Dalil al-Falihin li Turuq Riyad al-Salihin
- Author died
- 1057 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Ma‘rifah lil-Ṭibā‘ah wal-Nashr wal-Tawzī‘
Dalil al-Falihin li Turuq Riyad al-Salihin (The Guide for the Successful to the Paths of the Gardens of the Righteous) is a comprehensive commentary by the Meccan Shafi'i scholar Ibn Allan (996–1057 AH / 1588–1647 CE) on the hadith collection Riyad al-Salihin by al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH / 1277 CE) .
Purpose and Composition
In his preface, Ibn Allan stated that he composed the commentary to provide an accessible and refined gloss on Riyad al-Salihin after seeing a distinct need for such a work and not finding any existing commentary that served as an explanatory guide for seekers studying the text . He highlighted the merit of al-Nawawi's original compilation, noting that it assembled essential matters needed by the spiritual seeker across all conditions and encompassed ethical conduct drawn from the Quran and the prophetic Sunnah .
Contents and Approach
The commentary systematically follows the arrangement of Riyad al-Salihin, expounding upon the chapter headings, Quranic verses, and prophetic traditions assembled by al-Nawawi . Ibn Allan addresses lexical definitions, grammatical nuances, chains of transmission, and legal and spiritual rulings extracted from each tradition . In theological passages dealing with the divine attributes, he explains the text in accordance with the Ash'ari school .
Reception and Scholarly Assessments
The work has been characterized by later scholars as a rich and well-executed commentary filled with knowledge . It gained wide circulation alongside al-Nawawi's original text . Later commentators and scholars have praised its usefulness and clarity while remarking on its interpretation of the divine attributes along Ash'ari theological lines .
Manuscripts and Publication History
Manuscript copies of Dalil al-Falihin are preserved in several libraries worldwide, including Princeton University, the Ez-Zitouna Mosque Library in Tunis, the Kılıç Ali Pasha collection in Istanbul, Dar al-Kutub in Cairo, the Asafiya Library and the Khuda Bakhsh Library in India, the Berlin State Library, the Central Library in Riyadh, and the King Abdulaziz Library in Medina .
The text has been published in multiple print editions:
- A first edition printed at Matba'at al-Anwar in Cairo in 1347 AH / 1928 CE .
- An edition annotated by Mahmud Hasan Rabi' and published by Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi in Cairo in 1397 AH .
- An edition published by al-Maktabah al-Ilmiyyah in Beirut in 1402 AH, printed alongside Riyad al-Salihin .
- An edition published by Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah in Beirut in 1416 AH .
The commentary has appeared both in four-volume and eight-volume formats .
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