A research study of Imam Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH) in his seminal work Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥuffāẓ,
امام جلال الدین سیوطی ؒ کا طبقات الحفاظ میں منہج، ایک تحقیقی جائزہ
Keywords:
Imam al-Suyuti, ?abaq?t al-?uff??, Hadith Historiography, ?Ilm al-Rij?l, Biographical Methodology, Jar? wa Ta?d?l, Hadith AuthorityAbstract
This research critically investigates the methodological structure employed by Imam Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH) in his seminal work Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥuffāẓ, with particular reference to its contribution to Hadith historiography and the discipline of ʿIlm al-Rijāl. The study aims to explore how al-Suyuti conceptualized, organized, and evaluated the category of ḥuffāẓ al-ḥadīth within a structured biographical framework, while maintaining scholarly continuity with earlier Hadith authorities. Adopting a qualitative, descriptive-analytical research methodology, this study conducts a close textual analysis of selected biographical entries from Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥuffāẓ, supplemented by a comparative review of earlier foundational works such as Ibn Saʿd’s al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, al-Dhahabi’s Tadhkirat al-Ḥuffāẓ, and al-Khatib al-Baghdadi’s contributions to biographical literature. The research identifies four core methodological principles in al-Suyuti’s approach: chronological and generational classification, strategic brevity with thematic focus, implicit application of jarḥ wa taʿdīl, and systematic reliance on pre-classical and classical Hadith sources.
References
Imam Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi was born in Damascus in 673 AH. He is considered the Imam of the art of hadith, history and Rijal. His famous works are *Siyr al-Alam al-Nublaa and Tazkirat al-Huffaz, Tarikh al-Islam, al-Kashif etc., in which he collected the situations of the hadith scholars and scholars with great care. He traveled to different cities to gain knowledge and was engaged in teaching and writing in Damascus until the end of his life. He died in 748 AH. (Khair al-Din Zarkali, Al-Alam, vol. 6, p. 87)
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Imam Ibn al-Salah’s full name is Uthman ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Uthman al-Shahrzuri. He was born in 577 AH in the city of Shahrzur in Kurdistan. He studied Hadith and Jurisprudence in Damascus and Nishapur. He is considered the greatest Imam of the science of Hadith and his most famous book is Muqaddama Ibn al-Salah fi Ulum al-Hadith, which is considered one of the most basic and authoritative books on the principles of Hadith. This book influenced all subsequent Muhaddiths and Usuli, and numerous commentaries and footnotes were written on it. Imam Ibn al-Salah taught at Dar al-Hadith in Damascus and was called the sheikh of the Muhaddiths there. He died in Damascus in 643 AH and left a great legacy in the world of knowledge. (Khair al-Din Zarkali, Al-Alam, Vol. 4, p. 209)
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Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani (may Allah be pleased with him) was born in Cairo in 773 AH. He was orphaned in childhood but achieved an extraordinary position in the science of Hadith. His most famous book is Fath al-Bari, Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, which is still considered one of the greatest commentaries on Hadith. He wrote about one hundred and fifty books on various sciences and was called "Hafiz al-Asr" in his time. He died in Cairo in 852 AH. (Khair al-Din Zarkali, Al-Alam, vol. 2, p. 178)
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Imam Muhammad ibn Saad was born in Basra in 168 AH and later settled in Baghdad. He was a student and scribe of Imam al-Waqidi, hence he was called "Katib al-Waqidi". His most important work is Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, which is considered one of the first and basic books on Seerah and Tabaqat. This book provided a solid foundation for later historians. He died in Baghdad in 230 AH. (Khair al-Din Zarkali, Al-Alam, vol. 6, p. 26)
Imam Hakim Nishapuri was born in Nishapur in 321 AH. He was a great hadith scholar and critic of his time. His famous book is Al-Mustadrak Ali Sahihayn, in which he collected the hadiths that were authentic according to the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim but were not recorded by them. He was a Shafi'i in jurisprudence and an Ash'ari in creed. He was called "Shaykh Al-Muhaddithin" in his time, wrote many books and spent his entire life in teaching and learning, and died in Nishapur in 405 AH. (Khairuddin Zarkali, Al-A'lam, Vol. 6, p. 227)
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