al-Baghawi, Abu Muhammad
al-Anwar fi Shamail al-Nabi al-Mukhtar
- Author died
- 516 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Maktabī
al-Anwar fi Shama'il al-Nabi al-Mukhtar (The Lights Regarding the Traits of the Chosen Prophet) is a hadith work on the character, appearance, and conduct of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by the Shafi'i traditionist and jurist Abu Muhammad al-Baghawi (d. 516 AH / 1122 CE) .
Content and Structure
The book is devoted to prophetic portraiture and virtues (shama'il), bringing together narrations concerning the Prophet's physical appearance, inward moral traits, and personal conduct . Arranged in 101 chapters following the method of traditional hadith scholars, the work comprises 1,257 hadiths, making it one of the most comprehensive early collections compiled on the subject .
Title Variations and Manuscripts
The book is recorded in biographical and bibliographical literature under slight variations of its title:
- Haji Khalifa recorded it in Kashf al-Zunun under the title al-Anwar fi Shama'il al-Nabi al-Mukhtar .
- Isma'il Pasha al-Baghdadi cited it in Hadiyyat al-Arifin as Irshad al-Anwar fi Shama'il al-Nabi al-Mukhtar .
- It has also been noted under the title Athar al-Anwar fi Shama'il al-Nabi al-Mukhtar .
- In Carl Brockelmann's Geschichte der arabischen Litteratur, the title appeared in a corrupted form as al-Anwar fi Dhikr Bani al-Mukhtar .
A manuscript copy of the work is preserved in the Rampur Raza Library in India .
Editions
The work was edited and annotated with hadith verification by Ibrahim al-Ya'qubi, with indexes and an introduction completed after his death by his son Muhammad Abu al-Huda al-Ya'qubi . It was published in first edition in 1409 AH (1988–1989 CE) by Dar al-Diya' in Damascus (also cited as Beirut) and reprinted by Dar al-Maktabi in Damascus in 1420 AH (1999–2000 CE) .
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