al-Musnad lil-Shashi
- Author died
- 335 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-ʿUlūm wa-al-Ḥikam
Al-Musnad lil-Shashi (also known as al-Musnad al-Kabir) is a hadith compilation by the Transoxianan hadith scholar Abu Sa'id al-Haytham ibn Kulayb al-Shashi (d. 335 AH / 946–947 CE) .
Author and Transmission
The author, Abu Sa'id al-Haytham ibn Kulayb ibn Shurayh ibn Ma'qil al-Shashi, was originally from Marw and belonged to the city of Shash beyond the Jaxartes River . He traveled to transmit hadith, visiting Baghdad and narrating in Bukhara in 334 AH before returning to Shash, where he died in 335 AH .
The primary line of transmission for al-Musnad passed from al-Shashi through his student Abu al-Qasim Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Khuza'i, and from al-Khuza'i through Abu al-Qasim Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Tahir al-Khalili . Later scholars traveled to hear the work through this transmission; Abu al-Ma'ali Fadl Allah ibn Ja'far al-Husayni al-Marwarrudhi, for instance, journeyed to Balkh to hear the Musnad from al-Khalili . The hadith master Ibn Mandah also transmitted extensively from al-Shashi, having written down one thousand fascicles from him .
Sources and Reception
In compiling the Musnad, al-Shashi relayed narrations through prominent teachers including Abu Isa al-Tirmidhi, Abbas ibn Muhammad al-Duri, Isa ibn Ahmad al-Asqalani in Asqalan of Balkh, Yahya ibn Ja'far ibn al-Zibriqan, Yahya ibn Abi Talib, and Ibn al-Munadi .
The collection is organized in the traditional musnad format, grouping traditions under the names of individual Companions, such as the musnad of Umar ibn al-Khattab . Later hadith authorities frequently cited traditions through al-Shashi's Musnad; Diya' al-Din al-Maqdisi included chains from al-Shashi in his compendium al-Ahadith al-Mukhtara, and Ibn Kathir drew upon it in works such as Musnad al-Faruq . Al-Dhahabi described al-Shashi as a trustworthy hadith master and referred to the work as al-Musnad al-Kabir ("The Large Musnad") .
Modern Editions
The work was edited by Dr. Mahfuz al-Rahman Zayn Allah and published in Medina by Maktabat al-Ulum wa-al-Hikam (first edition, 1410 AH / 1989–1990 CE) .
Answer updated