Muqaddimat Imla al-Istidhkar lil-Hafiz Abi Umar Ibn Abd al-Barr al-Qurtubi
- Author died
- 576 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Basha'ir al-Islamiyyah li-al-Tiba'ah wa-al-Nashr wa-al-Tawzi'
Muqaddimat Imla al-Istidhkar (مقدمة إملاء الاستذكار) is an introductory treatise composed by the hadith master Abu Tahir al-Silafi (d. 576 AH / 1180 CE) as a scholarly prolegomenon for his students before dictating Ibn Abd al-Barr's work al-Istidhkar.
Background and Purpose
During his teaching career at the al-Madrasa al-Adiliyya in Alexandria, al-Silafi held regular dictation sessions (majalis al-imla). In 551 AH, he held twice-weekly sessions to dictate al-Muwatta of Malik ibn Anas. When requested by his students to compose a commentary on it, he declined out of modesty and instead decided to teach and dictate al-Istidhkar, a commentary on al-Muwatta by the Andalusian traditionist Abu Umar Ibn Abd al-Barr al-Namari al-Qurtubi (d. 463 AH), declaring that no other commentary matched its caliber. He authored this introductory treatise (iftitahiyya) as an entry point to the text before commencing its instruction. An audition record preserved on the text notes that it was read back to al-Silafi on Friday, 13 Shawwal 573 AH at the al-Adiliyya school in Alexandria.
Content and Themes
Despite its brevity, the text addresses several historical and methodological subjects:
- Praise of Imam Malik and al-Muwatta: It provides biographical notices on Malik ibn Anas and surveys scholarly commendations of al-Muwatta.
- Biography of Ibn Abd al-Barr: It features an extensive biographical entry on Ibn Abd al-Barr, reviewing his scholarship and writings, and offers variant reports regarding the dates of his birth and death.
- Chains of transmission and travels: Al-Silafi documents his chains of transmission (asanid) back to Ibn Abd al-Barr's works through written correspondence from Andalusian scholars, including Abu Imran Musa ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Talid al-Shatibi and Abu al-Walid Ibn al-Dabbagh. He also mentions his earlier desire to travel to al-Andalus to meet Ibn Abd al-Barr's direct disciples.
- Methodological discussions: It examines the differences between scholars of the Islamic East (al-Mashriq) and West (al-Maghrib) regarding scholarly authorization (ijaza), alongside al-Silafi's personal position on the matter.
- Poetry: The work incorporates poetic verses composed by al-Silafi in praise of Imam Malik, as well as an eleven-line poem praising Ibn Abd al-Barr's al-Istidhkar.
Transmission and Publication
The work is referred to in classical literature under related titles; Ibn Rajab cited passages from it in Dhayl Tabaqat al-Hanabila under the title Muqaddimat Imla al-Istidhkar. In the surviving manuscript preserved at al-Zahiriyya Library in Damascus (no. 71 majami), the title page reads Muqaddimat Kitab al-Istidhkar..., while a copy held at al-Khizana al-Mahmudiyya bears the heading al-Juz al-Awwal min Imla'at fi Majalis ala Muwatta al-Imam Malik.
The treatise was edited by Abd al-Latif ibn Muhammad al-Jilani based on these two manuscripts and published by Dar al-Bashair al-Islamiyya in Beirut in 1422 AH / 2001 CE as part of the Liqa al-Ashr al-Awakhir bi-l-Masjid al-Haram series.
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