al-Arbaun li Abi al-Barakat al-Naysaburi
- Author died
- 541 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Khuḍayrī
al-Arbaun li Abi al-Barakat al-Naysaburi (Arabic: الأربعون لأبي البركات النيسابوري, lit. 'The Forty [Hadiths] of Abu al-Barakat al-Naysaburi'), also known as Juz’ fihi arba‘un hadithan min al-sihah al-‘awali (جزء فيه أربعون حديثًا من الصحاح العوالي), is a collection of forty authentic prophetic traditions transmitted through elevated chains of narration by the Sufi scholar and hadith transmitter Abu al-Barakat Ismail ibn Abi Sad al-Naysaburi (465–541 AH / 1072–1147 CE) .
Composition and Compilation
The collection comprises hadiths selected and extracted from the audition records (masmu‘at) of Abu al-Barakat al-Naysaburi by Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-‘Amiri . Abu al-Barakat held the prestigious title of Shaykh al-Shuyukh ("Elder of the Elders") and was an established transmitter of hadith in Baghdad .
Structure and Method
The work consists of forty hadiths selected primarily for the shortness and elevation of their chains of transmission (al-asanid al-‘aliyah) . Each tradition is provided with its complete isnad leading back to the Prophet ﷺ, accompanied by an editorial assessment of the chain's status and its proximity in elevation to the canonical compilations of al-Bukhari and Muslim .
The texts address various legal, ethical, and theological subjects, including:
- The virtue of shortening sermons and lengthening prayers .
- The history and legal ruling of fasting on the day of Ashura .
- Instructions to sleep when drowsiness occurs during prayer .
- The Prophet’s character, including his forbearance and preference for ease in lawful matters .
- The merits of fasting Ramadan and praying during Laylat al-Qadr .
- Specific virtues and merits of early Companions, such as the modesty of Uthman ibn Affan .
Transmission and Publication
The collection was transmitted through prominent scholars and courtiers. Among its direct hearers from Abu al-Barakat al-Naysaburi was his son 'Abd al-Rahim, as well as the vizier and writer Imad al-Din al-Isfahani, who heard the text read to Abu al-Barakat in Shawwal 538 AH . It was later transmitted in Cairo by the hadith master Rashid al-Din Yahya ibn 'Ali al-Attar al-Qurashi (d. 662 AH), who recited it at the Mosque of 'Amr ibn al-'As (al-Jami‘ al-‘Atiq) in 661 AH based on his hearing from Imad al-Din in 592 AH . The transmission is also documented in the bibliographical compilation of al-Suyuti .
The work was edited and published in a single volume by Muflih ibn Sulayman al-Rashidi and Badr ibn Fawwaz al-Mutarrafi, issued by Dar al-Khudayri in 1421 AH / 2000 CE .
Answer updated