al-Taysir bi Sharh al-Jami al-Saghir
- Author died
- 1031 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Imām al-Shāfiʿī
Al-Taysir bi Sharh al-Jami al-Saghir (Arabic: التيسير بشرح الجامع الصغير, Facilitation: A Commentary on the Small Collection) is a two-volume Hadith commentary by the Egyptian scholar Abd al-Rauf al-Munawi (952–1031 AH / 1545–1622 CE), written as a concise exposition of al-Jami al-Saghir by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH / 1505 CE).
Background and Composition
Al-Munawi had previously composed an extensive commentary on al-Suyuti's al-Jami al-Saghir titled Fayd al-Qadir (The Outpouring of the Omnipotent). Following the completion of that larger work, critics accused it of excessive length and protracted debate. Consequently, some of al-Munawi's associates asked him to prepare an abridgment that condensed the phrasing and confined itself to evident meanings. Reluctant to discard the detailed investigations and rare insights of Fayd al-Qadir, al-Munawi decided to leave his major commentary intact and author a separate, condensed second commentary, which he named al-Taysir bi Sharh al-Jami al-Saghir.
Structure and Methodology
The work begins with the praise: «الحمد لله الذي علمنا من تأويل الأحاديث فاطر السموات والأرض» ("Praise be to God, who taught us the interpretation of hadiths, Creator of the heavens and the earth"). Following the design of al-Suyuti's original text, the commentary is organized alphabetically by the opening letter of each tradition.
In al-Taysir, al-Munawi provides:
- Concise explanations of obscure vocabulary and phrasing in the hadith texts.
- Clarifications of the underlying legal, moral, and theological implications of each report.
- Evaluation of the transmission and authenticity grades of the traditions, noting whether a narration is weak, sound, or attributed to specific early compilers and source works.
- Explanation of al-Suyuti's citation symbols designating primary hadith collections.
Transmission and Publication
Al-Taysir bi Sharh al-Jami al-Saghir was preserved in numerous manuscript copies across libraries in Cairo, Riyadh, Medina, Fez, Marrakech, Tunis, Sulaymaniyah, and Paris. The work was printed in two volumes at Bulaq in 1286 AH (1869 CE), and has also been published by Maktabat al-Imam al-Shafi'i in Riyadh.
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