Lahz al-Alhaz bi-Dhayl Tabaqat al-Huffaz
- Author died
- 871 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah
Lahz al-Alhaz bi-Dhayl Tabaqat al-Huffaz (The Glances of the Eyes: A Supplement to the Generations of Hadith Memorizers) is a biographical dictionary of hadith masters compiled by the Meccan Shafi'i scholar Taqi al-Din Muhammad ibn Fahd (787–871 AH / 1385–1466 CE). The work serves as a biographical continuation (dhayl) and critical rectification (istidrak) of earlier biographical dictionaries dedicated to the authorities of hadith transmission.
Scope and Background
The work builds upon Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi's foundational biographical dictionary Tadhkirat al-Huffaz (also known as Tabaqat al-Huffaz) and the subsequent supplement composed by al-Dhahabi's student, Abu al-Mahasin al-Husayni (d. 765 AH). Ibn Fahd designed his treatise both to supply omissions from these two preceding works and to extend the biographical record of hadith preservers (huffaz) into later generations.
Method and Structure
Ibn Fahd arranged his biographical entries chronologically by death date, placing those who died earlier before those who died later.
At the opening of the work, he rectified omissions from the earlier books by adding twelve missing biographies to al-Dhahabi's work and eight explicit entries to al-Husayni's supplement. These rectified entries are distributed across specific generational classes (tabaqat):
- One biography in the 15th class.
- Six biographies in the 20th class.
- Five biographies in the 21st class.
- One biography (the thirteenth overall) in the 22nd class.
- Five biographies in the 23rd class.
- Two biographies in the 24th class.
After listing these rectified entries, he proceeded with his chronological continuation of subsequent hadith scholars.
Transmission and Continuations
The text was transcribed directly from Ibn Fahd's autograph manuscript by his descendant Jar Allah ibn Fahd across multiple sessions held at the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, concluding before the Ka'bah near Bab al-Salam on Thursday, 25 Dhu al-Qi'dah 944 AH.
Jar Allah ibn Fahd subsequently authored his own continuation of his ancestor's work, entitled Tuhfat al-Ayqaz bi-Tatimmat Dhayl Tabaqat al-Huffaz, completing it on Tuesday, 12 Rabi' al-Thani 944 AH at the Ma'lah cemetery above Mecca.
Publication
The work was published alongside the supplements of Abu al-Mahasin al-Husayni and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti in a combined volume edited by Husam al-Din al-Qudsi, issued in Damascus in 1347 AH (1928 CE).
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