Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani

Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani [d. 852 H ]

The full name of the famous Imam Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-'Asqalani is Abul-Fadl, Shihabuddin Ahmad bin 'All bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Ahmad Ai-Kinani Ash-Shafi'i. Ibn Hajar Al-'Asqalani Allah be pleased with him, was born on 10th Sha'ban, 773 H. in Egypt, where he grew up also. He memorised the Qur'an at the age of nine years and also memorised Al-Hawi, the book Muktasar of Ibn Al-Hajib, and other books. He occupied himself with the promotion of the knowledge of Hadith, so he dwelt in its study, teaching, writing and giving Fatawa (religious verdicts). He also taught the Tafsir (interpretation of the Qur'an), the Hadith, the Fiqh (jurisprudence) and preached at many places like Al-Azhar, Jami' 'Amr and others. He also dictated to his students from his memory. Many highly educated people and distinguished scholars travelled to him to acquire from his vast knowledge.

Ibn Hajar Al-'Asqalani Allah be pleased with him, authored more than 150 books —most of them being in the studies of Hadith—which flourished during his lifetime, and the kings and princes exchanged them as gifts. As concerns his personality, Al-'Asqalani was humble, tolerant, patient and endurant. He was also described to be hilarious, steadfast, prudent, ascetic. selfless, generous, spender in charity and a person praying and fasting voluntarily. Ibn Hajar became the Qadi of Egypt, then Al-Sham was also added to his jurisdiction, which he held for more than twenty-one years. Imam Ibn Hajr Allah be pleased with him, passed away in the year 852H.

Page Last Updated : 28th June 2009

Selections from the FATH AL-BARI --- 'Victory of the Creator'

Paperback Booklet - 42 pages by Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani

-- Commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari
-- Followed by Twenty Fatwas on Life after Death
-- Translation by: Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad

The booklet intends to introduce non-Arabic speakers to one of the most seminal genres of Muslim religious literature, namely, the hadith commentary. It is surprising that no serious translations at present exist from this voluminous and influential body of writing, given that there are few hadith which can be understood adequately without reference to the often complex debates which have taken place concerning them between the scholars. These discussions have included investigations of the precise linguistic and lexicological meaning of the Prophetic speech, studies of the isnad, debates over the circumstances surrounding the genesis of each hadith (asbab al-wurud), and issues of abrogation by stronger or later hadiths or by Qur’anic texts. Sufyan ibn ‘Uyayna May Allah be pleased with him, the great early hadith scholar, used to remark: al-hadith madilla illa li’l-‘ulama’: ‘the hadith are a pitfall, except for the scholars.’ For this reason no Muslim scholar of repute uses a hadith before checking the commentaries to ascertain its precise meaning, context, and application.

The importance of this literature may be gauged by the fact that at least seventy full commentaries have been written on Imam al-Bukhari’s great Sahih. The best-known of these include al-Kawakib al-Darari by Imam Shams al-Din al-Kirmani (d. AH 786), ‘Umdat al-Qari by Imam Badr al-Din al-‘Ayni (d.855), and the Irshad al-Sari by Imam Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Qastallani (d.923). However the most celebrated is without question the magnificent Fath al-Bari (‘Victory of the Creator’) by Imam Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, a work which was the crown both of its genre and of the Imam’s academic career. It is appreciated by the ulema for the doctrinal soundness of its author, for its complete coverage of Bukhari’s material, its mastery of the relevant Arabic sciences, the wisdom it shows in drawing lessons (fawa’id) from the hadiths it expounds, and its skill in resolving complex disputes over variant readings.

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Preparing for the Day of Judgement

Paperback - 66 pages by Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani Allah be pleased with him

Product information: This book is a compilation of some of the wise sayings of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad May Allah bless him and grant him peace, of the companions, and of the pious predecessors and ascetics. Reflecting on these wise sayings and heeding these counsels will assist in infusing us with the requisite awareness and fervour to prepare for the Day of Judgement. Verliy, we are all in need of such counsel, for our Day of Judgment begins not when the world ends, but when our life comes to an end - which is indeed imminent - as the Beloved Prophet May Allah bless him and grant him peace, stated.

Counsel of Threes. [1] It has been reported that the Beloved Prophet Muhammad May Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The one who wakes up in the morning and complains about the scarcity of livelihood, it is as though he is complaining against his Lord. The one who wakes up and is sad over the affairs of the dunya, is as though he has woken up angry with Allah. And the one who humbles himself in front of a rich man because of his wealth will have lost two thirds of his Religion." [2] Abu Bakr al-Siddiq May Allah be pleased with him said, "There are three things which can not be attained through another three: wealth with hope, youth with dyeing [the hair], and health with medication." [3] Umar ibn al-Khattab May Allah be pleased with him said, "good interaction with people is half of intelligence, good questioning is half of knowledge, and good planning is half of subsistence." [4] Uthman ibn Affan May Allah be pleased with him said, "the one who leaves the dunya Allah Exalted will love him; and the one who leaves sins, the Angels will love him; and the one who has no craving for the possessions of the Muslims, the Muslims will love him."

Counsel of Nines. [1] The Beloved of Allah May Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, " Allah the Exalted revealed to Musa ibn Imran (Moses) in the Torah that the source of all mistakes are three - arrogance, envy and greed. Another six diseases were born out of these three, and thus they became nine - satiety, excessive sleep, excessive rest, love of wealth, love of praise, and love of leadership."

Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani- Author of: Preparing for the Day of Judgement. Abul Fadl Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Ali al-Kannani al-Asqalani May Allah be pleased with him better known by the name of Imam Ibn Hajar, was born in Cairo in 773/1372. He bagan his studies at the age of five and completed the memorisation of the Qur'an by the age of nine. A Shafi'i scholar and hadith master, he studied under renowned scholars in Cairo, Yemen and the Hijaz. Known as Shaykh al-Islam, scholars travelled from far away lands to take knowledge from him. Appointed to the position of chief-judge several times, he authored more than fifty works on hadith, history, biography, Quranic exegesis, poetry and Shafi'i jurisprudence; among the most famous of them is his fourteen-volume commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari called Fath al-Bari. He passed away in Cairo in 852/1449.

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Sunna Notes : Volume - 1 Studies in Hadith & Doctrine

Paperback - 224 pgs : Hadith History & Principles, Dr Gibril F. Haddad, Musa Furber

Sunna Notes
Studies in Hadith and Doctrine
Volume 1 Hadith History & Principles
Shaykh Gibril Fouad Haddad

With Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani’sNukhbat al-Fikar
Translated by Musa Furber

It pleased our bountiful Creator to make knowledge of Hadith and its ancillary sciences the exclusive characteristic of Muslim civilisation. Alone among the nations that walked the face of the earth, this Ummah received and kept this Divine trust together with the Last Testament -the Qur'an- to pass it on to subsequent generations unchanged with an ever-refined array of disciplines for verification and authentication.

Among those disciplines, Hadith methodology and criticism ensured that nothing alien crept into the pure Prophetic Sunna as conveyed by upright and precise transmitters under the strict perusal of their peers and subsequent experts. When Ibn al-Mubarak was asked about the forged hadiths he replied, "The giant scholars dispose of them!" Then he recited, Lo! We, even We, have revealed the Reminder, and lo! We verily are its Guardian (15:9). Thus he reiterated in the pithiest way that the Prophetic Sunna and authentic Hadith are part and parcel of the Final Revelation - which no Muslim denies!- and that the Lawgiver preserves His Dhikr through the surest human means imaginable.

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BULUGH AL-MARAM MIN ADILLAT AL-AHKAM
Hardback - 576 pages by Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani

Bulugh Al-Maram Min Adillat Al-Ahkam --- (Attainment of the objective according to the evidence of the ordinances)

Compiled by Imam Ibn Hajr Asqalani (773H-852H)

Translted by : Dr. N Eweiss | Edited by : Selma Cook

The Book is based upon the Ahadith of our Beloved Prophet May Allah bless him and grant him peace which have been the sources of Islamic Jurisprudence. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani May Allah be pleased with him has recorded the true significance of the Ahadith and their origins and also made a comparison of the versions, if the sources are more than one.

Originally written and compiled in the 8th century by the great scholar Al Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalani, this book contains a collection of some of the Ahadith found in the sahih sita (the 6 authentic hadith collections, namely Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, An Nisa'ee, Ahmed and At-Tirmidhi, May Allah be pleased with them all.

Contents Include: Authors Introduction, Translators Introduction, Glossary, with the topics below all (inclusive of sub-topics).

Among the topic that this book covers are the following subjects: I. Book of Purification, II. Book of Prayer, III. Funerals, IV. Zakaah, V. Fasting, VI. The Pilgrimage, VII. Business Transactions, VIII. Marriage, IX. Crimes, X. Hudud (Prescribed Penalties), XI. Zihad, XII. Food, XIII. Oaths and Vows, XIV. Judgements, XV. Book of Emancipation and XVI. The Comprehensive Book.