Ikhtasar Uloom al-Hadeeth of Ibn Katheer – English Translation Part 1

By the will and blessing of Allah, this is a project wherein i intend to translate the Ikhtisaar Uloom al-Hadeeth of Imam Ibn Katheer al-Quraishi rahimahullah with the tahkeeq and tarjuma of Hafidh al-Muhaddith Zubayr `Ali Zaee rahimahullah . I will also be adding references, certain athaar along with the comments of shaykh zubayr r.h because sometimes i find it necessary to add some more or variant athar so as to add emphasis to assert a certain benifit. 

I am not a professional translator, so I will try my best to translate it in a way that is easy to understand by the English speaking community making the translation in a summarized way as and when required for easy understanding as well as ensure that the text retains the original Intended meaning (and does not drift away from it). I will publish the translation in small parts so people can read it easily and quickly instead of becoming lazy seeing the lengthy multi-page translation . I am sure there will be many mistakes so

رحم الله امرأ أهدى إلي عيوبي

May Allah have mercy on the man who shows me my faults

[Ref: A statement attributed to `Umar radhiallahu anhu in Sunan ad-Darimee 1/506 or 1/166 or # 675 with a weak chain and Ahmad Shaakir (ed.), ar-Risalah of ash-Shaf`ee, P: 73 footnote no. 8  See Dr. Muhammad Adhmi’s book  titled “ The history of the quranic text page 20 “]

There are many instances in such technical science books wherein the arabic words cannot be translated to English and even if attempted, it does not fulfil the complete meaning intended by the author. In such instances i will retain the Arabic terms and sometimes translate it depending on the context .

– www.fahmalhadeeth.blogspot.com

For correction and feedback Kindly e-mail : thefinalrevelation@hotmail.com

————

1) Introduction [summarized] 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

قال شيخنا الإمام العلامة، مفتي الإسلام، قدوة العلماء، شيخ المحدثين، الحافظ المفسر، بقية السلف الصالحين، عماد الدين، أبو الفداء إسماعيل بن كثير القرشي الشافعي، إمام أئمة الحديث والتفسير بالشام المحروس، فسح الله للإسلام والمسلمين في أيامه، وبلغه في الدارين قصده ومرامه: الحمد لله، والسلام على عباده الذين اصطفى.

” أما بعد “: فإن علم الحديث النبوي – على قائله أفضل الصلاة والسلام – قد اعتنى بالكلام فيه جماعة من الحفاظ قديماً وحديثاً، كالحاكم والخطيب، ومن قبلهما من الأئمة، ومن بعدهما من حفاظ الأمة.

ولما كان من أهم العلوم وأنفعها أحببت أن أعلق فيه مختصراً نافعاً جامعاً لمقاصد الفوائد، ومانعاً من مشكلات المسائل الفرائد. وكان الكتاب الذي اعتنى بتهذيبه الشيخ الإمام العلامة، أبو عمر بن الصلاح تغمده الله برحمته – من مشاهير المصنفات في ذلك بين الطلبة لهذا الشأن، وربما عُني بحفظه بعض المهرة من الشبان، سلكت وراءه، واحتذيت حذاءه، واختصرت ما بسطه، ونظمت ما فرطه. وقد ذكر من أنواع الحديث خمسة وستين، وتبع في ذلك الحاكم أبا عبد الله الحافظ النيسابوري شيخ المحدثين. وأنا – بعون الله – أذكر جميع ذلك، مع ما أضيف إليه من الفوائد الملتقطة من كتاب الحافظ الكبير أبي بكر البيهقي، المسمى ” بالمدخل إلى كتاب السنن “. وقد اختصرته أيضاً نحو من هذا النمط، من غير وكس ولا شطط، والله المستعان، وعليه الاتكال.

Our Shaykh al-Imaam of scholars, Mufti of Islam, an ideal for the scholars, the Shaykh of Muhadditheen, Al-Haafidh Muffasir, the one who remains with the (fahm) of Salafus Saaliheen – `Imaadudeen Abul-Fida `Ismaeel ibn Katheer al-Qurashi as-Shaf`ee [1] the leader of the leaders in the preserved area of Shaam , May allah safeguard/preserve/expand the Islam and Muslimeen of his era and May he grant him (Ibn Katheer) in both the worlds an elevated rank. All praise is due to Allah and may peace be upon those whom he (Allah) selected ; `Amma Ba`d [2]

May the best of peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah (Sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) . Verily a group of Muhadditheen – both in the older and newer times (era) – such as Hakim (an-naysapuri) and Khateeb (al-Baghdadi) and even other Huffadh of Hadeeth before and after their times have sought and spoken on the `Ilm of hadeeth (sciences in much detail) 

Since the science of Hadeeth [3]  is the most important and beneficial portion of knowledge among the other sciences, [4]  I loved to write a summarized Jaami` and beneficial book . 

Since the book  [`Uloom al-Hadeeth/famously known as Muqaddamah Ibn Salah]  of Shaykh al-Imaam Abu `Amr ibnus-salah (Shahrzuri) may allah have mercy on him is famous and well known in this science among the students of knowledge , such that even some of the able youth have memorized this entire book – i have thus followed his approach (in this book of mine)

I have summarized the details he spread/enlists (in his book) and have added to that which he left out. He followed the teachers of Muhadditheen Abu `Abdullah Al-Haafidh al-Haakim an-Naysapuri in classifying hadeeth (i.e their aqsaam) into 65 types 

By the will of Allah i will mention all of these types/categories and along with it i will add from the book of the great hafidh abu bakr al-Bayhaqi titled “Al-Madkhal Ila Kitaab was-sunan” 

I have summarized the book Madkhal lil-Bayhaqi in way wherein there will be no shortcomings and Allah is the source of help and upon him we rely 

[Ref: Ikhtisaar Uloom al-Hadeeth Introduction, Shamela 1/19] 

Next part : the Types of Hadeeth 

Footnotes:

[1] 

The meaning of ‘As-shaf`ee’ here is not to be taken to mean that Ibn Katheer was a Muqaalid of Imam shaf`ee. this is far from the truth. Rather his student placed him or labelled him as as-shaf`ee because he used to study under the shawafi `Ulema. Also it is known that many shawafi ulema have said in the past :  “We are not the Muqallideen of (Imam) Shafi`ee, rather  (just) our (most of the) opinions match with his opinions.”

[Ref: Taqriraat al-Rafa`i Vol: 1 Pg: 11, Al-Taheer wal Taqreer: Vol:3 Pg: 453, and Al-Nafi` al-Kabeer Pg:7]

Hafidh Ibn Katheer rahimahullah has himself refuted Taqleed (blind following) in his Tafseer [Urdu Tarjuma 1/118) and Noor ul-`Aynayn (Page 27) of Hafidh Zubayr (r.a)

To know the statements of the salafus saliheen against blind following see: http://the-finalrevelation.blogspot.com/2012/08/4-imams-forbidding-taqleed.html

[2] 

The Term `Amma Ba`d is not merely an Arabic term that is widespread among the Muslim khutabah, rather as is known it is the sunnah of our Prophet sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam when he gave a sermon. Some may argue this to be a cultural or a linguistic sunan only, however whatever the case is, it is still as sunnah adopted by the Muslims till date 6/3/2015

[3] 

علم الحدیث درایۃ: یعرف بہ حال راوی والمروی من حیث القبول والرد وما علم یعرف منہ
حقیقۃ الروایہ و شروطھا،انواعھا ،و احکامھا و حال الرواۃ،شروطھم و اصناف المرویات وما یتعلق
بذالک
”
Usool Al-Hhadeeth is a skill in which acceptance and rejection of narrator and narrated is evaluated. By using this art/science/skill we can define the fact of narration, its conditions, its varieties, its rulings, conditions of narrators and other adjuncts of Hadeeth

[Ref: Tadreeb ur-Raawi, As-Suyuti]

“SOME” of the branches of knowledge which are  introduced and promoted due to Usool al-Hadeeth are as follows:

Jarh wa Ta`deel, Asma ur-Rijaal, `Ilm e Mukhtalif al-Hadeeth, wa Mushkilhul hadeeth, Asbaab war- rud al-Hadeeth, `Ilm Mukhtalif al-Mutalif, Atraaf al-Hadeeth, Naskh wal-Mansookh, Ghareeb al-Hadeeth and etc.

In Ma’rifah ‘Ulaam ul-Hadeeth, Abu `Abdullah al-Haakim estimated that there are fifty-two such branches of knowledge. In at-Taqreeb, An-Nawawi mentioned that there are sixty-five. while according to Tadreeb -ur-Ravi of Suyuti,  the  total number  these uloom is 100. I have read some `Ulema extend and decrease this number based on their segregation.

[4]

Ibn Abu Layla said, “A man has not understood the prophetic traditions until he knows what to take from them and what to leave.”

[Ref: Jami` Bayan Al-`Ilm Ibn Abdul Barr 1207]