Awali Abi Bakr ibn Abd al-Daim

Awali Abi Bakr ibn Abd al-Daim (‘Awālī Abī Bakr ibn ‘Abd al-Dā’im, "High-Chain Transmissions of Abu Bakr ibn Abd al-Daim") is a collection of hadiths transmitted with elevated chains of narration (‘ulūw al-isnād) by the Damascene traditionist Abu Bakr ibn Ahmad ibn Abd al-Daim al-Maqdisi (c. 625/626–718 AH / 1228/1229–1318 CE) Itharat al-Fawaid al-Majm…+1.

Background and Compilation

The subject of the collection, Abu Bakr ibn Ahmad ibn Abd al-Daim ibn Ni‘ma al-Maqdisi al-Salihi al-Hanbali (known by the nickname al-Muḥtāl), was born in Kafr Batna around 625 or 626 AH Mujam al-Shuyukh al-Kabir…+1. He heard hadith at an early age from prominent scholars of the seventh century AH, including al-Husayn ibn al-Mubarak al-Zubaydi, al-Fakhr al-Irbili, al-Nasih ibn al-Hanbali, Salim ibn Sasra, Ja‘far ibn Ali al-Hamdani, and Diya al-Din al-Maqdisi Mujam al-Shuyukh al-Kabir…+1.

Because he lived to the age of ninety-three, like his father the prolific copyist and traditionist Ahmad ibn Abd al-Daim, he survived almost all his contemporaries and became the preeminent transmitter (musnid al-waqt) of Damascus Mujam al-Shuyukh al-Kabir…+1. Several contemporary hadith scholars compiled specialized collections for him, including al-Qasim ibn Muhammad al-Birzali, Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi, and Salah al-Din al-Ala'i Itharat al-Fawaid al-Majm…+1. Al-Ala'i specifically selected a dedicated tract (juz’) of Abu Bakr's ‘awālī (elevated narrations) and audited it directly from him Itharat al-Fawaid al-Majm….

Content and Transmission

The collection brings together reports transmitted through Abu Bakr ibn Abd al-Daim that have the shortest available chains of transmission back to the Prophet ﷺ or early authorities Itharat al-Fawaid al-Majm…+1. Towards the end of his life, Abu Bakr became the sole surviving authority (tafarrada) for several parts of his elevated chains Itharat al-Fawaid al-Majm…+1. Although he suffered from blindness and hearing impairment in his later years, he was noted for his attentiveness and accuracy during audition sessions, ensuring that nothing was read to him unless he heard and understood it Mujam al-Shuyukh al-Kabir…+1.

Abu Bakr died in Ramadan 718 AH (with another report placing his death in Ramadan 719 AH, and a further variant noting Rajab 718 AH) Mujam al-Shuyukh al-Kabir…+1.

Publication

The work was edited by Ibrahim Salih and published in a single volume alongside al-Birzali's compilation Mashyakhat Abi Bakr ibn Ahmad ibn Abd al-Daim by Dar al-Basha'ir in Damascus in 1417 AH / 1997 CE Diwan al-Sunna - Qism al-…+1.