Asmm’-ur-Rijal — Seal of the Prophets Vol. 1
Introduction
In this discourse from The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 1), Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) details the historical events and scholarly insights surrounding Asmm’-ur-Rijal.
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 1)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)
Section: I-Early Sources of Sirat & Islamic History
Pages: Book pp. 32–34 (PDF pp. 56–58)
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Historical Account
through this science. Incontestably, in the history of mankind, this record is unprecedented. This collection is not a collection of random facts: rather, it has been prepared in accordance with authentic principles of critique. The date of birth, date of demise, place of residence, lifestyle, custom and conduct, level of scholarship, intelligence, memory and understanding, honesty and trustworthiness, the distinctive method of narration, names of teachers, names of students, the names of contemporaries, etc, of every individual narrator have been documented with complete authenticity and full specifics. The first individual who considered developing this knowledge into a formal science was Shu‘ba bin Al-Jahaj who died in 120 A.H. Subsequently, Imām Yaḥyā bin Sa‘īd Al-Quṭnī, who died in 198 A.H., further developed this field of knowledge and prepared its first collection. After him, ‘Allāmah Aḥmad bin ‘Abdullāh Al- ‘Ajalī, who died in 261 A.H., and Imām ‘Abdur-Raḥmān bin Abī Ḥātim Ar-Rāzī, who died in 327 A.H., wrote many valuable books relevant to this knowledge and both of them named their written works Kitābul-Jiraḥ wat-Ta‘dīl. However, among the books of early scholars, the most complete and authentic written work is Kitābu-Kāmil fī Ma‘rafatiḍ-Ḍu‘afā wal-Matrūkīn, compiled by Abū Aḥmad ‘Abdullāh bin Muḥammad bin ‘Adiyy, who died in 365 A.H. In addition, Ḥāfiẓ ‘Uqailī and Imām Dār Quṭnī, as well as others, have also written books in this field. Regrettably, however, a majority of these books have been lost, though many references to these books however, do appear in latter works.
[Life of ‘Mahomet’, Sir William Muir, p. 575 (footnote 1), Reprint of the 1894 Ed., Published by Voice of India New Delhi]
From the written works of latter generations, which are primarily based on early books, the following is a list of works which are most renowned and currently in circulation:
- Al-Kamāl fī M‘arifatir-Rijāl, by Ḥāfiẓ ‘Abdul-Ghanī bin ‘Abdul-Wāḥid
Al-Maqdisī, who died in 600 A.H.
- Tahzhībul-Kamāl fī M‘arifatir-Rijāl, by Ḥāfiẓ Jamāl-ud-Dīn Yūsuf bin
Zakī Al-Mazzī, who died in 722 A.H.
- Mīzānul-I‘itidāl fī Naqdir-Rijāl (3 Volumes), by Ḥāfiẓ Shams-ud-Dīn
Abū ‘Abdullāh Muḥammad bin Aḥmad Adh-Dhahabī, who died in 748 A.H.
- Tahzībut-Tahzīb (12 Volumes), by Ḥāfiẓ Abul-Faḍl Aḥmad bin ‘Alī bin
Muḥammad bin ‘Alī bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, who died in 852 A.H.
34
- Al-Istī‘āb fī M‘arafatil-Aṣḥāb (2 Volumes), by Ḥāfiẓ Abū ‘Amr Yūsuf
bin ‘Abdullāh bin Muḥammad bin ‘Abdil-Barra Al-Qurtubī, who died in 463 A.H.
- Usdul-Ghābah fī M‘arifatiṣ-Ṣaḥābah (5 Volumes), by Ḥāfiẓ ‘Izz-ud-
Dīn Abul-Ḥasan ‘Alī bin Muḥammad bin ‘Abdil-Karīm Al-Ma‘rūf bi Ibni Athīr Al-Jazrī, who died in 630 A.H.
- Al-Iṣābah fī M‘arafatiṣ-Ṣaḥābah (10 Volumes), by Ḥāfiẓ Ibni Ḥajar
‘Asqalānī, who died in 852 It is worth mentioning that the last three books in the above mentioned list, do not directly relate to the art of Asmā’-ur-Rijāl, rather, they merely relate to the affairs of the companions of the Holy Prophetsa. Since both of these sciences are closely interrelated, these books have also been included in the above mentioned list.
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 1)
Section: I-Early Sources of Sirat & Islamic History | Navigation: « Previous: [Phraseology of Hadith] | Next: [Books of Hadith] »