al-Adab lil-Bayhaqi
- Author died
- 458 AH
- Editions
- Mu’assasat al-Kutub al-Thaqāfiyyah
al-Adab lil-Bayhaqi (The Book of Manners by al-Bayhaqi) is a hadith work dedicated to Islamic etiquette, moral values, and upright character compiled by the Shafi'i scholar and hadith master Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi (384–458 AH / 994–1066 CE) .
Subject and Scope
The work belongs to the genre of standalone compilations on Islamic comportment (adab) and noble character (makarim al-akhlaq), alongside similar specialized collections such as al-Adab al-Mufrad by al-Bukhari . In it, al-Bayhaqi gathers narrations addressing the duties and manners expected of a Muslim toward oneself, one's brethren, neighbors, and broader society, emphasizing virtuous conduct and discouraging reprehensible traits .
Its topical chapters include the etiquette of visiting the sick ('iyadat al-marid), rectifying food and clothing (tatbib al-mat'am wa-al-malbas), and praising and thanking God in times of ease and hardship (man hamida Allah fi al-sarra' wa-al-darra' wa-shakarahu 'ala 'ata'ih) .
Transmission and Reception
The scholar Salah al-Din al-'Ala'i characterized the work as "one of the finest books" and documented chains of transmission through al-Bayhaqi's disciples, including Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn al-Fadl al-Farawi and Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Jabbar ibn Muhammad al-Khuwari . Selections from the book were also compiled as distinct hadith selections, such as an anthology of forty hadiths drawn directly from its contents .
Manuscripts and Editions
A manuscript of the work is preserved in Cairo at the Egyptian National Library (Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyya) under the classification 43 Hadith, comprising 262 folios .
The work has been edited and published in modern times, including:
- An edition edited by Muhammad 'Abd al-Qadir 'Ata, published by Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah in Beirut (1406 AH / 1986 CE) .
- An edition edited by Abu 'Abd Allah al-Sa'id al-Manduh, published by Mu'assasat al-Kutub al-Thaqafiyyah (1408 AH / 1988 CE) .
- It has also been printed in four volumes .
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