al-Wara - al-Marwadhi
- Author died
- 275 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Ṣumay‘ī
al-Wara' (Scrupulous Piety) is a collection of ethical, legal, and pietistic questions and responses recorded from Ahmad ibn Hanbal (164–241 AH / 780–855 CE) by his close companion Abu Bakr al-Marrudhi (d. 275 AH / 888 CE) .
Authorship and Transmission
Al-Marrudhi was among the closest disciples of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, distinguished for his own piety, and he recorded extensive transmissions of Ahmad's legal and ethical inquiries, particularly on fine and intricate points of religious scrupulousness (wara') . When asked whether the text of al-Wara' belonged to Abu Talib, Abu 'Ali ibn al-Rawwas clarified that it was with al-Marrudhi, whereupon Abd al-Wahhab al-Warraq praised al-Marrudhi as trustworthy and truthful, noting his unique closeness to Ahmad .
The transmitted chain preserved at the head of the work runs through Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Khaliq from al-Marrudhi, then through Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Salm al-Khutuli, Abu al-Fath Ibn Abi al-Fawaris, and down to the traditionist Abd al-Ghani al-Maqdisi .
Content and Scope
The book is organized around inquiries directed to Ahmad ibn Hanbal concerning scrupulous avoidance of doubtful or illicit matters in daily life, alongside anecdotes about the comportment of pious predecessors . Its subject matter includes:
- Definitions and Demeanor of Piety: Ahmad's statements on the character of the pious, humility, avoidance of worldly temptations, and reluctance to define rigid limits for scrupulousness .
- Transactions, Produce, and Livelihood: Rulings regarding purchasing goods from roadside vendors, land cultivation in the Sawad, taking sustenance from harvests, borrowing food items, and dealing with estate property and inheritance rights .
- Public Utilities and Shared Resources: Rulings on drawing water from communal trenches and rivers, repurposing leftover construction materials from mosques, and praying in mosques constructed over public pathways or bridges .
- Food, Utensils, and Travel: Guidelines on the permissibility of honey and cooking pots found in Byzantine lands, with caution against consuming meat that might be swine .
- Personal Conduct and Adornment: Inquiries regarding modesty, the gaze of servants, and women joining wool or extensions to their hair .
Editions
The work has been edited and published in modern print, including an edition prepared by Samir al-Zuhayri .
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