Al-Sunan al-Wusta
Hadith book compiled by Al-Bayhaqi
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Al-Sunan al-Wusta, (Arabic: السنن الوسطى), or Marifat al-Sunan wa-al-Athar (Arabic: معرفة السنن والآثار) is a hadith work compiled by Imam al-Bayhaqi (384 AH – 458 AH).[1] It is multi-volume book which provides a compilation of textual evidences for Shafi'i jurisprudence.[2]
Description
This book is considered to be one of the most important Shafi’i books, as it collected the hadith evidence of the school of thought, a way out for it from the Sahih and Sunnah, showing its methods, the reason for what was faltered from it, and the reason for Al-Shafi’i inferring it if it was faltered. Al-Bayhaqi also explained the doctrines of the followers and those after them, such as Abu Thawr, Al-Hasan al-Basri and Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, and he arranged it according to the arrangement of Al-Muzani. The old sayings of Al-Shafi’i are sometimes cited, and the book has some comments from the transcription of a hadith, the translation of a scholar, and attribution to a reference.[3][4]
Reception
Ibn al-Subki said: "No Shafi'i jurist can do without it," while his father, Taqi al-Din al-Subki said: "He meant by the title: Al-Shafi'i's Knowledge of the Sunnahs and Reports (Athar)."[2]
A dream of al-Shafi'i carrying sections of this book in his hand occurred to one of the right-acting men when al-Bayhaqi was writing Ma'rifat as-Sunan wal-Athar. He was stating, "I have read them," or, alternatively, "I have written seven sections of the Book of the jurist Ahmad (al-Bayhaqi)."[5]
See also
References
- ^ Thomas Henry Robert Munt (31 July 2014). The Holy City of Medina - Sacred Space in Early Islamic Arabia. Cambridge University Press. p. 192. ISBN 9781107042131.
- ^ a b Al-Bayhaqi (1999). Allah's Names and Attributes. Vol. 4 of Islamic Doctrines & Beliefs. Translated by Gibril Fouad Haddad. Islamic Supreme Council of America. p. 5. ISBN 9781930409033.
- ^ "Marifat al-Sunan wa-al-Athar (7 vol) معرفة السنن والآثار". jarirbooksusa.com.
- ^ "مقدمة كتاب معرفة السنن والاثار ابي بكر احمد بن الحسين البيهقي". safinatulnajat.com.
- ^ Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi (2007). The Garden of the Hadith Scholars Bustan al-Muhaddithin: Clarification of the books of Hadith and their splendid authors. Translated by Aisha Abdurrahman Bewley, Mohammad Akram Nadwi. Turath Publishing. ISBN 9781915265043.
