Muqarana bayn Shuruh Kutub al-Sunnah al-Sittah
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- Muqarana bayn Shuruh Kutub al-Sunnah al-Sittah
Muqarana bayn Shuruh Kutub al-Sunnah al-Sittah (A Comparison Between the Commentaries on the Six Books of Sunnah) is a specialized hadith study by the contemporary Saudi scholar Abd al-Karim al-Khudayr (b. 1374 AH / 1954 CE), surveying, categorizing, and critically evaluating the prominent classical and later commentaries on the primary Sunni hadith compendia .
Background and Origin
The work originated as an intensive, week-long scholarly course and lecture series delivered by al-Khudayr to students of Islamic knowledge . Audio recordings of these lectures circulated widely before being transcribed, edited, and published in written format through the author's official scholarly website . While widely referenced under this title, al-Khudayr noted that the naming was assigned by course organizers and that the material functions essentially as an analysis of the methodologies of the commentators (manahij shurrah al-kutub al-sittah) .
Scope and Contents
The work opens with an analysis of the concept of the "Six Books" (al-Kutub al-Sittah), noting the scholarly consensus regarding the primary canonical status of Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami' al-Tirmidhi, and Sunan al-Nasa'i, alongside the scholarly variation regarding the identity of the sixth collection—most commonly identified as Sunan Ibn Majah following Ibn Tahir al-Maqdisi, while others designated Muwatta Malik or Sunan al-Darimi .
The text conducts a detailed examination of the principal commentaries written across these collections:
- Sahih al-Bukhari Commentaries: The author reviews foundational works, focusing on six primary titles: A'lam al-Hadith (or A'lam al-Sunan) by Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi, al-Kawakib al-Darari by al-Kirmani, Fath al-Bari by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, 'Umdat al-Qari by Badr al-Din al-Ayni, and Irshad al-Sari by al-Qastallani . Additional historical commentaries are also surveyed, including those of Ibn Battal, Ahmad ibn Sa'id al-Dawudi, al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufrah, al-Isbili, Ahmad ibn Umar al-Taymi, Ibn al-Tin, Ibn al-Munayyir, Qutb al-Din al-Halabi, and Mughultay .
- Sahih Muslim Commentaries: The text covers the lineage of major Maghribi and Mashriqi commentaries, including al-Mu'lim bi-Fawa'id Muslim by al-Maziri, Ikmal al-Mu'lim by Qadi Iyad, Ikmal Ikmal al-Mu'lim by al-Ubayy, Mukammil Ikmal al-Ikmal by al-Sanusi, Abu al-Abbas al-Qurtubi's al-Mufhim, and al-Nawawi's al-Minhaj fi Sharh Sahih Muslim .
- Sunan Collections Commentaries: The work examines major treatments of the four Sunan, such as al-Khattabi's Ma'alim al-Sunan, Awn al-Ma'bud, and Badhl al-Majhud for Sunan Abi Dawud; and Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi's 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi, Ibn Sayyid al-Nas's al-Nafh al-Shadhi, and al-Mubarakfuri's Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi for Jami' al-Tirmidhi .
Methodological Analysis
Al-Khudayr categorizes the commentaries by their technical writing styles and pedagogical utility:
- Commentary Styles: He distinguishes between intertwined word-by-word commentaries (sharh mazji), where the original text is completely embedded within the explanation (exemplified by al-Qastallani's Irshad al-Sari), and lemma-based commentaries (al-sharh bi-al-qawl), which quote isolated phrases followed by exposition (exemplified by Ibn Hajar's Fath al-Bari) .
- Comparative Strengths: He contrasts Ibn Hajar’s mastery of hadith pathways, transmission variants, and isnad critique with al-Ayni's encyclopedic focus on jurisprudence and linguistic derivations, and Ibn Rajab’s adherence to early Salafi theological and legal nuances .
- Theological Observations: The work provides guidance for students on navigating theological points, noting where major commentators engaged in non-Salafi interpretations while highlighting the indispensable academic value of their hadith scholarship .
Structure
The published text is arranged into five sequential transcribed lessons (durus), each corresponding to a recorded session of the original course and indexed digitally under these divisions .
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