The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 31
I - Early Sources of Sīrat & Islāmic History 31 false at its source, it should be accepted, so that in the future, for the purpose of investigative research, a fundamental store-house is developed and preserved. However, for Aḥādīth , this policy would surely prove arduously detrimental. It was necessary to uphold a stringent standard, so that even if a sound narration is left out, at least the ones which were selected are all solid and fully reliable. However, this does not imply that collections of Ḥadīth in their entirety are all free from error or that the collections of Sīrat and history are completely based on weak narrations. Instead, the purpose is to indicate that the standard of the narrations of Aḥādīth is generally far superior as compared to that of Sīrat and history. It is for this reason that Muslim historians of more investigative nature whilst compiling the historical accounts of Sīrat and history have given preference to those narrations found in books of Ḥadīth especially under the category of religious injunctions. Moreover, the author of this book has also observed the same practice in this literary work. Books on the Principles of Ḥadīth The knowledge of narration, invented by the Muslims, which includes the principles of Riwāyat and Dirāyat , is generally referred to as ‘Ilm-e-Uṣūl- e-Ḥadīth 1. There are many written works pertinent to this field of knowledge which includes the works of both early and latter scholars. However, books which are outstandingly renowned today and currently in use are primarily a summary of the writings of early scholars. These works are as follows: 1. ‘Ulūmul-Ḥadīthil-Ma‘rūf (foreword by Ibni Ṣalāḥ), by Ḥāfiẓ Abū ‘Amr ‘Uthmān bin ‘Abdur-Raḥmān Al-Ma‘rūf bi Ibni Ṣalāḥ, who died in 643 A. H. 2. Fatḥul-Mugīth fī Usūlil-Ḥadīth, by Ḥāfiẓ Zain-ud-Dīn ‘Abdur-Raḥīm bin Al-Ḥusain Al-‘Irāqī, who died in 805 A. H. 3. Sharḥul-Fiyatil-‘Iraqī fī Uṣūlil-Ḥadīth, by Muḥammad bin ‘Abdur- Raḥmān As-Sakhāwī, who died in 902 A. H. 4. Mauḍu‘āt-e-Kabīr, by Nūr-ud-Dīn Mullā ‘Alī bin Muḥammad Sulṭān Al-Qār ī , who died in 1016 A. H. The principles of Riwāyat and Dirāyat have been outlined in these books in full elaboration and detail. Every aspect of the subject matter has been explained with numerous examples. The book mentioned last, in actuality, deals with the topic of fabricated narrations, however, principles of Ḥadīth are discussed as 1 The Science of the Principles of Ḥadīth (Publishers)