al-Qawl al-Badi fi al-Salat ala al-Habib al-Shafi
- Author died
- 902 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Rayyan lil-Turath
al-Qawl al-Badi fi al-Salat ala al-Habib al-Shafi (The Novel Discourse on Invoking Blessings upon the Beloved Intercessor) is a treatise dedicated to the rulings, virtues, formulas, and specific occasions for invoking blessings and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, written by the Shafi'i hadith scholar and historian Shams al-Din al-Sakhawi (831–902 AH / 1428–1497 CE) .
Composition and Purpose
Al-Sakhawi composed the work in response to requests from devout companions and scholars who asked him to compile a comprehensive manual on sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ . His stated aim was to provide an authoritative reference that would suffice anyone relying upon it and serve as a comprehensive collection on the topic . The text was completed in Ramadan 860 AH (1456 CE), with subsequent additions incorporated by the author over time .
Structure and Content
Al-Sakhawi structured the book into an introduction, five main chapters—dividing them into five with the aspiration that God would safeguard his five senses—and an epilogue :
- Introduction: Examines the linguistic and technical definitions of salat (blessing/prayer), its legal status, its loci, its intent, and scholarly deductions drawn from Quranic verses commanding it .
- Chapter One: Covers the divine command to send blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, the diverse textual formulas, the encouragement to attend gatherings where blessings are offered, the abundance of blessings as a mark of Ahl al-Sunnah, the continuous blessings of the angels, traditions regarding sending blessings on other prophets and non-prophets, and concludes with seventeen thematic sections on optimal formulations .
- Chapter Two: Details the spiritual and worldly rewards promised to the person who sends blessings, including the expiation of sins, elevation of ranks, divine mercy, attainment of the Prophet's intercession, safety on the Day of Judgment, relief from hardships, and seeing the Prophet ﷺ in dreams .
- Chapter Three: Contains warnings against omitting blessings upon hearing the Prophet's name, characterizing neglect as a sign of miserliness, spiritual deprivation, and misguidance .
- Chapter Four: Discusses the conveying of peace (salam) to the Prophet ﷺ and his returning of greetings .
- Chapter Five: Enumerates specific occasions and states for invoking blessings, such as concluding ablution, during ritual prayers, on Fridays, during eclipse and rain prayers, upon sighting the Kaaba, during the pilgrimage rituals, when visiting the Prophet's tomb in Medina, during times of distress, sneezing, writing letters, and opening or closing scholarly assemblies .
- Epilogue: Treats the legal principle of acting upon weak hadiths in virtuous deeds (fada'il al-a'mal) and its requisite conditions, concluding with a bibliographic survey of prior works on the subject and the sources drawn upon for the compilation .
Method and Sources
Al-Sakhawi adopted a method of conciseness regarding chains of transmission (isnad), omitting full isnads to make the book accessible while attributing each report to its primary compilers and generally assessing its authenticity as authentic (sahih), fair (hasan), or weak (da'if) . He supplemented hadith reports with related anecdotes, linguistic clarifications, and biographical notes .
His sources spanned lexicography, such as Ibn al-Athir's al-Nihayah and al-Jawhari's al-Sihah; legal works, such as Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni; biographical and critical references, including works by his teacher Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, Lisan al-Mizan, Ta'jil al-Manfa'ah), Ibn Hibban, and Ibn Abi Hatim; as well as books on hadith defects ('ilal) by al-Daraqutni and Abu Bakr al-Khallal .
Modern Editions
The book has been edited and verified by Bashir Muhammad Uyun and published jointly by Maktabat al-Mu'ayyad in Taif and Maktabat Dar al-Bayan in Damascus .
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