Jonathan Brown

In a number of lectures I delivered on the subject of Hadith, I mentioned a PhD thesis that was authored by Professor Jonathan Brown of the University of Washington, a Muslim professor who analyzed both the Sahih’s of Bukhari and Muslim and Orientalist views regarding them. Brown is very aptly able to identify some ofContinueContinue reading “The Canonization of al-Bukhari and Muslim: The Formation and Function of the Sunni Hadith Canon by Jonathan Brown”

Ibn Hajar’s Hady al-Sari: A Medieval Interpretation of the Structure of Bukhari’s al-Jami’ al-Sahih: Introduction and Translation

By Mohammed Fadel, University of Chicago Introduction Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani (773-852/1372-1449) was an Egyptian who lived in the late Mamluk period. Although he wrote in many different fields, he earned his scholarly reputation for his works on Prophetic tradition. Perhaps his most famous work is his commentary upon Sahih al-Bukhari, known as Fath al-Bari bi-sharhContinueContinue reading “Ibn Hajar’s Hady al-Sari: A Medieval Interpretation of the Structure of Bukhari’s al-Jami’ al-Sahih: Introduction and Translation”

A Clarification on Arabic Books and Publishing

I would like to mention briefly, for the sake of clarification, the purpose behind mentioning the last post on Arabic publications. A number of individuals expressed more than just disappointment with the current state of affairs but also a fear and mistrust of all recently published Islamic books. It is pertinent, therefore, to clarify theContinueContinue reading “A Clarification on Arabic Books and Publishing”