Kashf al-Mughatta fi Fadl al-Muwatta
- Author died
- 571 AH
- Editions
- Dar Al Fikr
Kashf al-Mughatta fi Fadl al-Muwatta (Unveiling the Concealed Concerning the Virtue of al-Muwatta) is a hadith treatise by the Syrian Shafi'i hadith master and historian Abu al-Qasim Ibn Asakir (499–571 AH / 1105–1176 CE), dedicated to the merits, status, and historical narrations surrounding al-Muwatta of Malik ibn Anas (d. 179 AH).
Content and Methodology
The work collects traditional reports and statements from early scholars praising al-Muwatta and emphasizing its authority in Islamic jurisprudence and hadith transmission. Ibn Asakir transmits these accounts through his own chains of narration (asānīd) back to early authorities. Among the core traditions documented in the text are various narrations from al-Shafi'i asserting the preeminence of Malik's work, such as his statements that no book after the Book of God is more beneficial or more authentic than al-Muwatta, and that whenever an authentic report is mentioned, Malik is like a guiding star.
The text also records the transmission history of al-Muwatta among the early imams, including a narration in which Ahmad ibn Hanbal states that he heard al-Muwatta from al-Shafi'i because of his reliability, despite having heard it from others beforehand. In addition to narrative reports, the book incorporates poetry composed in praise of al-Muwatta, such as lines authored by the philologist Ahmad ibn Faris.
Ibn Asakir also includes historical accounts concerning the commissioning and royal auditions of al-Muwatta. This includes multiple paths of transmission regarding the Abbasid caliph Abu Ja'far al-Mansur's discourse with Malik about compiling the book, as well as the account of Caliph Harun al-Rashid hearing al-Muwatta directly from Malik when he performed the pilgrimage alongside the jurist Abu Yusuf.
Manuscripts and Editions
Manuscripts of Kashf al-Mughatta fi Fadl al-Muwatta are preserved in several archives, including the al-Zahiriyya Library in Damascus, the Central Library in Mecca, and the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh.
The treatise has been edited and published in modern scholarly editions, including:
- An edition edited by Muhammad Muti' al-Hafiz, published by Dar al-Fikr in Damascus (1413 AH / 1992 CE).
- An edition edited by Muhibb al-Din Abu Sa'id Umar al-Amrawi, published by Dar al-Fikr in Beirut.
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