Sifat al-Janna li-Ibn Abi al-Dunya
- Author died
- 281 AH
- Editions
- tahqiq Salim · tahqiq al-Asasila
Sifat al-Janna (The Description of Paradise) is a specialized hadith compilation by the Baghdadi scholar and traditionist Abu Bakr Ibn Abi al-Dunya (d. 281 AH / 894 CE), focusing on the attributes of Paradise and the delights prepared for its inhabitants .
Content and Method
The work compiles prophetic traditions (hadith) and narrations from the early generations (athar) regarding the unseen realities of Paradise . Ibn Abi al-Dunya arranged the material with full chains of transmission (isnad), recording accounts describing the construction and soil of Paradise, its degrees, gates, rivers, trees, and fruits, as well as the traits of its maidens (hur al-ayn), the food, drink, clothing, furnishings, and mansions of the believers, and their entrance into the abode of bliss .
Reception and Scholarly Transmission
Sifat al-Janna represents one of the earliest surviving monographs specifically dedicated to the description of Paradise, standing alongside earlier and contemporary thematic works such as Abd al-Malik ibn Habib's Wasf al-Firdaws and later compilations by Abu Nu'aym al-Isbahani and Diya' al-Din al-Maqdisi . Subsequent authors drew upon and cited Ibn Abi al-Dunya's chains and texts extensively, including Ibn al-Qayyim in his treatise Hadi al-Arwah ila Bilad al-Afrah, al-Mundhiri in al-Targhib wa-l-Tarhib, al-Suyuti in his Quranic commentary al-Durr al-Manthur, and Ibn Hajar al-Haytami .
Editions
The work has been published in multiple critical editions, including:
- An edition edited and studied by 'Amr 'Abd al-Mun'im Salim, published by Maktabat Ibn Taymiyya in Cairo (1417 AH / 1996 CE) .
- An edition edited and annotated by 'Abd al-Rahim Ahmad al-'Asasila and reviewed by Najm 'Abd al-Rahman Khalaf, published jointly by Dar al-Bashir and Mu'assasat al-Risala (1417 AH / 1997 CE) .
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