Hadith Abi Nuaym an Abi Ali al-Sawwaf li-Abi Nuaym al-Asbahani
- Author died
- 430 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Rushd
Hadith Abi Nuaym an Abi Ali al-Sawwaf (The Hadith of Abu Nuaym from Abu Ali al-Sawwaf) is a hadith tract (juz') compiled by the hadith scholar and historian Abu Nuaym al-Asbahani (336–430 AH / 948–1038 CE), recording prophetic traditions and reports that he received from his teacher Abu Ali al-Sawwaf (270–359 AH / 884–970 CE).
Background and Context
Abu Nuaym journeyed from Isfahan in 356 AH and studied in Baghdad, where he heard hadith directly from Abu Ali Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ishaq al-Sawwaf alongside other contemporary authorities. Al-Sawwaf was an established Baghdadi hadith scholar who narrated from prominent earlier authorities, including Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Bishr ibn Musa al-Asadi, Ishaq ibn al-Hasan al-Harbi, Abu Ismail al-Tirmidhi, and Muhammad ibn Uthman ibn Abi Shaybah. Al-Sawwaf was held in high regard by hadith critics; al-Daraqutni stated that his eyes had never seen anyone like him, and Abu al-Fath ibn Abi al-Fawaris described him as trustworthy, dependable, and uniquely cautious in transmission.
Content and Transmission
The work belongs to the ajza' (short topical or single-narrator compilations) and fawa'id (scholarly benefits) literature, preserving texts and chains of transmission (isnad) received directly by Abu Nuaym through al-Sawwaf. Beyond general transmissions from al-Sawwaf's corpus, al-Daraqutni made critical selections (intikha') from al-Sawwaf's narrations, which were subsequently preserved and transmitted through Abu Nuaym's recension.
Abu Nuaym's transmission from al-Sawwaf was passed down through his students, including Abu Ali al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Haddad and Abu Tahir Abd al-Wahid ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Sabbagh, serving as an authoritative chain for later hadith scholars citing al-Sawwaf's texts and his narrations of major works such as the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
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