Ithaf al-Za'ir wa Itraf al-Muqim lil-Sa'ir li-Abi al-Yaman Ibn Asakir
- Author died
- 686 AH
- Editions
- Sharikat Dār al-Arqam ibn Abī al-Arqam
Ithaf al-Za'ir wa Itraf al-Muqim lil-Sa'ir (Gift for the Visitor and Entertainment of the Resident for the Traveler) is a treatise on the virtues and etiquette of visiting the Prophet Muhammad's tomb and mosque in Medina, written by the Shafi'i hadith scholar Abu al-Yaman Ibn Asakir (614–686 AH / 1217–1287 CE) .
Purpose and Content
The author composed the work as a concise guidebook for pilgrims and travelers journeying to Medina, describing it in his introduction as a gift bestowed by a resident (muqīm) to furnish the traveler (sāʾir) with spiritual provisions .
The text addresses the legal and spiritual dimensions of the visitation (ziyārah), opening with general travel etiquettes such as seeking divine guidance (istikharah), repenting from sins, rectifying grievances, maintaining sincerity of intention, and choosing upright companions . Abu al-Yaman supports his discussions by narrating hadiths through his own chains of transmission regarding the merits of visiting the Prophet's grave and sending blessings upon him in his presence .
The work also outlines historical sites and landmarks within the Prophet's Mosque where prayer and supplication are recommended, including the Prophet's original place of prayer, the retreat location (muʿtakaf), the house of Fatimah, and specific historical pillars such as the Pillar of Repentance (ustuwanat al-tawbah), the Pillar of Delegations (ustuwanat al-wufud), and the Pillar of Ali ibn Abi Talib .
Transmission and Attribution
Abu al-Yaman transmitted the work in Medina in the year 678 AH facing the Prophet's chamber . Among those who attended his recitation and transmitted the book from him were Jamal al-Din Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Matari and Khalis al-Baha'i . The text was subsequently passed down through multiple chains, including transmissions to Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi, Nur al-Din al-Haythami, and the family of Ibn Farhun . It served as an important source for later topographical and historical studies of Medina, including al-Fayruzabadi's al-Maghanim al-Mutabah fi Ma'alim Tabah .
Bibliographical sources occasionally recorded corrupted titles or erroneous attributions. In Katib Celebi's Kashf al-Zunun, the treatise was erroneously listed as separate entries attributed to al-Matari, to Abu al-Yaman Zayd ibn al-Hasan al-Kindi, and to an unspecified Ibn Asakir; later scholars clarified that these entries refer to the single work composed by Abu al-Yaman Abd al-Samad ibn Asakir, while al-Matari was merely its transmitter .
Editions
The treatise has been edited and published in modern times, including an edition prepared by Husayn Muhammad Ali Shukri published by Dar al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam in Beirut (1417 AH / 1997 CE) , as well as an edition published by the Center for Research and Studies on Medina (1425 AH) .
Answer updated