Commendation

All praise is due to Allah, who elevated the rank of knowledge and its bearers, made them the heirs of the prophets, and granted them a tremendous virtue and lofty station, as He said: “Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge by degrees.” He made them lamps in the darkness, guides for humanity, who repel from this religion the distortions of extremists, the fabrications of the false, and the misinterpretations of the ignorant. May the most complete and perfect blessings and peace be upon our master Muḥammad, the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, sent as a mercy to the worlds, and upon his pure and noble family and companions, and those who follow their upright path and emulate their guidance until the Day of Judgement.

To proceed:
I had the honour of reviewing this blessed scholarly work titled “The Ḥanafī Ḥadīth Scholars of the 14th Century Hijrī”, authored by the virtuous researcher, Shaykh Muftī Nūr al-Raḥmān al-ʿUthmānī al-Khūstī. It was originally submitted as a rigorously reviewed academic thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree in ḥadīth sciences, within the specialisation department of Jāmiʿat al-ʿUlūm al-Islāmiyyah – Binorī Town – Karachi, a university that has continually produced men of knowledge and safeguarded one of the important frontiers of Sharīʿah.

This work was completed under the supervision of the ḥadīth scholar, Dr Muḥammad al-Thānī – may Allah protect him – the son of the keen-eyed critic and scholar, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm al-Nuʿmānī al-Jishtī – may Allah have mercy on him – who was among the prominent authorities of ḥadīth and academic verification in the modern era. He was known for his depth of insight, breadth of knowledge, strength of reasoning, and sincere zeal for the Prophetic Sunnah.

This book casts light upon a category of notable ḥadīth scholars of the 14th Hijrī century from the Ḥanafī school, whose stars shone brightly in the firmament of knowledge and whose names became well known among seekers of the Sunnah, due to their blessed efforts in serving the ḥadīth of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم – through teaching, writing, critical verification, and investigation – and due to their adherence to a sound scholarly methodology, commitment to the principles of the people of ḥadīth, and balanced approach to both transmission and understanding.

What further increases the value of this work is that it fills a clear gap in the ḥadīth library. To our knowledge, no previous work has been exclusively dedicated to studying the efforts of Ḥanafī ḥadīth scholars of the 14th century Hijrī in such a comprehensive and methodical manner. It is a blessed continuation of what the scholars of the Ḥanafī tradition penned in earlier centuries, those who combined legal theory with ḥadīth transmission, offering the ummah exemplary models of integrating narration and principled reasoning.

The author – may Allah grant him success – excelled in gathering the material, organising it well, selecting with precision, and presenting it smoothly. He remained committed to scholarly integrity and relied upon reputable sources, making this work worthy of being adopted as a key reference in its field and a primary source for researchers studying the later Ḥanafī scholars of ḥadīth.

I hope that this book marks a successful beginning for further scholarly endeavours in this field, contributing to reviving interest in the lives of scholars, encouraging emulation of their guidance, and raising awareness of their blessed contributions in defending the Sunnah of the Chosen One صلى الله عليه وسلم.

I ask Allah, the Exalted, to benefit the ummah through this valuable work, to bless the efforts of its author, to place it in the scale of his good deeds, and to richly reward all who contributed to its preparation, review, and presentation. He is the One capable of that. May Allah send His blessings upon our master Muḥammad, his family, and his companions.

And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

Written by
Mohammed Akram Nadwi – Oxford
22 Dhū al-Ḥijjah 1446 AH

https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/6253

Disclaimer: This article was translated by AI. Original post: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/6253