Sharh Hadith Jibril fi Talim al-Din
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Maṭba‘at Safīr
Sharh Hadith Jibril fi Talim al-Din (Explanation of the Hadith of Gabriel on Teaching Religion) is a treatise by the Saudi hadith scholar Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbad, dedicated to providing an independent commentary on the celebrated Hadith of Gabriel (Jibril) regarding the levels of the Islamic faith .
Background and Publication
In the introduction to the work, al-Abbad states that he had long intended to author a standalone commentary on the Hadith of Gabriel—which outlines the definitions of Islam, iman (faith), and ihsan (spiritual excellence) and concludes with the Prophet's statement: هذا جبريل أتاكم يعلمكم دينكم ("This is Gabriel who came to teach you your religion") . The author completed the work in 1424 AH, and its first edition was published in 1424 AH (2003 CE) by Matba'at Safir in Riyadh .
Scholarly Significance and Scope
Al-Abbad highlights the central status of the Hadith of Gabriel across Islamic scholarship by citing classical authorities :
- Al-Qadi Iyad (cited via al-Nawawi's commentary on Sahih Muslim) observed that the hadith encompasses all outward and inward acts of worship, articles of faith, physical deeds, and sincere intentions, such that all legal sciences derive from it; he also based his book al-Maqasid al-Hisan fima Yalzam al-Insan upon its three divisions .
- Al-Nawawi characterized the hadith as combining various disciplines, manners, and subtleties, describing it as the foundation of Islam .
- Al-Qurtubi (as cited in Fath al-Bari) remarked that it could appropriately be designated as Umm al-Sunnah ("the Mother of the Sunnah") due to its comprehensive nature, an evaluation echoed by Ibn Daqiq al-Id, who compared its relationship to the prophetic traditions with that of Surah al-Fatihah (Umm al-Quran) to the Quran .
- Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali noted in Jami al-Ulum wa al-Hikam that the Prophet designated all three ascending tiers—Islam, iman, and ihsan—as constituting religion (din) .
Method and Contents
The treatise analyzes the narration of the hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Yahya ibn Yamar and Humayd ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Himyari from Abdullah ibn Umar from Umar ibn al-Khattab . Al-Abbad documents its placement at the opening of the Book of Faith (Kitab al-Iman) in Sahih Muslim, as well as its inclusion by al-Baghawi in Masabih al-Sunnah and Sharh al-Sunnah, and by al-Nawawi in his Forty Hadith . He also records other Companions who narrated the tradition, including Abu Hurayrah (recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim), Abu Dharr, Anas ibn Malik, Jarir ibn Abd Allah al-Bajali, Abdullah ibn Abbas, and Abu 'Amir al-Ash'ari, referencing Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani's documentation in Fath al-Bari .
In his analysis of the opening chain and incident, al-Abbad derives historical and theological conclusions, highlighting that the denial of divine decree (al-qadar) first appeared in Basra under Ma'bad al-Juhani during the lifetime of Ibn Umar (d. 73 AH), and emphasizing the methodology of the Successors (Tabi'un) in consulting surviving Companions and utilizing trips for Hajj and Umrah to resolve problematic theological questions .
Answer updated