al-Lulu al-Marsu
- Author died
- 1305 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Bashāʼir al-Islāmīyah
al-Lu'lu' al-Marsu' (The Inlaid Pearl, fully titled al-Lu'lu' al-Marsu' fi ma la Asla Lahu aw bi-Aslihi Mawdu') is a specialized hadith compendium by the Lebanese Hanafi jurist and scholar Abu al-Mahasin Muhammad ibn Khalil al-Qawuqji (1222–1305 AH / 1807–1888 CE), compiled to identify spurious hadiths and baseless sayings circulating among the public .
Background and Purpose
In his introduction, al-Qawuqji notes that earlier hadith masters compiled works documenting popular sayings in circulation, distinguishing authentic (sahih), fair (hasan), elevated (marfu'), companion-attributed (mawquf), anomalous (shadh), and fabricated (mawdu') transmissions—such as in al-Sakhawi's al-Maqasid al-Hasanah . Concerned by the stern warnings against attributing falsehoods to the Prophet ﷺ, and citing warnings from figures such as al-Daraqutni and Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi against popular storytellers transmitting reports without verification, al-Qawuqji designed his book as a concise reference . Rather than covering all categories of transmitted reports, he restricted the scope specifically to narratives judged to have no known basis (la asla lahu) or to be fundamentally fabricated (bi-aslihi mawdu') .
Structure and Method
The work is organized alphabetically according to the Arabic alphabet (‘ala huruf al-mu‘jam), beginning with the letter alif (Hamza), to facilitate quick retrieval of popular sayings and proverbs .
For each entry, the author cites the opening text of the alleged report and delivers a critical evaluation, frequently drawing upon the verdicts of earlier hadith critics and scholars . Among the authorities he cites are Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, al-Sakhawi, Ibn al-Jawzi, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, al-Uqayli, Ali al-Qari, al-Dhahabi, al-Zarqani, and Ibn al-Humam . Entries indicate whether a phrase is wholly unfounded, a proverb mistaken for a prophetic report, or a text whose chain contains narrators accused of fabrication .
Answer updated