Taliat al-Tankil wa Taziz al-Talia wa Shukr al-Tarhib - ضمن "Athar al-Muallimi

Tali‘at al-Tankil wa-Ta‘ziz al-Tali‘a wa-Shukr al-Tarhib (The Vanguard of al-Tankil, Reinforcing the Vanguard, and Gratitude for the Greeting) is a collection of three related polemical treatises by the Yemeni hadith scholar Abd al-Rahman ibn Yahya al-Mu'allimi al-Yamani (1312–1386 AH / 1894–1966 CE) Taliat al-Tankil wa Taziz…+1. Written as preliminary arguments and rejoinders in his scholarly dispute with the Hanafi scholar Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari, the three works serve as an introductory prelude and supplement to al-Mu'allimi's major critical work, al-Tankil bi-ma fi Ta’nib al-Kawthari min al-Abatil Taliat al-Tankil wa Taziz…+1.

Background and Composition

While drafting al-Tankil to refute al-Kawthari's Ta'nib al-Khatib 'ala ma Saqahu fi Tarjamat Abi Hanifah min al-Akadhib, al-Mu'allimi extracted a representative sample highlighting what he viewed as al-Kawthari's methodological fallacies and criticisms of Sunni hadith authorities al-Nukat al-Jiyad al-Munt…+1. This summary was published in Egypt in 1368 AH (1949 CE) under the title Tali‘at al-Tankil al-Budur al-Mudiya fi Tar…+1. Because it was printed far away from him, its annotator, Muhammad Abd al-Razzaq Hamzah, added harsh polemical remarks and alterations to the text, and a preliminary explanatory note al-Mu'allimi had previously written under the working title al-Naqd al-Bari' was mistakenly inserted as its preface Taliat al-Tankil wa Taziz…+1. Al-Mu'allimi disavowed these unauthorized additions and typographical mistakes in his subsequent writings Taliat al-Tankil wa Taziz…+1.

In response to al-Tali‘a, al-Kawthari published a rebuttal titled al-Tarhib bi-Naqd al-Ta'nib, accusing al-Mu'allimi of bias against Abu Hanifah and attempting to defend his own positions Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…+1. Upon reading al-Tarhib, al-Mu'allimi composed two further treatises—Ta‘ziz al-Tali‘a and Shukr al-Tarhib—to address al-Kawthari's counterarguments, clarify the printing circumstances of al-Tali‘a, and reinforce his criticisms Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…+1.

Structure and Contents

The collection comprises three treatises:

• Tali‘at al-Tankil: Originally drafted as the first section in early manuscripts of al-Tankil, it presents selected examples of al-Kawthari's alleged misrepresentations and questionable evaluations of individual hadith narrators and scholars Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…+1.
• Ta‘ziz al-Tali‘a: Structured into two main divisions:
  • Part One: Four chapters addressing general matters, including the background of al-Tankil and the perceived hazards of al-Kawthari's approach to the prophetic Sunnah, his attempts to evade responsibility for altered texts, the problem of extremism regarding revered figures, and his distinction between Hanafis and general Muslims, concluding with an analysis of the rule of accusation (qa‘idat al-tuhma) Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…+1.
  • Part Two: A critical treatment of four broader methodological rules where al-Kawthari is argued to have introduced confusion al-Tankil bima fi Tanib a…+1.
• Shukr al-Tarhib: A sequential response following al-Kawthari's al-Tarhib, arranged in two parts:
  • Part One: An examination of al-Kawthari's introductory remarks and alleged misapprehensions Taliat al-Tankil wa Taziz…+1.
  • Part Two: A point-by-point critique of al-Kawthari's answers regarding each biographical entry and narrator discussed in al-Tali‘a Taliat al-Tankil wa Taziz…+1.

Manuscripts and Publication

While Tali‘at al-Tankil was printed during the author's lifetime, Ta‘ziz al-Tali‘a and Shukr al-Tarhib remained in manuscript form due to al-Mu'allimi's reluctance to publish them without personally overseeing the printing, fearing further typographical errors and editorial alterations Taliat al-Tankil wa Taziz…+1. Autograph drafts and fair copies of these treatises survived in the library of the Grand Mosque in Mecca (Maktabat al-Haram al-Makki al-Sharif) Taliat al-Tankil wa Taziz…+1.

The three works were later compiled and edited from these manuscripts by Ali ibn Muhammad al-Ilan, with review by Muhammad Ajmal al-Islahi and Adil ibn Abd al-Shakur al-Zuraqi, and published together in 1434 AH (2013 CE) as the ninth volume of the collected works project, Athar al-Mu‘allimi Taliat al-Tankil wa Taziz…+1.