Al-Tadhkirah of Ibn al-Mulaqqin: Full Text with Translation

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

اللَّهَ أَحْمَدُ عَلَى نَعْمَائِهِ، وَأَشْكُرُهُ عَلَى آلَائِهِ، وَأُصَلِّي عَلَى أَشْرَفِ الْخَلْقِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، وَأُسَلِّمُ.

In the Name of Allāh, the Beneficent and the Merciful, in whose name I begin. Allāh I praise, for His bounties. Allāh I thank, for His favours. And I pray for blessings upon the best of creation, Sayyidunā Muḥammad ﷺ. And upon his progeny, I send greetings of peace and salutations (upon them all).

وَبَعْدُ:

فَهَذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ فِي عُلُومِ الْحَدِيثِ، يَتَنَبَّهُ بِهَا الْمُبْتَدِي، وَيَتَبَصَّرُ بِهَا الْمُنْتَهِي، اقْتَضَبْتُهَا مِنَ "الْمُقْنِعِ" تَأْلِيفِي.

وَإِلَى اللَّهِ أَرْغَبُ فِي النَّفْعِ بِهَا، إِنَّهُ بِيَدِهِ، وَالْقَادِرُ عَلَيْهِ.

Thereafter, these are notes on the (terms used in the) sciences of ḥadīth, which will impart knowledge to the beginner and serve as a reminder of reference for the accomplished, which I have summarised from my book al-Muqniʿ. I hope from Allāh and beseech Him, to give benefit from this work; indeed, it is in His Power and He has absolute Power to do anything.

أَقْسَامُ الْحَدِيثِ

أَقْسَامُ الْحَدِيثِ ثَلَاثَةٌ:

صَحِيحٌ، وَحَسَنٌ، وَضَعِيفٌ.

Ḥadīth are classed in three (main) categories:

- ṣaḥīḥ: sound or rigorously authenticated.

- ḥasan: good or fair.

- ḍaʿīf: weak.

أَ- فَالصَّحِيحُ : مَا سَلِمَ مِنَ الطَّعْنِ فِي إِسْنَادِهِ وَمَتْنِهِ، وَمِنْهُ الْمُتَّفَقُ عَلَيْهِ، وَهُوَ مَا أَوْدَعَهُ الشَّيْخَانِ فِي صَحِيحَيْهِمَا.

1. Ṣaḥīḥ is that which is safe from criticism, whether in its chain of transmission (isnād) or in the text (matn).

Muttafaq ʿalayh is from this category. Those aḥādīth which both shaykhs (al-Bukhārī and Muslim) have included in their (respective) collections are termed "agreed upon".

ب- وَالْحَسَنُ: مَا كَانَ إِسْنَادُهُ دُونَ الْأَوَّلِ فِي الْحِفْظِ وَالْإِتْقَانِ، وَيَعُمُّهُ وَالَّذِي قَبْلَهُ اسْمُ الْخَبَرِ الْقَوِيِّ.

2. Ḥasan is that whose isnād is weaker than the previous (category) in terms of accuracy and exactness. Reports in the first two categories are termed as 'reliable reports' (al-khabar al-qawiyy) in general.

ج- وَالضَّعِيفُ: مَا لَيْسَ وَاحِدًا مِنْهُمَا.

3. Ḍaʿīf, which belongs to neither of the previous two categories.

أَنْوَاعُ عِلْمِ الْحَدِيثِ

وَأَنْوَاعُهُ زَائِدَةٌ عَلَى الثَّمَانِينَ:

Topics or sub-fields of study in ḥadīth sciences are more than eighty.

1) الْمُسْنَدُ: وَهُوَ مَا اتَّصَلَ إِسْنَادُهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ. وَيُسَمَّى مَوْصُولاً أَيْضًا.

1. Musnad (grounded report): the report whose chain of transmission is continuous and reaches until the Prophet ﷺ. This is also known as connected (mawṣūl).

2) وَالْمُتَّصِلُ: وَهُوَ مَا اتَّصَلَ إِسْنَادُهُ مَرْفُوعًا كَانَ أَوْ مَوْقُوفًا، وَيُسَمَّى مَوْصُولاً أَيْضًا.

2. Muttaṣil (continuous report): that report whose chain of transmission is continuous and established, whether marfūʿ or mawqūf; this too is termed mawṣūl.

3) وَالْمَرْفُوعُ: وَهُوَ مَا أُضِيفَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ خَاصَّةً، مُتَّصِلاً كَانَ أَوْ غَيْرُهُ.

3. Marfūʿ (raised chain report): that report which is specifically ascribed to the Prophet ﷺ, whether reported with a continuous and uninterrupted chain (muttaṣil) or otherwise.

4) وَالْمَوْقُوفُ: وَهُوَ الْمَرْوِيُّ عَنْ الصَّحَابَةِ قَوْلاً أَوْ فِعْلاً أَوْ نَحْوَهُ، مُتَّصِلاً كَانَ أَوْ مُنْقَطِعًا. وَيُسْتَعْمَلُ فِي غَيْرِهِمْ مُقَيَّدًا، فَيُقَالُ: "وَقَفَهُ فُلَانٌ عَلَى عَطَاءٍ مَثَلاً، وَنَحْوِهِ".

4. Mawqūf (halted chain report): this is a report about the companion (ṣaḥābī), whether a saying or an action etc. (ascribed to them), regardless of the chain of transmission of the report being continuous (muttaṣil) or otherwise. Sometimes, (a maqṭūʿ report) is also termed mawqūf when specified, as in: "This (report) was terminated by so-and-so at ʿAṭāʾ".

5) وَالْمَقْطُوعُ: وَهُوَ الْمَوْقُوفُ عَلَى التَّابِعِيِّ قَوْلاً أَوْ فِعْلاً.

5. Maqṭūʿ (severed chain report): the report which stops at the tābiʿī (successor) in word or in deed.

6) وَالْمُنْقَطِعُ: وَهُوَ مَا لَمْ يَتَّصِلْ إِسْنَادُهُ مِنْ أَيِّ وَجْهٍ كَانَ.

6. Munqaṭiʿ (broken chain report): that whose isnād cannot be continuous in any way.

7) وَالْمُرْسَلُ: وَهُوَ قَوْلُ التَّابِعِيِّ – وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ كَبِيرًا -: ((قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ))

7. Mursal (expedient report): this is the speech of the tābiʿī (even if he is not a senior tābiʿī) who says: "The Messenger of Allāh has said...".

8) وَمِنْهُ مَا خَفِيَ إِرْسَالُهُ.

8. Another type of this category is that whose being mursal is latent.

9) وَالْمُعْضَلُ: وَهُوَ مَا سَقَطَ مِنْ إِسْنَادِهِ اثْنَانِ فَأَكْثَرُ. وَيُسَمَّى مُنْقَطِعًا أَيْضًا. فَكُلُّ مُعْضَلٍ مُنْقَطِعٌ، وَلَا عَكْسَ.

9. Muḍal (problematic report): such a narration in which two or more narrators are omitted; this is also an interrupted (munqaṭiʿ) narration. Every muḍal is munqaṭiʿ, but the converse is not true.

10) وَالْمُعَلَّقُ: هُوَ مَا حُذِفَ مِنْ مُبْتَدَإِ إِسْنَادِهِ وَاحِدٌ فَأَكْثَرُ.

10. Muʿallaq (suspended report): truncated; one or more [consecutive] narrators are omitted from the beginning of the chain.

11) وَالْمُعَنْعَنُ: وَهُوَ مَا أُتِيَ فِيهِ بِلَفْظَةِ "عَنْ"، كـ "فُلَانٍ عَنْ فُلَانٍ"، وَهُوَ مُتَّصِلٌ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ تَدْلِيسٌ، وَأَمْكَنَ اللِّقَاءُ.

11. Muʿanʿan (indecisive transmission report): that which is narrated with the word ʿan (عن, meaning 'from'), such as: X (narrates) from Y; this is deemed continuous (muttaṣil) so long as there is no tadlīs and the possibility of the meeting of narrators is also plausible.

12) وَالتَّدْلِيسُ: وَهُوَ مَكْرُوهٌ لِأَنَّهُ يُوهِمُ اللِّقَاءَ وَالْمُعَاصَرَةَ، بِقَوْلِهِ: ((قَالَ فُلَانٌ …)) وَهُوَ فِي الشُّيُوخِ أَخَفُّ.

12. Tadlīs (masked reports): (mudallas) it is disliked, as it gives a [false] impression of meeting the narrator [from whom it is being narrated] or that they are contemporaneous, by saying: "so-and-so [fulān] has said".

However, it is milder when it is narrated by referring to the shaykh [narrator upstream in the chain] by a name or appellation that is not well-known.

13) وَالشَّاذُّ: وَهُوَ مَا رَوَى الثِّقَةُ مُخَالِفًا لِرِوَايَةِ الثِّقَاتِ.

13. Shādhdh (anomalous report): anomaly; that narrated solitarily by a trustworthy narrator (thiqah) which contradicts a transmission of all other trustworthy narrators (thiqāt).

14) وَالْمُنْكَرُ: وَهُوَ مَا تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ وَاحِدٌ غَيْرُ مُتْقِنٍ وَلَا مَشْهُورٍ بِالْحِفْظِ.

14. Munkar (disclaimed report): an isolated report by a narrator who is [known to be] inaccurate, and lacks good retention.

15) وَالْفَرْدُ: وَهُوَ مَا تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ وَاحِدٌ عَنْ جَمِيعِ الرُّوَاةِ، أَوْ جِهَةٌ خَاصَّةٌ، كَقَوْلِهِمْ: ((تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ أَهْلُ مَكَّةَ))، وَنَحْوِهِ.

15. Fard (unique report): the report in which a narrator is solitary and is isolated from all other narrators; or when reported through a specific route and there is no other, as they say: "The narrators of Makkah are unique in this".

16) وَالْغَرِيبُ: وَهُوَ مَا تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ وَاحِدٌ عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ وَشِبْهِهِ مِمَّنْ يَجْمَعُ حَدِيثَهُ.

16. Gharīb (uncommon report): unfamiliar; such reports which are narrated by a single person via imāms who are known for their voluminous reports, such as al-Zuhrī.

17) فَإِنْ انْفَرَدَ اثْنَانِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةٌ، سُمِّيَ عَزِيزًا.

17. ʿAzīz (rare report): if a report similar to the above is narrated by two or three narrators it is known as ʿazīz.

18) فَإِنْ رَوَاهُ جَمَاعَةٌ سُمِّيَ مَشْهُورًا.

18. Mashhūr (well-known report): famous; if it is reported by a group of narrators.

19) وَمِنْهُ الْمُتَوَاتِرُ: وَهُوَ خَبَرُ جَمَاعَةٍ يُفِيدُ بِنَفْسِهِ الْعِلْمَ بِصِدْقِهِ.

19. Mutawātir (mass-transmitted report): and from the above category (related) is mutawātir: it is a report by a group which in itself warrants its being truth.

20) وَالْمُسْتَفِيضُ: وَهُوَ مَا زَادَ رُوَاتُهُ فِي كُلِّ مَرْتَبَةٍ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةٍ.

20. Mustafīḍ (well-circulated report): ample; that in which there are more than three narrators at every level in the chain.

21) وَالْمُعَلَّلُ: وَهُوَ مَا اطُّلِعَ فِيهِ عَلَى عِلَّةٍ قَادِحَةٍ فِي صِحَّتِهِ، مَعَ السَّلَامَةِ عَنْهَا ظَاهِرًا.

21. Muʿallal (the defective report): reports which appear to be safe from any defect, but (on closer inspection) there are hidden defects (ʿilal) and factors which prevent it from being a sound report.

22) وَالْمُضْطَرِبُ: وَهُوَ مَا يُرْوَى عَلَى أَوْجُهٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ مُتَسَاوِيَةٍ.

22. Muḍṭarib (the inconsistent report): ambiguous; that which is reported via different routes or versions of equal rank or strength.

23) وَالْمُدْرَجُ: وَهُوَ زِيَادَةٌ تَقَعُ فِي الْمَتْنِ وَنَحْوِهِ.

23. Mudraj (the interpolated report): in which an (unintended) addition is made to the text or similar.

24) وَالْمَوْضُوعُ: وَهُوَ الْمُخْتَلَقُ الْمَصْنُوعُ. وَقَدْ يُلَقَّبُ بِـ: أ- الْمَرْدُودِ. ب- الْمَتْرُوكِ. ج- وَالْبَاطِلِ. د- وَالْمُفْسَدِ.

24. Mawḍūʿ (the forged report): that which is fabricated or made-up, or forgery (maṣnūʿ); the following terms are also used to describe this:

a. Mardūd: rejected

b. Matrūk: forsaken or discarded

c. Bāṭil: invalid or void

d. Mufsad: corrupt or spoilt

25) وَالْمَقْلُوبُ: وَهُوَ إِسْنَادُ الْحَدِيثِ إِلَى غَيْرِ رَاوِيهِ.

25. Maqlūb (the flipped report): that whose chain of narration is mixed-up with narrators of a different ḥadīth.

26) وَالْعَالِي: وَهُوَ فَضِيلَةٌ مَرْغُوبٌ فِيهَا، وَيَحْصُلُ بِالْقُرْبِ مِنْ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَمِنْ أَحَدِ الْأَئِمَّةِ فِي الْحَدِيثِ، وَبِتَقَدُّمِ وَفَاةِ الرَّاوِي، وَالسَّمَاعِ.

26. ʿĀlī (the elevated report): this is a superior attribute that is avidly sought, as this makes one closer to the Prophet ﷺ and the imāms of ḥadīth, and when a narrator passes away (before other contemporaries can get to hear from him).

27) وَالنَّازِلُ: وَهُوَ ضِدُّ الْعَالِي.

27. Nāzil: it is the opposite of ʿālī.

28) وَالْمُخْتَلِفُ: وَهُوَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ حَدِيثَانِ مُتَعَارِضَانِ فِي الْمَعْنَى ظَاهِرًا، فَيُوَفَّقَ بَيْنَهُمَا، أَوْ يُرَجَّحَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَلَى الْآخَرِ.

28. Mukhtalif (reconciliation): two aḥādīth that apparently contradict each other as far as the literal meaning is concerned. Such (apparently contradicting) aḥādīth are either reconciled, or one will be given precedence over the other.

29) والْمُصَحَّفُ: وَهُوَ تَغْيِيرِ لَفْظٍ أَوْ مَعْنًى. وَتَارَةً يَقَعُ فِي الْمَتْنِ، وَتَارَةً فِي الْإِسْنَادِ. وَفِيهِ تَصَانِيفُ.

29. Muṣaḥḥaf: when the pronunciation or the meaning of a word is changed (due to misplacement of dots or misplacement of vowels (muḥarraf)).

30) وَالْمُسَلْسَلُ: وَهُوَ مَا تَتَابَعَ رِجَالُ إِسْنَادِهِ عَلَى صِفَةٍ أَوْ حَالَةٍ. وَقَلَّ فِيهِ الصَّحِيحُ.

30. Musalsal (patterned chain narrations): that in which successive narrators in the chain follow (or imitate) the previous ones, whether in attribute or the state in which it was narrated; only a few of such musalsal aḥādīth are sound.

31) وَالاعْتِبَارُ: وَهُوَ أَنْ يَرْوِيَ حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ -مَثَلاً- حَدِيثًا، لَا يُتَابَعُ عَلَيْهِ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ ابْنِ سِيرِينَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ.

31. Iʿtibār: scrutiny; for example, Ḥammād ibn Salamah narrated from Ayyūb from Ibn Sīrīn from Abū Hurayrah; has anyone else narrated from Ayyūb?

32) وَالْمُتَابَعَةُ: أَنْ يَرْوِيَهُ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ غَيْرُ حَمَّادٍ. وَهِيَ الْمُتَابَعَةُ التَّامَّةُ.

32. Mutābaʿah: corroboration; when someone narrates from Ayyūb other than Ḥammād. This is considered as perfect corroboration.

33) وَالشَّاهِدُ: أَنْ يُرْوَى حَدِيثٌ آخَرُ بِمَعْنَاهُ.

33. Shāhid: when another ḥadīth of similar meaning is reported.

34) وَزِيَادَةُ الثِّقَاتِ. وَالْجُمْهُورُ عَلَى قَبُولِهَ.

34. Ziyādat al-thiqāt: supplementary information added by trustworthy narrators. The general opinion is that [additional words] are acceptable.

35) وَالْمَزِيدُ فِي مُتَّصِلِ الْأَسَانِيدِ: وَهُوَ أَنْ يُزَادَ فِي الْإِسْنَادِ رَجُلٌ فَأَكْثَرُ غَلَطًا.

35. Mazīd fī muttaṣil al-asānīd: superfluous narrator in the continuous chain. When one or more narrators are erroneously added superfluously in the chain.

36) وَصِفَةُ الرَّاوِي وَهُوَ الْعَدْلُ الضَّابِطُ. وَيَدْخُلُ فِيهِ مَعْرِفَةُ الْجَرْحِ وَالتَّعْدِيلِ، وَبَيَانُ سِنِّ السَّمَاعِ – وَهُوَ التَّمْيِيزُ- وَيَحْصُلُ لَهُ فِي خَمْسٍ غَالِبًا، وَكَيْفِيَّةُ السَّمَاعِ وَالتَّحَمُّلِ.

36. Ṣifat al-rāwī: attributes of the narrator; that he is upright (ʿadl) and accurate (ḍābiṭ). This also includes knowledge of:

- Criticism and appraisal of narrators (jarḥ wa taʿdīl)

- The age at which [the narrator] heard it

- That mentioned above is the age of discerning (tamyīz), and this is usually deemed [the age of] five

- Knowledge of how the report was heard (samāʿ)

- How it was carried and delivered (taḥammul)

37) وَكِتَابَةُ الْحَدِيثِ وَهُوَ جَائِزٌ إِجْمَاعًا. وَتُصْرَفُ الْهِمَّةُ إِلَى ضَبْطِهِ.

37. Kitābat al-ḥadīth: inscribing ḥadīth; this is deemed permissible by consensus, and efforts should be expended to keep that accurate (i.e., documentation).

38) وَأَقْسَامُ طُرُقِ الرِّوَايَةِ وَهِيَ ثَمَانِيَةٌ:

أ- السَّمَاعُ مِنْ لَفْظِ الشَّيْخِ. ب- وَالْقِرَاءَةُ عَلَيْهِ. ج – وَالْإِجَازَةُ بِأَنْوَاعِهَا. د- وَالْمُنَاوَلَةُ. هـ- وَالْمُكَاتَبَةُ. و – وَالْإِعْلَامُ. ز- وَالْوَصِيَّةُ. ح- والوِجَادَةُ.

38. Aqsām ṭuruq al-riwāyah: categories of how the narration was conveyed, and these are eight:

a) samāʿ min lafẓ al-shaykh: hearing the words of the shaykh

b) qirāʾah ʿalayh: that one reads in front of the shaykh

c) ijāzah [bi anwāʿihā]: permission/authorisation to narrate [in various forms]

d) munāwalah: handing over by the shaykh (whether from his own notes or if he says: "Thus I have heard," etc.)

e) mukātabah: written down by the shaykh

f) iʿlām: informed by the shaykh

g) waṣiyyah: conveyed by the shaykh in his will

h) wijādah: find it written in the writing of the shaykh

39) وَصِفَةُ الرِّوَايَةِ وَأَدَائِهَا. وَيَدْخُلُ فِيهِ الرِّوَايَةُ بِالْمَعْنَى، وَاخْتِصَارُ الْحَدِيثِ.

39. Ṣifat al-riwāyah wa adāʾihā: the mode of narration and how it was conveyed, which also includes paraphrased narration (riwāyah biʾl-maʿnā) and abridgement of ḥadīth (ikhtiṣār).

40) وَآدَابُ الْمُحَدِّثِ وَطَالِبِ الْحَدِيثِ.

40. Ādāb al-muḥaddith wa ṭālib al-ḥadīth: the manner of a ḥadīth scholar and the etiquette of a seeker of ḥadīth.

41) وَمَعْرِفَةُ غَرِيبِهِ وَلُغَتِهِ، وَتَفْسِيرُ مَعَانِيهِ، وَاسْتِنْبَاطُ أَحْكَامِهِ.

41. Maʿrifat gharībih wa lughatih: knowledge of uncommon/rare words and lexical aspects; and the meanings of words and derivation of rulings based on those words.

42) وَعَزْوُهُ إِلَى الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ وَأَتْبَاعِهِمْ.

42. ʿAzw: attribution, ascription [of a ḥadīth, statement] to the companions (ṣaḥābah), their followers (tābiʿīn) and their successors (tabaʿ al-tābiʿīn).

43) وَيُحْتَاجُ فِي ذَلِكَ إِلَى مَعْرِفَةِ الْأَحْكَامِ الْخَمْسَةِ، وَهِيَ:

أ – الْوُجُوبُ. بِ- وَالنَّدْبُ. ج- وَالتَّحْرِيمُ. د- وَالْكَرَاهَةُ. هـ- وَالْإِبَاحَةُ.

وَمُتَعَلَّقَاتِها مِنْ:

أ – الْخَاصِّ: وَهُوَ مَا دَلَّ عَلَى مَعْنًى وَاحِدٍ.

ب – وَالْعَامِّ: وَهُوَ مَا دَلَّ عَلَى شَيْئَيْنِ مِنْ جِهَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ.

ج- وَالْمُطْلَقِ: وَهُوَ مَا دَلَّ عَلَى مَعْنًى وَاحِدٍ مَعَ عَدَمِ تَعْيِينٍ فِيه وَلَا شَرْطٍ.

د- وَالْمُقَيَّدِ: وَهُوَ مَا دَلَّ عَلَى مَعْنًى مَعَ اشْتِرَاطِ آخَرَ.

هِـ- وَالْمُفَصَّلِ: وَهُوَ مَا عُرِفَ الْمُرَادُ مِنْ لَفْظِهِ، وَلَمْ يَفْتَقِرْ فِي الْبَيَانِ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ.

و- وَالْمُفَسَّرِ: وَهُوَ مَا لَا يُفْهَمُ الْمُرَادُ مِنْهُ، وَيَفْتَقِرُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ.

43. The aforementioned attribution is dependent on knowledge of five things:

a) wujūb: obligatory

b) nadb: preferable, supererogatory

c) taḥrīm: forbidden

d) karāhah: disliked

e) ibāḥah: permissible

And all these are concerning:

a) khāṣṣ: specific; that which imparts only one meaning.

b) ʿĀmm: generic; that which holds true for two things though coming from one route.

c) muṭlaq: absolute; which has only one meaning, without any condition and without choice.

d) muqayyad: restricted; which indicates a certain meaning, when certain conditions are specified.

e) mufaṣṣal: the objective and meaning of which is clearly explained by the words and it does not require any further exposition.

f) mufassar: that which is not understood by its words outright, and which requires further explanation.

44) والتّرجيحُ بَيْنَ الرُّوَاةِ مِنْ جِهَةِ كَثْرَةِ الْعَدَدِ مَعَ الاسْتِوَاءِ فِي الْحِفْظِ، مِنْ جِهَةِ الْعَدَدِ أَيْضًا، مَعَ التَّبَايُنِ فِيهِ، وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ.

44. Tarājīḥ: preference, precedence; to give preference to the narrators who narrate from more routes, when both narrators are considered equal in memory; and also on account of copious narrations which are distinctly clear, etc.

45) وَمَعْرِفَةُ نَاسِخِهِ وَمَنْسُوخِهِ.

45. Maʿrifat al-nāsikh waʾl-mansūkh: knowledge of the abrogator and the abrogated.

46) وَمَعْرِفَةُ الصَّحَابَةِ.

46. Maʿrifat al-ṣaḥābah: knowledge about the companions.

47) وَأَتْبَاعِهِمْ.

47. Tābiʿīn: followers of the companions.

48) وَمَنْ رَوَى مِنْ الْأَكَابِرِ عَنْ الْأَصَاغِر : كَرِوَايَةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ تَمِيمٍ الدَّارِيِّ وَالصِّدِّيقِ، وَغَيْرِهِمَا.

وَيُلَقَّبُ أَيْضًا بِرِوَايَةِ الْفَاضِلِ عَنْ الْمَفْضُولِ، وَرِوَايَةِ الشَّيْخِ عَنْ التِّلْمِيذِ ; كَرِوَايَةِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، وَيَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، وَرَبِيعَةَ، وَغَيْرِهِمْ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ.

48. Akābir ʿan aṣāghir: seniors narrating from juniors; for example, the Prophet ﷺ narrates from Tamīm al-Dārī and [Abū Bakr] al-Ṣiddīq, etc. This is also termed:

- fāḍil ʿan mafḍūl: superiors narrating from those lesser than them

- shaykh ʿan tilmīdh: the teacher from his student, as is the case of al-Zuhrī, Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd, Rabīʿah and others narrating from Mālik.

49) وَرِوَايَةُ النَّظِيرِ عَنْ النَّظِيرِ ; كَالثَّوْرِيِّ وَأَبِي حَنِيفَةَ عَنْ مَالِكٍ حَدِيثَ: الْأَيِّمُ أَحَقُّ بِنَفْسِهَا مِنْ وَلِيِّهَا.

49. Naẓīr ʿan naẓīr: those who are equals narrating from one another, such as Abū Ḥanīfah and [Sufyān] al-Thawrī who narrate the following ḥadīth from Mālik: "A widow has more right in dispensing of her affairs than her guardian".

50) وَمَعْرِفَةُ رِوَايَةِ الْآبَاءِ عَنِ الْأَبْنَاءِ: كَرِوَايَةِ الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ ابْنِهِ الْفَضْلِ، وَعَكْسِهِ. وَكَذَا رِوَايَةُ الْأُمِّ عَنْ وَلَدِهَا.

50. Ābāʾ ʿan abnāʾ: fathers narrating from sons; such as al-ʿAbbās narrating from his son al-Faḍl, and vice versa; similarly, [is the case of] mothers narrating from sons.

51) وَمَعْرِفَةُ الْمُدَبَّجِ: وَهُوَ رِوَايَةُ الْأَقْرَانِ بَعْضُهُمْ عَنْ بَعْضٍ. فَإِنْ رَوَى أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ الْآخَرِ، وَلَمْ يَرْوِ الْآخَرُ عَنْهُ، فَغَيْرُ مُدَبَّجٍ.

51. Mudabbaj: mutual [or bilateral] report; this is a report which contemporaries (aqrān) narrate from each other. It is not mudabbaj if only one contemporary reports from another.

52) وَمَعْرِفَةُ رِوَايَةِ الْإِخْوَةِ وَالْأَخَوَاتِ، كَعُمَرَ وَزَيْدٍ ابْنَيِ الْخَطَّابِ.

52. Riwāyat al-ikhwah waʾl-akhawāt: reports of siblings; narrations of brothers and sisters, like ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb and Zayd ibn al-Khaṭṭāb.

53) وَمَنِ اشْتَرَكَ عَنْهُ في الرِّوَايَةِ اثْنَانِ تَبَاعَدَ مَا بَيْنَ وَفَاتَيْهِمَا; كَالسَّرَّاجِ، فَإِنَّ الْبُخَارِيَّ رَوَى عَنْهُ، وَكَذَا الخَفَّافَ، وَبَيْنَ وَفَاتَيْهِمَا مِائَةٌ وَسَبْعٌ وَثَلَاثُونَ أَوْ أَكْثَرُ.

53. [sābiq waʾl-lāḥiq]: those who are in the chain and the narrators whose deaths are separated by a very long number of years, such as [the narrator] al-Sarrāj; al-Bukhārī narrates from him, and so also has al-Khaffāf narrated from him, and the dates of deaths [of al-Bukhārī and al-Khaffāf] are separated by 137 years or more.

54) وَمَنْ لَمْ يَرْوِ عَنْهُ إِلَّا وَاحِدٌ مِنْ الصَّحَابَةِ فَمَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ ; كَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ صَفْوَانَ، لَمْ يَرْوِ عَنْهُ غَيْرُ الشَّعْبِيِّ.

54. Those ṣaḥābah from whom only one narrator has reported, such as Muḥammad ibn Ṣafwān, from whom only al-Shaʿbī (and none other) has reported.

55) وَمَنْ عُرِفَ بِأَسْمَاءٍ أَوْ نُعُوتٍ مُتَعَدِّدَةٍ ; كَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ السَّائِبِ الْكَلْبِيِّ الْمُفَسِّرِ.

55. Those who are known by multiple names and descriptions: such as Muḥammad ibn al-Sāʾib al-Kalbī, the scholar of tafsīr.

56) وَمَعْرِفَةُ الْأَسْمَاءِ والكُنَى وَالْأَلْقَابِ.

56. Asmāʾ, kunā, alqāb: knowledge of names of narrators, their agnomens and their appellations.

57) وَمَعْرِفَةُ مُفْرَدَاتِ ذَلِكَ، وَمَنِ اشْتُهِرَ بِالِاسْمِ دُونَ الْكُنْيَةِ، وَعَكْسِهِ.

57. Those who are known by a single name; and those with only their names sans any agnomen (kunyah) and vice versa: [only by an agnomen and not by their names].

58) وَمَنْ وَافَقَ اسْمُهُ اسْمَ أَبِيهِ.

58. Narrators whose name is the same as their own father's name.

59) وَالْمُؤْتَلِفُ وَالْمُخْتَلِفُ.

59. Muʾtalif and mukhtalif: homographs and distinctly different names.

60) وَالْمُتَّفَقُ وَالْمُفْتَرِقُ.

60. Muttafiq and muftariq.

61) وَمَا تَرَكَّبَ مِنْهُمَا.

61. The category of those narrators that combines both kinds (muʾtalif-mukhtalif and muttafiq-muftariq) mentioned above.

62) وَالْمُتَشَابِهُ.

62. Mutashābih: confusingly similar and appears identical, but is actually distinct and different.

63) وَالْمَنْسُوبُ إِلَى غَيْرِ أَبِيهِ: كَبِلَالِ ابْنِ حَمَامَةَ.

63. Mansūb ilā ghayri abīh: attributed to someone other than his father, for example: Bilāl ibn Ḥimāmah.

64) وَالنِّسْبَةُ الَّتِي يَسْبِقُ إِلَى الْفَهْمِ مِنْهَا شَيْءٌ، وَهِيَ بِخِلَافِهِ ; كَأَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْبَدْرِيِّ، فَإِنَّهُ نَزَلَهَا، وَلَمْ يَشْهَدْهَا.

64. An attribution that gives an impression that it is on account of something, whereas it is not true in reality, such as Abū Masʿūd al-Badrī. One would think he was present in the Battle of Badr (hence badrī) but actually, he was not one among the badrī companions; rather, he settled in Badr, hence the appellation al-Badrī.

65) وَالْمُبْهَمَاتُ.

65. Mubhamāt: unnamed, anonymous.

66) وَالتَّوَارِيخُ وَالْوَفَيَاتُ.

66. Tawārīkh waʾl-wafayāt: chronologies, biographies and dates of death.

67) وَمَعْرِفَةُ الثِّقَاتِ وَالضُّعَفَـاءِ ; وَمَنْ اخْتُلِــفَ فِيهِ، فَيُـرَجَّحُ بِـ "الْمِيزَانِ".

67. Maʿrifat al-thiqāt waʾl-ḍuʿafāʾ: knowledge of trustworthy and weak narrators, and those upon whom there is a conflicting opinion; one should use Mīzān [al-Iʿtidāl of al-Dhahabī] for clarification.

68) وَمَنْ اخْتَلَطَ فِي آخِرِ عُمُرِهِ مِنْ الثِّقَاتِ، وخَرِفَ مِنْهُمْ. فَمَنْ رَوَى قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ عَنْهُمْ قُبِلَ، وَإِلَّا فَلَا.

68. Those trustworthy (thiqah) narrators who mixed up things [confused narrations, isnād, etc.] in their advanced years, or those who became senile (kharif). Thus, whatever they narrated before this age of senility is accepted; otherwise it is not.

69) وَمَنْ احْتَرَقْتُ كُتُبُهُ أَوْ ذَهَبَتْ، فَرَجَعَ إِلَى حِفْظِهِ فَسَاءَ.

69. That narrator whose books were burnt or lost, so he narrates from what is retained in his memory, but makes mistakes [when narrating from memory].

70) وَمَنْ حَدَّثَ وَنَسِيَ، ثُمَّ رَوَى عَمَّنْ رَوَى عَنْهُ.

70. Man ḥaddatha wa nasiya: those who have narrated and then forgotten; thereafter, they narrate from those who heard from them in the first place [for example, X narrates to Y and forgets, then he takes it from Y].

71) وَمَعْرِفَةُ طَبَقَاتِ الرُّوَاةِ وَالْعُلَمَاءِ.

71. Knowledge of the ranks (ṭabaqāt) of narrators and scholars.

72) وَالْمَوَالِي.

72. Knowledge of slaves and clients [of tribes/families, mawālī].

73) وَالْقَبَائِلُ، وَالْبِلَادُ، وَالصِّنَاعَةُ، وَالْحُلِيُّ.

73. Knowledge of tribes, places, occupations and ornaments.

وَهِيَ عُجَالَةٌ للمُبْتَدِي فِيهِ، وَمَدْخَلٌ لِلتَّأْلِيفِ السَّالِفِ الْمُشَارِ إِلَيْهِ أَوَّلاً، فَإِنَّهُ جَامِعٌ لِفَوَائِدِ هَذَا الْعِلْمِ وَشَوَارِدِهِ، وَمُهِمَّاتِهِ، وَفَرَائِدِهِ.

وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ عَلَى تَيْسِيرِهِ وَامْتنانه.

This is meant to be a quick guide and an introduction for the beginner, as I have indicated earlier, covering a number of beneficial points of knowledge and important concepts.

I praise and thank Allāh taʿālā for His favours and for making this task easy.

قَالَ مُؤَلِّفُهُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ:

فَرَغْتُ مِنْ تَحْرِيرِ هَذِهِ "التَّذْكِرَةِ" فِي نَحْوِ سَاعَتَيْنِ، مِنْ صَبِيحَةِ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ، سَابِعِ عِشْرِينَ جُمَادَى الْأُولَى، عَامَ ثَلَاثٍ وَسِتِّينَ وَسَبْعِمَائَةٍ، أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ بَعْضَهَا، وَمَا بَعْدَهَا فِي خَيْرٍ، آمِينَ.

[The author says:] I finished composing this Tadhkirah in about two hours on the morning of Friday, the 27th of Jumādā al-Ūlā in the year 763 AH.

May Allāh taʿālā make this beneficial for me in this world and in the hereafter.

Āmīn.