Tahqiq Fadl al-Salat ala al-Nabi li Ismail al-Qadi
- Author died
- 282 AH
- Editions
- al-Maktab al-Islāmī
Tahqiq Fadl al-Salat ala al-Nabi li Ismail al-Qadi is the critical edition of the 3rd-century AH hadith treatise Fadl al-Salat ala al-Nabi (The Virtue of Invoking Blessings upon the Prophet) by the Maliki jurist and hadith scholar Ismail ibn Ishaq al-Qadi (199–282 AH / 814–895 CE), edited and authenticated by the 20th-century hadith scholar Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani.
Overview and Composition
The original work by Ismail ibn Ishaq al-Jahdami al-Qadi is identified as the earliest known dedicated monograph authored exclusively on the subject of sending blessings and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Compiled following the traditional method of hadith scholars, the author recorded each report with its complete chain of transmission (isnad).
Contents and Scope
The collection comprises 107 transmitted narrations (hadiths and athar), all recorded with their full chains of transmission. The narrations address:
- The divine rewards and virtues of sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, such as the multiplication of good deeds, the forgiveness of sins, and elevation in ranks.
- Specific occasions and recommendations for invoking blessings, including on Fridays and when entering the mosque.
- Warnings against failing to invoke blessings when the Prophet ﷺ is mentioned.
- Rulings and statements of early figures, such as Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, regarding the propriety of invoking blessings upon prophets versus praying generally for all Muslims.
Publication and Reception
In his edition (tahqiq), al-Albani verified the text, cross-referenced the narrations across other hadith collections, and graded the authenticity of each chain and report. The edition was published by al-Maktab al-Islami in Beirut across several editions, including a 92-page third edition in 1397 AH / 1977 CE and a printing in 1400 AH / 1980 CE.
Al-Qadi Ismail's work served as a primary foundation for subsequent classic monographs on the topic, such as Jala' al-Afham by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, al-Silat wa-l-Bushar by al-Fayruzabadi, and al-Qawl al-Badi' by al-Sakhawi. Al-Albani's editorial commentary and hadith gradings were later examined in a dedicated critique by As'ad Salim Tayyim titled Bayan Awham al-Albani fi Tahqiqihi li-Kitab Fadl al-Salat ala al-Nabi.
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