al-Azama li Abi al-Shaykh al-Asbahani
- Author died
- 369 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-‘Āṣimah
Kitab al-Azama ("The Book of Divine Greatness") is a theological and cosmological hadith compilation by the Hadith master Abu al-Shaykh al-Asbahani (274–369 AH / 887–979 CE), dedicated to documenting narrations concerning the greatness of God and the wonders of His creation.
Scope and Contents
The work gathers textual evidences and transmitted reports that inspire reverence and veneration for God by detailing the scale and majesty of His created cosmos. As noted by the bibliographer Hajji Khalifa, the book opens with the phrase «الحمد لله العظيم الوكيل» ("Praise be to God, the Magnificent, the Trustee") and treats the wonders of the upper realms along with rare and extraordinary traditions (al-akhbar al-nawadir).
The subject matter spans a broad range of cosmic and theological topics, including:
- The Divine Throne (al-Arsh), the Footstool (al-Kursi), their immense magnitude, and God's highness above His creation.
- The Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) and the primordial Pen (al-Qalam).
- The realm of the angels, their creation from light, their immense numbers, classes, forms, and duties—particularly the bearers of the Throne (hamalat al-Arsh), Israfil, Jibril, Mikail, and the Angel of Death.
- The creation and dimensions of the seven heavens, the seven earths, and cosmic bodies such as the sun and moon.
- Terrestrial phenomena and living creatures, including chapters exploring God's wisdom and greatness even in small creations such as the locust.
Method and Sources
Abu al-Shaykh compiled the text following the traditional methodology of the hadith scholars (tariqat al-muhaddithin), citing each report with its complete chain of transmission (isnad). Alongside prophetic traditions, the book incorporates a vast corpus of statements from the Companions, the Successors (such as Wahb ibn Munabbih, Mujahid, and Qatada), and early cosmological lore.
Reception and Scholarly Use
Kitab al-Azama served as a fundamental source for subsequent generations of scholars compiling works on theology, angelology, and cosmology. Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi cited its chapters on the Throne and divine transcendence in Kitab al-Arsh and al-Uluw, while Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya utilized it in Ijtima al-Juyush al-Islamiyya. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani referred to it in al-Imta bi-l-Arba'in, and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti drew heavily upon its narrations across multiple treatises, including al-Haba'ik fi Akhbar al-Mala'ik, Asrar al-Kawn, and his Quranic commentary al-Durr al-Manthur.
Publication
The work was edited as an academic master's thesis by Rida' Allah ibn Muhammad Idris al-Mubarakfuri and published in a multi-volume critical edition by Dar al-Asima in Riyadh (1408 AH / 1987–1988 CE).
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