al-Awail li Abi Aruba al-Harrani
- Author died
- 318 AH
- Editions
- Dār Ibn Ḥazm
Kitab al-Awail (The Book of Primacies) is a specialized hadith work by the traditionist and historian Abu Aruba al-Harrani (d. 318 AH / 930 CE), documenting the earliest occurrences of religious, historical, institutional, and social developments in early Islamic history and prophetic tradition.
Contents and Structure
The work belongs to the traditional awail (primacies) genre, compiling hadiths and historical narrations (athar) accompanied by full chains of transmission (isnad) tracing back to the Prophet Muhammad, his Companions, and the Successors. The book is organized into topical headings focusing on specific "firsts," including:
- Prophetic and Sacred History: Narrations concerning the first child of Adam (Cain/Qabil), Adam as the first of the prophets, and Noah as the first messenger sent to the people of the earth.
- Early Islamic Milestones: The first martyr in Islam (Sumayyah bint Khayyat), the first caller to prayer (Bilal ibn Rabah), and the first to lead the Friday prayer in Medina (Mus'ab ibn Umayr).
- Governance and Administrative Practices: The first to compile the Quran between two covers (Abu Bakr), the first to establish administrative registers (diwan) and delineate provinces (Umar ibn al-Khattab), and the first ruler to levy zakat on allowances (Mu'awiyah I).
- Social and Architectural Innovations: Traditions concerning early shifts in dress, such as Uthman ibn Affan being the first to fasten sandals with a single thong strap, the first tribe to turn away from Islam (the Daws tribe), and the first arch (taq) built inside the mosque of Kufa.
The text concludes with report number 177, which addresses the first ornate curtain chamber captured during the campaign of Moriah.
Transmission and Publication
The surviving text of al-Awail was transmitted from Abu Aruba al-Harrani through his student Ibn al-Muqri' (Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Muqri al-Isbahani). Subsequent transmission links include Abu Muslim Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mihrbazd, Abu al-Rijal Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Qari, Abu Sad Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahid al-Sa'igh, and the traditionist Abd al-Ghani al-Maqdisi.
The book was edited by Mish'al ibn Bani al-Jibrin al-Mutayri and published by Dar Ibn Hazm in Beirut in 1424 AH / 2003 CE.
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