al-Wajiz fi Dhikr al-Majaz wal-Mujiz
- Author died
- 576 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Gharb al-Islami
al-Wajiz fi Dhikr al-Majaz wal-Mujiz (The Concise Record Concerning the Licensee and the Licensor) is a biographical directory of hadith authorities compiled by the Persian traditionist Abu Tahir al-Silafi (d. 576 AH / 1180 CE) . The book catalogs scholars from whom al-Silafi obtained formal licenses of transmission (ijazat) without direct auditory reception (sama'), distinguishing these figures from teachers he heard directly .
Background and Purpose
Al-Silafi compiled al-Wajiz after completing his larger biographical register of teachers from whom he had directly heard transmissions (al-Mu'jam al-Mu'arrakh) . Having missed direct hearing from certain contemporaries due to illness or arriving in cities shortly after their deaths, he had sought licenses from them by correspondence or through intermediaries . He composed al-Wajiz to document these licensors, including scholars from distant regions he never visited as well as authorities in cities he entered after their passing .
In the work's opening discourse, al-Silafi defends the legal and technical validity of transmission via ijazah, arguing that mainstream jurists and hadith scholars across generations upheld its legitimacy . He notes prior literature on the subject, such as al-Wajazah fi Sihhat al-Qawl bil-Ijazah by Abu al-Abbas al-Walid ibn Bakr al-Ghamri, while adopting a more accessible presentation tailored to contemporary students . Al-Silafi also clarifies the terminology used to distinguish direct auditory reports from written authorizations, recommending precise phrasing such as anba'ana (informed us) or kataba ilayya (he wrote to me) for licensed material .
Structure and Method
While al-Silafi arranged his comprehensive directory of direct teachers alphabetically because of their vast number, he chose a geographical arrangement for al-Wajiz due to the smaller pool of licensors . He grouped the entries by town and locality (dhikr shuyukh kull balad 'ala hidah), providing an individual entry for each scholar .
In each biography, al-Silafi records the scholar's identity, standing, and reliability, noting relevant biographical details and citations . In keeping with his general biographical methodology, he transmits a single hadith, an instructive anecdote, or select verses of poetry from each featured licensor .
Transmission and Modern Editions
al-Wajiz was transmitted through al-Silafi's students and later scholars; traditionists such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani cited their chains of transmission back to the author through intermediate transmitters including Abu Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab ibn Zafir ibn Rawaj and Yahya ibn Yusuf al-Misri . A manuscript of the work is preserved at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin .
The text has been published in several modern critical editions:
- Edited by Muhammad Khayr al-Biqa'i (Beirut: Dar al-Gharb al-Islami, 1411 AH / 1991 CE) .
- Edited by Abd al-Ghafur Abd al-Haqq al-Balushi (Medina: Maktabat Dar al-Iman, 1414 AH / 1993 CE) .
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