Majlis min Amali Abi al-Fath al-Maqdisi_2
- Author died
- 490 AH
- Editions
- مخطوط نُشر في برنامج جوامع الكلم المجاني التابع لموقع الشبكة الإسلامية
Majlis min Amali Abi al-Fath al-Maqdisi (Session from the Dictations of Abu al-Fath al-Maqdisi) is a short Hadith booklet containing a single dictation gathering (majlis) delivered by the Shafi'i ascetic jurist Abu al-Fath Nasr ibn Ibrahim al-Maqdisi (d. 490 AH / 1096 CE).
Transmission
The text records a dictation session originally delivered by Abu al-Fath Nasr ibn Ibrahim al-Maqdisi and preserved through his student, the jurist Abu al-Fath Nasr Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Qawi al-Massisi, who related it in Sha'ban during the five hundred and thirties AH. It was then transmitted from al-Massisi by Abu al-Ma'ali As'ad ibn Ghalib ibn Asad al-Tamimi and Abu al-Husayn Ahmad ibn Jayyush ibn Rafi' al-Ghanawi. The manuscript records that it was read to both transmitters in the company of Ibrahim ibn Yusuf ibn Muhammad al-Ma'afiri al-Bawni on two separate dates.
Contents
The session comprises several traditions, prophetic reports (ahadith), and moral admonitions accompanied by full chains of transmission (isnad):
- Virtues of the Prophet ﷺ: A report from Ibn Abbas detailing how God granted preeminence to Muhammad ﷺ above both the inhabitants of heaven and other prophets, citing verses such as وَمَنْ يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّي إِلَهٌ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَذَلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ (al-Anbiya: 29), إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ (al-Fath: 1–2), and وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِ (Ibrahim: 4).
- The Story of the Bedouin and the Lizard: A lengthy narrative narrated via Ali ibn Abi Talib concerning a Bedouin from the Banu Sulaym who brought decayed bones and a spiny-tailed lizard (dabb) before the Prophet ﷺ to deny the resurrection, prompting the revelation of وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلا وَنَسِيَ خَلْقَهُ قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنْشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ (Ya-Sin: 78–79). The lizard miraculously spoke to affirm God's oneness and Muhammad's messengerhood, leading the Bedouin to accept Islam, whereupon Adi ibn Hatim gifted him a she-camel.
- Chastity and Supplication: A report transmitted from Abu Nasr al-Isma'ili citing that the best form of worship is chastity (al-'afaf), invoking مَا يَعْبَأُ بِكُمْ رَبِّي لَوْلا دُعَاؤُكُمْ (al-Furqan: 77).
- Fivefold Blessings: A tradition from Anas ibn Malik stating that whoever is inspired with five things is not deprived of five outcomes: supplication, repentance, gratitude, seeking forgiveness, and charitable spending, each supported by Quranic citations (Ghafir: 60, al-Shura: 25, Ibrahim: 7, Nuh: 10, and Saba: 39).
- The Fate of the Passive Worshipper in Madyan: A report transmitted through the jurist Sulaym ibn Ayyub al-Razi from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Hatim recounting an angel commanded to destroy Madyan who found a man standing in prayer reciting God's scripture; God instructed the angel to begin the punishment with that worshipper because he failed to oppose divine prohibitions except in a complaisant and passive manner (muwada'an).
- Ascetic Poetry: The text concludes with verses by the ascetic poet Mahmud al-Warraq reflecting on the certainty of death and the deceptive, fleeting nature of the worldly life.
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