al-Jami fi al-Sunan wa al-Adab wa al-Maghazi wa al-Tarikh
- Author died
- 386 AH
- Editions
- Mu’assasat al-Risālah
al-Jami fi al-Sunan wa al-Adab wa al-Maghazi wa al-Tarikh (The Compendium of Sunnahs, Manners, Military Expeditions, and History) is a multi-thematic treatise by the North African Maliki scholar Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani (310–386 AH / 922–996 CE), focusing on foundational creed, adherence to prophetic traditions, moral etiquette, military campaigns, and history . The title also appears in manuscript records and bibliographic sources as Kitab al-Jami fi al-Sunan wa al-Adab wa al-Hikam wa al-Maghazi wa al-Tarikh .
Context and Purpose
The treatise was authored during the political dominance of the Fatimid (Ubaydid) state over Qayrawan and the wider Islamic Maghrib . During this period, the scholarly community in Qayrawan faced acute sectarian pressure and persecution under Fatimid rule, which elevated Fatimid Shi'ism and public hostility toward the Prophet’s Companions . Within this climate, Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani employed educational and doctrinal writings as an intellectual defence to safeguard traditional Sunni theology and preserve Maliki scholarship .
Structure and Contents
The work integrates legal traditions, theological positions of early scholars, and ethical instruction . Ibn Abi Zayd opens the treatise with an extensive doctrinal section entitled Bab dhikr al-sunan allati khilafuha al-bida', wa-dhikr al-iqtida' wa-al-ittiba', wa-shay' min fadl al-sahabah, wa-mujanabat ahl al-bida' ("Chapter on Mentioning the Sunnahs Whose Opposites are Innovations, Following and Adhering to Examples, Some of the Virtues of the Companions, and Avoiding the People of Innovation") .
Within this opening section, the author outlines foundational tenets, including:
- Order of merit among the Companions: affirming Abu Bakr al-Siddiq as the foremost after the Prophet ﷺ, followed by Umar ibn al-Khattab, then Uthman ibn Affan, then Ali ibn Abi Talib (with another reported view equalizing Uthman and Ali while refraining from preferring one over the other) .
- Precedence of the Companions: maintaining that anyone who accompanied the Prophet ﷺ even for an hour or saw him even once is superior to the best of the Successors (Tabi'un) .
- Rulings on rebels and bandits: permitting armed defence against aggression from the Kharijites, robbers among Muslims, and non-Muslim subjects (Ahl al-Dhimmah) .
The remaining portions encompass historical narratives, the Prophet’s military expeditions (maghazi), ethical maxims, and practical adab guidelines governing social interaction, trade, and worship .
Manuscripts and Printed Editions
Manuscript copies are preserved across several international libraries:
- University of al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez (MS 645, dated 532 AH) .
- The British Museum in London (Add. MS 9692, folios 211–249) .
- Al-Khizanah al-Ammah in Rabat (MS 88) .
- The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh (MS 41085) .
- The Islamic University of Madinah Manuscript Department (Microfilms 4508/4, 4541/4, 1938) .
The text has been published in multiple critical editions:
- Edited by Muhammad Abu al-Ajfan and Uthman Battiqh, published jointly by Mu'assasat al-Risalah in Beirut and al-Maktabah al-Atiqah in Tunis (1st ed. 1402 AH / 1982 CE; 2nd ed. 1403 AH; 3rd ed. 1406 AH / 1985–1986 CE) .
- Edited by Abd al-Majid Turki, published by Dar al-Gharb al-Islami in Beirut (2nd ed. 1990 CE) .
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