Juz al-Bitaqa lil-Kinani
- Author died
- 357 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat Dar al-Salam
Juz' al-Bitaqa (The Monograph of the Card) is a hadith monograph compiled by the Egyptian hadith master Abu al-Qasim Hamza al-Kinani (275–357 AH / 888–968 CE) . Also titled Majlis al-Bitaqa and Majlis al-Sijillat, the work is named after its opening narration regarding the slip of parchment bearing the declaration of faith that outweighs ninety-nine scrolls of sins on the Day of Judgment .
Background and Dictation
Hamza al-Kinani dictated the assembly in Egypt at al-Jami al-Atiq on Friday, with four nights remaining of Rabi' al-Awwal in 357 AH . According to transmission reports from attendees, when al-Kinani dictated the opening Hadith of the Card, a man in the gathering—described in one account as a stranger and in another as a baker—cried out in intense emotion and expired immediately, after which the congregation attended his funeral and performed the funeral prayer over him .
Contents and Scope
The collection derives its primary title from the opening narration transmitted through Imran ibn Musa from Yahya ibn Bukayr from Layth ibn Sa'd from Amir ibn Yahya al-Mu'afiri from Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli from Abd Allah ibn Amr, conveying the Prophet's ﷺ statement:
يُصَاحُ بِرَجُلٍ من أمتِي على رُؤُوس الْخَلَائِقِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيُنْشَرُ لَهُ تِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ سِجِلًّا كُلُّ سِجِلٍّ مِنْهَا مَدَّ الْبَصَرِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ (عز وجل) لَهُ أَتُنْكِرُ مِنْ هَذَا شَيْئًا فَيَقُولُ لَا يَا رَبِّ فَيَقُولُ (عز وجل) أَلَكَ عُذْرٌ أَوْ حَسَنَةٌ فَيُهَابُ الرَّجُلُ فَيَقُولُ لَا يَا رَبِّ فَيَقُولُ (عز وجل) بَلَى إِنَّ لَكَ عِنْدَنَا حَسَنَاتٍ وَإِنَّهُ لَا ظُلْمَ عَلَيْكَ فَتُخْرَجُ لَهُ بِطَاقَةٌ فِيهَا أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ فَيَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ مَا هَذِهِ الْبِطَاقَةُ مَعَ هَذِهِ السِّجِلَّاتِ فَيَقُولُ (عز وجل) إِنَّكَ لَا تُظْلَمُ قَالَ فَتُوضَعُ السِّجِلَّاتُ فِي كِفَّةٍ وَالْبِطَاقَةُ فِي كِفَّةٍ فَطَاشَتِ السِّجِلَّاتُ وَثَقُلَتِ الْبِطَاقَةُ "A man from my community will be called out before all creation on the Day of Resurrection, and ninety-nine scrolls will be unrolled for him, each scroll stretching as far as the eye can see. God will ask him, 'Do you deny any of this?' and he will reply, 'No, my Lord.' God will ask, 'Do you have an excuse or a good deed?' and the man will hesitate and say, 'No, my Lord.' God will say, 'Nay, you have good deeds with Us, and no injustice will befall you.' A card will then be brought forth containing: 'I testify that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.' The man will say, 'O Lord, what is this card compared to these scrolls?' God will say, 'You shall not be wronged.' The scrolls will be placed in one scale-pan and the card in the other; the scrolls will kick up and the card will weigh down."
Al-Kinani observed following the narration that no one besides Layth ibn Sa'd is known to have transmitted it along this chain, calling it "one of the finest hadiths" . While the monograph came to be recognized predominantly by this initial text, it also incorporates other distinct hadiths and non-prophetic traditions (athar) with separate chains of transmission that bear no connection to the subject of the card .
Transmission and Print History
The primary survival and dissemination of the monograph relied upon the long-lived transmitter Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Umar al-Harrani al-Misri, known as Ibn Himsah al-Sawwaf (343–441 AH) . Ibn Himsah had heard nothing in hadith from al-Kinani except this single assembly while still an adolescent, and because of his longevity, he became the sole surviving authority transmitting directly from al-Kinani worldwide . Multiple scholars transmitted the text from Ibn Himsah, including Abu Sadiq Murshid al-Madini and Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Razi .
The text was edited by Abd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbad and published by Maktabat Dar al-Salam in Riyadh in 1412 AH / 1992 CE .
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