Jamharat Maqalat Ahmad Shakir
- Author died
- 1377 AH
- Editions
- Dar Al-Riyadh
Jamharat Maqalat Ahmad Shakir (The Collection of Ahmad Shakir's Articles) is a two-volume compilation of the dispersed essays, articles, polemical exchanges, and scholarly critiques written by the Egyptian hadith scholar and jurist Ahmad Shakir (1309–1377 AH / 1892–1958 CE), collected and edited by Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Aql.
Background and Compilation
Ahmad Shakir contributed regularly to periodicals from 1911 CE until shortly before his death on 26 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1377 AH / 14 June 1958 CE. His most prominent contributions appeared in Majallat al-Hady al-Nabawi, issued by Jama'at Ansar al-Sunnah al-Muhammadiyyah, in addition to magazines such as Al-Risalah, Al-Muqtataf, Al-Thaqafah, Al-Kitab, Al-Zahra', and Al-Manar, and newspapers including Al-Ahram, Al-Mu'ayyad, Al-Muqattam, Al-Balagh al-Yawmi, and Al-Wafd al-Misri. Prior to this comprehensive compilation, portions of his articles and marginal notes had been gathered posthumously in standalone works such as Kalimat Haqq and Hukm al-Jahiliyyah. Seeking to assemble his scattered heritage from these various periodicals, al-Aql compiled his articles into a single thematic work, prefacing it with a biographical overview of Shakir's personal life and scholarly career.
Structure and Contents
The compiler arranged the articles thematically into several main sections:
- Tahqiq al-Turath (Heritage Editing): Pieces addressing manuscript collation, textual editing principles, and specific editorial projects such as the Yuniniya recension of Sahih al-Bukhari and Al-Shafi'i's Al-Risalah.
- Al-Ta'rif bi-l-Kutub (Book Introductions and Overviews): Articles introducing classical and contemporary works.
- Naqd al-Kutub wa-l-Maqalat (Critique of Books and Articles): Critical reviews and responses to contemporary writings.
- Bayna Ahmad Shakir wa-Hamid al-Fiqi (Between Ahmad Shakir and Muhammad Hamid al-Fiqi): The published exchanges and disagreements between Shakir and al-Fiqi concerning editorial notes and scholarly views.
- Al-Difa' 'an al-Haqq (Defending the Truth): Polemics defending Arabic and Islamic teachings against Westernization and modern reform calls.
- Masa'il 'Ilmiyyah (Scholarly Inquiries): Specialized jurisprudential, hadith, and legal discussions.
- Tarajim wa-A'lam (Biographies and Notable Figures): Biographical notices and profiles of scholars and personalities.
- Munasabat (Occasions): Writings composed on specific events and circumstances.
The collection concludes with a dedicated appendix containing Shakir's major critical marginalia and rebuttals to the Arabic edition of the Encyclopaedia of Islam, where he addresses mistakes, hadith evaluations, and claims raised by Orientalist contributors regarding Islamic history, law, and concepts.
Publication
The work was published in two volumes by Dar al-Riyadh, with its first edition appearing in 1426 AH / 2005 CE.
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