Research Review of Allama Ibn Hajar Asqalani's Riwayat-e- Ahkaam in Al-Asaba Fi Tamiz Al-Sahaba

علامہ ابن حجر عسقلانی کی الاصابہ فی تمییز الصحابہ میں روایاتِ احکام کا تحقیقی جائزہ

Abstract

King Abdul Aziz Mohaddess Dehlavi says that the fame and popularity of Ibn Hajar's writings is the result of the prayers of Sheikh Sanaqbari. By attending the teaching circle of Hafiz Zain-ud-Din Abdul Rahim bin Hussain Iraqi, he gained such a great mastery in the art of Hadith that he was bestowed upon the title of Hafiz-ul- Hadith as there was no other person of this stature after him. It can, therefore, be said that he brought the knowledge of hadith to its perfection. His writings, which consist of more than one and a half hundred books, gained much appreciation in his lifetime. The Arabic book “Al-Asaba Fi Tameez Al-Sahaba” is a famous book of Ibn Hajar Asqalani on the life and contribution of the Companions. This book is quoted as a reference to decide the status of companions. It would not be wrong to call it the encyclopedia of the companions of the Holy Prophet. Apart from its status as a reference book regarding the companions this book encompasses the Seerah of Holy Prophet in a detailed and well composed manner. The distinction of the book is not hidden from the experts of science and research. In the book and other similar books, the life of the companions was discussed and the biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was also described, but another aspect that remained unexplored in these books is the virtues and commandments mentioned in it. There are also narrations about virtues. In this paper the researcher has evaluated the Hadiths related to commandments that are narrated in Alasaba Fe Tameez us Sahaba. The evaluation comprises of authenticity of narrators and text, narrators’ mutual association or disassociation and the final decree about the authenticity of a hadith in the light of all available evidences.