Fayd al-Qadir
- Author died
- 1031 AH
- Editions
- Al-Maktabah al-Tijāriyyah al-Kubrā
Fayd al-Qadir (The Overflow of the Omnipotent) is a multi-volume hadith commentary authored by Abd al-Rauf al-Munawi (d. 1031 AH / 1622 CE), written as an extensive exposition of the collection al-Jami al-Saghir by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH / 1505 CE) .
Composition and Purpose
Al-Munawi initially delivered his commentary on al-Jami al-Saghir orally, in the manner of Muhammad ibn al-Alqami . Scholars from the Maghrib praised his exposition and requested that he put it into writing, prompting him to resume the project and compose a comprehensive, multi-volume written commentary .
In his introduction, al-Munawi noted that he intended the work to fulfill the needs of teachers and students alike by elucidating the pearls, language, and allusions of al-Suyuti's collection . In addition to Fayd al-Qadir, he suggested that the work could fittingly be titled al-Badr al-Munir, Masabih al-Tanwir, or al-Rawd al-Nadir .
Method and Content
Al-Munawi's commentary explains the text of the hadiths in eloquent prose, supporting his interpretations with relevant Quranic verses, other prophetic traditions, and citations from earlier scholars . His primary focus is on uncovering the legal wisdom, underlying secrets, and intended meaning of the Prophet's words ﷺ, rather than parsing obvious grammatical forms, addressing only obscure linguistic points . He intentionally avoided multiplying conflicting opinions and disputes so as not to overwhelm students of hadith .
The work also engages in critical hadith analysis. Al-Munawi frequently evaluates the authenticity of the narrations and examines al-Suyuti's gradings; on occasion, after expounding a narration, he indicates that it is fabricated and that al-Suyuti would have been better advised to omit it . Nevertheless, he maintained that a failure to identify the source of a particular transmission does not detract from al-Suyuti's stature as a hadith master .
Conventions and Terminology
Al-Munawi defined specific technical shorthand for his citations in the introduction of the commentary :
- Al-Qadi refers to al-Baydawi .
- Al-Iraqi refers to his maternal ancestor, Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi .
- Jaddi ("my grandfather") refers to the Chief Judge Yahya al-Munawi .
- Ibn Hajar refers to Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani .
Abridgment and Critiques
Al-Munawi later prepared a two-volume abridgment of Fayd al-Qadir entitled al-Taysir bi-Sharh al-Jami al-Saghir (The Facilitation: A Commentary on al-Jami al-Saghir) . The work was later subjected to critical examination by the Moroccan hadith scholar Ahmad al-Ghumari in his treatise al-Mudawi li-Ilal al-Munawi (The Healer of al-Munawi's Defects), which offered pointed criticisms of al-Munawi's judgments .
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