al-Shula fi Shuyukh al-Khatib fi al-Rihla
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- Editions
- Maktabat Ibn Taymiyyah
al-Shula fi Shuyukh al-Khatib fi al-Rihla (The Torch Regarding the Teachers of al-Khatib in 'al-Rihla') is a biographical treatise by the contemporary researcher Abu Uways Ashraf ibn Nasr ibn Sabir al-Kurdi, providing biographical profiles of the direct teachers of al-Khatib al-Baghdadi mentioned in his hadith treatise al-Rihla fi Talab al-Hadith.
Background and Composition
The work originated as an appendix (tadhyīl) compiled during Abu Uways al-Kurdi's critical edition of al-Khatib al-Baghdadi's al-Rihla fi Talab al-Hadith. At the inception of his editorial project, Abu Uways suggested to his brother and cousin, Yasir ibn Mahmud al-Kurdi, to compile an encyclopedia of all the teachers of al-Khatib al-Baghdadi. As Yasir's encyclopedic compilation neared completion, he granted Abu Uways permission to extract and abridge the entries of the teachers specifically appearing in the transmission chains (asānīd) of al-Rihla to accompany the edited edition.
Method and Structure
The entries in the biographical dictionary are arranged alphabetically by name to facilitate reference. The author followed a systematic method for each entry:
- Recording the teacher's kunya, personal name (ism), and relational lineage (nisba).
- Clarifying and vocalizing ambiguous or difficult nisbas.
- Citing evaluations of trustworthiness (tawthīq) and criticism (jarḥ) from classical biographical authorities (such as al-Dhahabi, al-Sam'ani, Abu Tahir al-Silafi, and Ibn al-Salah), generally omitting repetitive assessments from later figures unless they provided additional details.
- Stating the birth and death dates, as well as the age at death when recorded.
- Cross-referencing the specific narrative numbers where the teacher appears in the text of al-Rihla.
Publication
The work was published together with al-Khatib's al-Rihla fi Talab al-Hadith and a companion appendix by Abu Uways titled Rihlat al-Fudala' Kama Waradat biha al-Anba' by Maktabat Ibn Taymiyyah in Egypt under the direction of Abd al-Fattah al-Zayni. The edition and its supplementary treatises received an introductory commendation and review from Abu Abd Allah Mustafa al-Adawi.
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