Khatm Kitab al-Shifa li-Ibn Nasir al-Din
- Author died
- 842 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Bashā’ir al-Islāmiyyah
Khatm Kitab al-Shifa (The Conclusion of the Book of al-Shifa), also titled Majlis fi Khatm Kitab al-Shifa, is a short devotional and scholarly treatise by the Damascene traditionist Ibn Nasir al-Din al-Dimashqi (777–842 AH / 1375–1438 CE) . It was composed to mark the formal concluding gathering (khatm) upon finishing the reading and instruction of the renowned prophetic biography and devotional work Kitab al-Shifa bi-Ta'rif Huquq al-Mustafa by al-Qadi Iyad (d. 544 AH / 1149 CE) .
Context and Genre
The practice of authoring specialized concluding treatises (kutub al-khatm) grew out of the earlier tradition of introductory lectures (kutub al-iftitahiyat), which scholars delivered at the start of teaching major texts . While early masters like Abu Tahir al-Silafi (d. 576 AH) had written opening introductions, dedicated khatm compositions became prominent in the early ninth century AH through works by scholars such as Ibn al-Jazari (d. 833 AH) and Ibn Nasir al-Din, who also authored khatm treatises for Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and the Sirah of Ibn Hisham .
Contents and Structure
The treatise is arranged around several core topics typical of concluding assemblies:
- Biography of al-Qadi Iyad: Ibn Nasir al-Din traces Iyad's lineage back to the Himyarite tribe of Yahsub, recording his birth in Ceuta in mid-Sha'ban 476 AH and his death in Marrakesh at the age of sixty-eight . He details Iyad's pursuit of knowledge, his notable teachers—such as Abu Ali Ibn Sukkarah, Abu Muhammad Ittab, Abu Bahr Ibn al-Asi, Abu Ali al-Ghassani, and Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Isa al-Tamimi—and his students, foremost among them Ibn Bashkuwal . The text quotes testimonies to Iyad's standing from biographers including Ibn Bashkuwal, Muhammad ibn Hammadah al-Sabti, and Ibn Khallikan .
- Works and Poetry of al-Qadi Iyad: The author cites samples of Iyad's poetry and enumerates his major writings across hadith, jurisprudence, and history, including Ikmal al-Mu'lim bi-Fawa'id Muslim, Mashariq al-Anwar, al-Ilma', I'lam bi-Qawa'id al-Islam, and Tartib al-Madarik .
- Praise of Kitab al-Shifa: Ibn Nasir al-Din incorporates poetic panegyrics celebrating al-Shifa, notably lines transmitted via Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Alai from Ali ibn al-Kamal Muhammad al-Tamimi al-Hamdani recited at the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As in Cairo in 744 AH . He describes the work as peerless in its systematic compilation of the Prophet's ﷺ virtues, character traits, miracles, and distinctive honors .
- Prophetic Virtues and Closing Supplication: The gathering turns to the excellence of the Muslim community based on the Quranic verse كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ ("You are the best community brought forth for humankind") , citing an extensive commentary by Izz al-Din ibn Abd al-Salam on how the Prophet ﷺ receives the reward of his followers' good deeds . Ibn Nasir al-Din then adduces several sound hadiths concerning prophetic preeminence and intercession on the Day of Resurrection, concluding the text with an original poem in praise and veneration of the Prophet ﷺ .
Manuscripts and Publication
A manuscript of the work is preserved in the National Library in Jerusalem, with a microfilm copy housed at the King Fahd National Library in Riyadh . The text was edited by Abd al-Latif ibn Muhammad al-Jilani and published in Beirut by Dar al-Basha'ir al-Islamiyyah in 1426 AH / 2005 CE as part of the Liqa' al-Ashr al-Awakhir booklet series .
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