al-Madkhal Ila Jami al-Tirmidhi
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al-Madkhal Ila Jami al-Tirmidhi (The Introduction to al-Tirmidhi's Jami) is a specialized hadith study by the contemporary scholar Abdullah al-Saad, written as an extensive introductory work to al-Tirmidhi's hadith compilation Jami al-Tirmidhi and as a prelude to al-Saad's commentary titled al-Ghayth al-Wasmi fi Sharh Jami al-Tirmidhi .
Composition and Purpose
The work was dictated by Abdullah al-Saad and dated to 16 Jumada al-Ula 1441 AH . A group of students and researchers assisted him in gathering material for the text, including Sami ibn Muhammad ibn Jad Allah, Abd al-Aziz ibn Nasir al-Khabbani, Agron Krasniqi, and several others .
Al-Saad authored the book to address persistent confusion regarding al-Tirmidhi's terminology and methodological intent, which had led some scholars to accuse al-Tirmidhi of leniency (tasahul) in evaluating hadiths . Al-Saad emphasizes the need to interpret the terms of early hadith scholars (al-mutaqaddimun) through their actual textual practice rather than superimposing definitions formulated by later authorities (al-muta'akhkhirun) . He notes that the book's dictation across spaced intervals resulted in some intentional repetition, and that certain inquiries summarize broader studies .
Structure and Contents
The book is arranged into three main parts (abwab):
- Part One: al-Tirmidhi's Biography and Scholarly Profile, containing seven chapters on his full name, lineage, kunya, birth, and death; his travels; his teachers and students; his distinguishing scholarly attributes; his role as a principal bearer of the knowledge of al-Bukhari; his scrupulousness (wara') in transmitter criticism (al-jarh wa-l-ta'dil); and his authored works .
- Part Two: The Compilation of al-Jami, containing nine chapters covering the correct title of the book; al-Tirmidhi's chains of transmission regarding elevation (uluww); his written and oral sources; differences across manuscript recensions; the artistic variety in his arrangement; his creedal positions (aqidah); his approach to legal analysis (fiqh); his methodology in distinguishing sound from defective hadiths; and an examination of narrators included in his collection who were characterized as abandoned (matruk) .
- Part Three: Explanation of al-Tirmidhi's Technical Terms, introduced by analyses of al-Tirmidhi's methodology in issuing hadith verdicts and his stylistic diversity, followed by dedicated chapters analyzing his specific usage of grading terms, such as sahih (sound), hasan sahih (good-sound), hasan gharib sahih, hasan (good), gharib (singular), asahh ma fi al-bab (the soundest on the topic), and his rulings on isolated chains of transmission (isnad) .
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