Jamharat Tarajim al-Fuqaha al-Malikiyya
- Author died
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- Editions
- Dar al-Buhuth li al-Dirasat al-Islamiyyah wa Ihya al-Turath
Jamharat Tarajim al-Fuqaha al-Malikiyya (Collection of Biographies of Maliki Jurists) is a biographical reference work by Qasim Ali Saad, dedicated to the scholars and jurists of the Maliki school of jurisprudence .
Scope and Purpose
The published work forms the first installment (al-halqa al-ula) of a broader biographical project . This part is dedicated to abridging, refining, documenting, and reorganizing the biographical entries compiled by al-Qadi Iyad (d. 544 AH / 1149 CE) in his foundational biographical compendium, Tartib al-Madarik wa-Taqrib al-Masalik . The author's stated aim was to render the biographies of Maliki figures easily accessible and verified for contemporary researchers .
Structure and Methodology
The work contains a total of 1,477 biographical entries . Its methodology and structure are characterized by several features:
- Alphabetical Arrangement: Unlike Tartib al-Madarik, which is organized chronologically by generation (tabaqat) and geographical region, the biographies in this work are rearranged in alphabetical order according to the Arabic lexicon .
- Selection and Addition: The author excluded the eleventh generation (al-tabaqa al-hadiya 'ashra), which is absent from standard manuscripts of Tartib al-Madarik and preserved uniquely in the abridgment of Muhammad ibn Hamada al-Sabti . Conversely, he created independent entries for figures whom al-Qadi Iyad mentioned only parenthetically alongside their relatives, provided they were confirmed to be Maliki jurists .
- Textual Collation and Correction: The author collated the biographies against primary biographical sources, manuscripts, and historical abridgments to rectify scribal corruptions, omissions, and errors present in the prominent printed editions of Tartib al-Madarik .
- Introductory Study and Indexes: The text opens with an extensive introductory study surveying standalone biographical works on Maliki jurists composed between the early sixth century AH and the late eleventh century AH, detailing Tartib al-Madarik and its subsequent abridgments, supplements, and continuations . The book concludes with two comprehensive indexes: one for the biographical subjects and another for cited sources .
Publication
The work was completed by the author in Mecca on 14 Jumada al-Akhira 1423 AH . It was published in three volumes with continuous pagination by Dar al-Buhuth li al-Dirasat al-Islamiyya wa-Ihya al-Turath in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in its first edition in 1423 AH / 2002 CE .
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