Dhamm al-Baghy li-Ibn Abi al-Dunya
- Author died
- 281 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Rāyah lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzī‘
Dhamm al-Baghy (Arabic: ذم البغي, The Condemnation of Transgression) is a treatise on Islamic ethics and morals compiled by the traditionist and educator Ibn Abi al-Dunya (208–281 AH / 823–894 CE) .
Subject and Scope
The work belongs to the genre of ethical monographs (kutub al-adab wa-mahasin al-akhlaq) dedicated to single moral topics . It focuses on the dispraise and spiritual dangers of al-baghy (injustice, arrogance, and wrongful aggression), examining its definition, its ruinous effects on individuals and societies, and the certainty of divine retribution against the oppressor .
Method and Contents
In accordance with his standard methodology, Ibn Abi al-Dunya presents the material through chains of transmission (asānīd) going back to the Prophet ﷺ, the Companions, the Successors, and ancient historical figures . The text contains:
- Prophetic Traditions: Hadiths cautioning against transgression, emphasizing that no sin incurs swifter punishment in this life alongside what is reserved in the Hereafter than transgression and severing family ties ( مَا مِنْ ذَنْبٍ أَحْرَى أَنْ يُعَجِّلَ اللَّهُ (عز وجل) لِصَاحِبِهِ فِيهِ الْعُقُوبَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا، مَعَ مَا يَدَّخِرُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ، مِنْ قَطِيعَةِ الرَّحِمِ وَالْبَغْيِ ) .
- Exegetical Reports and Early Sayings: Traditions such as Sa'id ibn Jubayr's interpretation of the verse لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ (seeking no haughtiness on earth) as referring to baghy, and Abd Allah ibn Abbas's statement: لَوْ بَغَى جَبَلٌ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَجَعَلَ اللَّهُ (عز وجل) الْبَاغِيَ مِنْهُمَا دَكًّا ("If one mountain were to transgress against another, God would level the transgressing mountain to dust") .
- Historical Narratives and Wisdom: Admonitions from pre-Islamic and early Arab figures, such as Abd al-Muttalib's deathbed counsel to his sons forbidding transgression , as well as historical accounts detailing the destruction of ancient Arabian and Qurayshite clans whose hubris and tyranny led to their extinction (such as the tribes of Iyad ibn Nizar, Banu al-Sabbaq, and Banu Sahm) .
Transmission and Printed Editions
The work was preserved through a direct line of transmission stemming from Ibn Abi al-Dunya's student Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Safwan al-Bardha'i (d. 339 AH), down through Abu al-Husayn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Bishran al-Mu'addil, al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463 AH), and later scholars .
In modern times, the text has been edited and published, notably:
- An edition prepared by Najm Abd al-Rahman Khalaf (Dar al-Rayah, Riyadh, 1409 AH / 1988 CE; also published with Abu al-Yazid al-Ajami by Dar al-Sahwah, Cairo, 1985) .
- An edition prepared by Mus'ad Abd al-Hamid al-Sa'dani (Maktabat al-Quran, Cairo) .
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