Musannaf
Encyclopedia
Musannaf hadīth
collections are defined by their arrangement of content according to topic and constitute a major category within the class of all such works. Etymologically, musannaf is the passive particle
of the Arabic verb
sannafa, meaning to arrange by chapter, and so has the literal meaning of something that is sectionally arranged. Though the designation can thus apply to any text so ordered, and indeed has been used with respect to such distinct genres as fiqh
(i.e. Islamic jurisprudence
), in practice it is most typically applied to compilations of ahadīth.
Numerous hadīth collections are of the musannaf variety, including each of the 6 canonical Sunni ones
. A less typical format is the musnad compilation, where content is arranged according to the original transmitter of the report, typically a companion of Muhammad
.
s- "books") include:
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
collections are defined by their arrangement of content according to topic and constitute a major category within the class of all such works. Etymologically, musannaf is the passive particle
Grammatical particle
In grammar, a particle is a function word that does not belong to any of the inflected grammatical word classes . It is a catch-all term for a heterogeneous set of words and terms that lack a precise lexical definition...
of the Arabic verb
Arabic grammar
Arabic grammar is the grammar of the Arabic language. Arabic is a Semitic language and its grammar has many similarities with the grammar of other Semitic languages....
sannafa, meaning to arrange by chapter, and so has the literal meaning of something that is sectionally arranged. Though the designation can thus apply to any text so ordered, and indeed has been used with respect to such distinct genres as fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
(i.e. Islamic jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
), in practice it is most typically applied to compilations of ahadīth.
Numerous hadīth collections are of the musannaf variety, including each of the 6 canonical Sunni ones
Six major Hadith collections
The six major Hadith collections are collections of hadith by Islamic scholars who, approximately 200 years after Muhammad's death and by their own initiative, collected "hadith" attributed to Muhammad...
. A less typical format is the musnad compilation, where content is arranged according to the original transmitter of the report, typically a companion of Muhammad
Sahaba
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
.
Topics
Common section headings in musannaf collections (often referred to as kitābKitab
Kitab-Verlag is a publishing house in Klagenfurt, Austria. It primarily focuses on books about the history of the culture of the near east and on modern literature from Austria, Slovenia, and Italy...
s- "books") include:
- Ahl al-Kitāb – "people of the book"- i.e. monotheists with Islamically-recognized scripturesTahrifTaḥrīf is an Arabic term used by Muslims with regard to irreparable alterations Islamic tradition claims Jews and Christians have made to Biblical manuscripts, specifically those that make up the Tawrat , Zabur and Injil .Traditional Muslim scholars, based on Qur'anic and other traditions, maintain...
- most typically Jews and Christians- and their legalDhimmiA , is a non-Muslim subject of a state governed in accordance with sharia law. Linguistically, the word means "one whose responsibility has been taken". This has to be understood in the context of the definition of state in Islam...
and historical relations to Muslims - Aqdiya – "adjudications [of rasul Allah- i.e. MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
]"; various legal cases in which Muhammad is presented as judge - Fadā'il – "virtues", of Muhammad, preceding ("biblical") prophetsProphets of IslamMuslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
, or less typically the companions of MuhammadSahabaIn Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet... - Fadā'il al-Qur'ān-- "virtues of the Qur'ānQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
"; includes the history of its revelation, glosses on its difficult vocabulary, practical issues related to its public recitation, exhortations to read it and obey its rulingsAhkamAhkam is a reference to the Islamic commandments, derived and understood from religious jurisprudence resources . A law, value, ordinance or ruling of Shari'ah . In order to arrive at any new legal doctrine, or hukm, one must employ a systematic methodology by which to extract meaning from the... - ĪmānIman (concept)Iman is an Arabic term which denotes certitude or adherence to an idea. In Islamic theology, it refers to the inner aspect of the religion, and denotes a believer's faith in the metaphysical realities of Islam. The term Iman has been delineated in both the Quran as well as the famous Hadith of...
– "faith"; concerning various aspects of Islamic dogma and theology - JihādJihadJihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
– "striving [in holy warfare against infidels]"; the campaigns of Muhammad, usually presented for the purpose of exhorting "holy war" against infidels - Manāqib – "virtues", of Muhammad, his companions, or various clans and individuals
- QisasQisas Al-AnbiyaThe "Qasas Al-Anbiya" or Stories of the Prophets is any of various collections of tales adapted from the Quran and other Islamic literature, closely related to exegesis of the Qur'an. One of the best-known is that composed by Kisa'i in either the 6th or the 13th century; others include the Ara'is...
– "stories [of the prophets]"; elaborations on the lives and deeds of "biblical" prophets, often of a popular rather than 'ilmUlemaUlama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...
ically-sound nature - Siyar – "the law of warfare"; the campaigns of Muhammad, usually presented for their precedential value in formulating the rules of war
- Tārīkh – "world history", from the creation of the world to the career of Muhammad, considered the salvific moment toward which all history convergedTeleologyA teleology is any philosophical account which holds that final causes exist in nature, meaning that design and purpose analogous to that found in human actions are inherent also in the rest of nature. The word comes from the Greek τέλος, telos; root: τελε-, "end, purpose...
; in Shī'ī compilations (e.g. al-Kulīnī's) the lives of the 12 imāms may be included as well