al-Tahbir li-Idah Maani al-Taysir
- Author died
- 1182 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Rushd
al-Tahbir li-Idah Ma'ani al-Taysir (Arabic: التحبير لإيضاح معاني التيسير) is an extensive commentary on Hadith by the Yemeni scholar Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-San'ani (d. 1182 AH / 1768 CE) .
Background and Scope
The book is an analytical commentary and marginal gloss on Taysir al-Wusul ila Jami' al-Usul min Hadith al-Rasul, a compendium composed by the Yemeni Hadith scholar Ibn al-Dayba' al-Shaybani (866–944 AH) . Ibn al-Dayba' had abridged Jami' al-Usul fi Ahadith al-Rasul by Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari (544–606 AH) down to approximately one-third of its original size . Ibn al-Athir's work had brought together the narrations of six foundational Hadith collections: the Muwatta of Malik ibn Anas, Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and the Sunan collections of Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i .
Al-San'ani began writing al-Tahbir to clarify the meanings of the Hadith texts, verify source attributions, and examine difficult phrasing and linguistic points, but he died before finishing the complete work .
Method and Content
In al-Tahbir, al-San'ani explains unusual vocabulary and grammatical constructions using major linguistic references, while citing legal opinions, textual comparisons, and evaluations of chain authenticity from classical Hadith authorities . He also engages critically with the text of Taysir al-Wusul; as he noted elsewhere in his Tawdih al-Afkar, he frequently pointed out instances where Ibn al-Dayba' attributed narrations solely to the earlier compiler Razin ibn Mu'awiya when Ibn al-Athir had left blanks, noting this editorial practice as a shortcoming requiring correction .
Title Variations and Manuscripts
The title of the work varies across surviving manuscript copies:
- al-Tahbir li-Idah Ma'ani al-Taysir (recorded in manuscript ba) .
- al-Tahbir Hashiyat al-Taysir (found in manuscript alif) .
- al-Tahbir Sharh al-Taysir (found in manuscript jim) .
A surviving manuscript transcript of the first part was copied in 1362 AH by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Hajari directly from al-San'ani's original autograph copy .
Publication
The work was edited and annotated by Muhammad Subhi ibn Hasan Hallaq and published in a multi-volume edition by Maktabat al-Rushd in Riyadh (1st edition, 1433 AH / 2012 CE) .
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