Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin

Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin (A Rule Regarding Historians) is a methodological treatise on historiography and biographical criticism by the Shafi'i jurist and hadith scholar Taj al-Din al-Subki (d. 771 AH / 1370 CE) Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin+1. The text outlines ethical standards, source verification rules, and critical safeguards against doctrinal and personal bias in historical writing Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin+1.

Background and Scope

The treatise stems from discussions incorporated in al-Subki's biographical compendium Tabaqat al-Shafi'iyya al-Kubra (The Major Generations of Shafi'is)—principally under the biography of Ahmad ibn Salih al-Misri and the entry of al-Hakim al-Naysaburi—alongside related remarks in his Mu'id al-Ni'am wa-Mubid al-Niqam (The Restorer of Blessings and Dispeller of Adversities) Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin+1. Al-Subki observes that historians frequently lower or elevate figures out of partisanship (ta'assub), ignorance (jahl), or uncritical reliance on untrustworthy informants Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin. He contends that ignorance and partisanship are even more prevalent among general chroniclers than among specialized critics of hadith transmitters (ahl al-jarh wa-al-ta'dil), leaving few historical works entirely untainted Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin.

Conditions for Historians

Drawing on a formulation recorded by his father, Taqi al-Din al-Subki, al-Subki presents nine conditions governing historical and biographical writing, divided into two categories Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin+1:

Transmission from Sources

1. Truthfulness (al-sidq) Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin.
2. Relying on verbatim wording rather than loose paraphrasing when quoting reports Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin.
3. Not recording transmitted material from memory long after hearing or noting it Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin.
4. Explicitly naming the source from whom the report was received Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin.

Composing Independent Biographies

1. Intimate knowledge of the subject's standing in scholarship, piety, and character—a requirement al-Subki notes is exceedingly difficult, as it demands participating in that person's field of knowledge and close familiarity to gauge their true rank Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin+1.
2. Eloquent expression and precise comprehension of linguistic connotations Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin.
3. Sound conceptualization (husn al-tasawwur), enabling the biographer to encapsulate the subject's complete circumstances without exaggeration or deficiency Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin.
4. Freedom from personal whim and doctrinal bias, or possessing sufficient justice to conquer one's biases and adhere to fairness Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin.
5. Active presence of mind (hudur al-tasawwur) while authoring, ensuring that prior knowledge and conceptualization are recalled accurately at the moment of composition Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin+1.

Methodological Critique

Al-Subki warns against subtle forms of bias in biographical composition, specifically the selective manipulation of entry length Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin. A biased author might recount all available criticisms of an opponent while omitting praises, or conversely expand on praise and suppress shortcomings for a favored figure, which al-Subki characterizes as a breach of trust and a severe form of backbiting Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin.

To illustrate this, he critiques his teacher al-Dhahabi, arguing that despite his erudition, al-Dhahabi displayed partisanship against Sufis, Shafi'is, Hanafis, and Ash'aris, while favoring Hanbalis Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin+1. Al-Subki points out that al-Dhahabi expanded the biographical entry of Ibn Qudamah while curtailing that of Fakhr al-Din Ibn Asakir, issuing a formal verdict that al-Dhahabi's disparagement of an Ash'ari or praise of a Hanbali should not be accepted uncritically Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin+1.

He also rules that disparagement between doctrinal rivals must be rejected unless transmitted by a verified, trustworthy witness reporting concrete facts rather than vague accusations, citing instances where critics mislabeled theology (kalam) as philosophy Qaida fi al-Muarrikhin. Furthermore, relying on Ibn Abd al-Barr's Jami' Bayan al-'Ilm wa-Fadlih, he stresses that reciprocal criticism among contemporary peers (kalam al-aqran) should generally be dismissed Raf al-Hajib an Mukhtasar…+1.

Publication

The work has frequently been published alongside al-Subki's companion treatise Qa'ida fi al-Jarh wa-al-Ta'dil under the title Qa'ida fi al-Jarh wa-al-Ta'dil wa-Qa'ida fi al-Mu'arrikhin, edited with commentary by Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda Lisan al-Mizan+1. It has seen multiple editions printed in Cairo, Beirut, Aleppo, and Lahore, and was also included within Abu Ghudda's collection Arba' Rasa'il fi 'Ulum al-Hadith (Four Treatises in the Hadith Sciences) Lisan al-Mizan+1.