Ḥanafī Biographical Dictionaries

Introduction

The compilation and documentation of biographical dictionaries have played a pivotal role in preserving the history and scholarly tradition of the Hanafi school of thought. Understanding the motives behind the compilation of these ṭabaqāt works provides valuable insights into the educational, scholarly, and spiritual objectives that motivated scholars to undertake such significant endeavours. This article will delve into the specific motives driving the compilation of ṭabaqāt works. Furthermore, a closer look is taken at five prominent works within the Hanafi tradition, including “Akhbār Abī Ḥanīfah wa Aṣḥābih” by Ṣaymarī, “Al-Jawāhir al-Muḍiyya fī Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafīyya” by Ibn Abī al-Wafā’, “Tāj al-Tarājim fī man Ṣannafa min al-Ḥanafīyya” by Ibn Quṭlūbughā, “Aṭ-Ṭabaqāt as-Saniyya fī Tarājim al-Ḥanafīyya” by at-Tamīm ad-Dārī, and “Al-Fawā’id al-Bahiyya fī Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya” by Imām ‘Abd al-Ḥayy al-Lakhnawī. At the end, an extensive list of Ḥanafī Ṭabaqāt works is featured, which offers a comprehensive overview of the wealth of biographical dictionaries available within the Hanafi scholarly tradition.

Motives Behind the Compilation of Ṭabaqāt Works

1. Educational and Moral Objectives

Biographical dictionaries served as educational tools, providing examples of moral and ethical conduct. They were meant to inspire and instruct readers, offering them models of righteous living and scholarly excellence. The focus was often on character, piety, and intellectual contributions rather than merely validating scholarly authority. Imām Ibn Abī al-Wafā’ lists six benefits of documenting the biographies of scholars, which offer insights into the potential motives and advantages of compiling ṭabaqāt works. I will mention them while mostly paraphrasing.

Spiritual Comfort through Remembrance

Allah Ta’ālā declares, “Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort.” Early scholars interpret ‘remembrance’ as pertaining to the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ). This reverence for the Companions arises from three aspects: their direct interaction with the Prophet (ﷺ), their inheritance of his knowledge, and their steadfast obedience to his teachings. Following the Companions, the Successors are also included in this merit. This suggests that recalling the lives of pious individuals brings spiritual solace to believers, which indicates the importance of documenting these biographies.

Emulation of Scholarly Virtues

Recognising the merits, virtues, and spiritual states of scholars enables emulation of their conduct and draws lessons from their legacies. This benefit highlights the role of biographies in preserving and transmitting exemplary models for later generations.

Respect for Scholarly Ranks and Eras

Awareness of the ranks and times of the pious predecessors ensures proper respect and prevents the undue elevation of others above them. This is aligned with Allah Ta’ālā’s statement, “but over every possessor of knowledge is one [more] knowing,” and is further supported by ‘Ā’isha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) narration, “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded us to give the people their due rank,” which Imām Ḥakīm Abū ‘Abdillāh regards as authentic. This principle emphasises the importance of recognising and preserving the historical context and hierarchy of scholars.

Scholars as Spiritual Guides

Our scholars and predecessors, akin to parents, guide us towards the betterment of our eternal life in the Hereafter. Neglecting their memories and teachings is thus considered reprehensible, which highlights the need for their remembrance through biographies.

Resolution of Scholarly Contradictions

Biographical works provide context and clarity on scholarly opinions. In cases of conflicting statements among scholars, biographies allow us to identify and follow the views of the most knowledgeable and abstinent among them.

Cataloguing Scholarly Works

Biographical compilations often include detailed lists and descriptions of the works authored by previous scholars, serving as a valuable resource for understanding their intellectual contributions and preserving their literary legacy.

2. Preservation of Prophetic Hadith

One of the primary motives for the compilation of the ṭabaqāt literature was to preserve the profiles of hadith transmitters, which plays a crucial role in safeguarding the accuracy of prophetic reports. The strength of this motive lies in the fundamental Islamic principle of isnād (chain of transmission). In Islam, the authenticity of a hadith –sayings, actions, and tacit approvals of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)– is determined by the reliability and integrity of its transmitters. The ṭabaqāt literature essentially serves as a biographical dictionary. By documenting the lives, characters, and scholarly affiliations of hadith transmitters, these compilations provide essential context for assessing the credibility of individual narrators. In a broader sense, the ṭabaqāt literature helped in preserving the integrity of the Islamic tradition.

3. Preserving Scholarly Tradition

Another motivation behind the compilation of ṭabaqāt works was the desire to preserve and record the history and achievements of significant individuals in Islamic history. This included the companions of the Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ), eminent scholars, and other notable personalities. It was a way to document their contributions, life stories, and moral and ethical characteristics. By documenting the lives and contributions of hadith transmitters, ṭabaqāt works played a crucial role in preserving the Islamic scholarly tradition. They ensured that the legacy and teachings of these individuals were not lost over time, thereby maintaining the integrity of the Islamic scholarly and religious heritage. Tabaqāt works were indeed an original Islamic invention. They emerged from the unique religious and intellectual atmosphere of the Islamic world and represented an original contribution to the field of biographical literature. The development of this genre reflected the intellectual rigour of Muslim scholars, who sought not only to preserve Islamic teachings and history but also to establish a systematic method of scholarly inquiry and documentation.

Five Hanafi Biographical Dictionaries

Akhbār Abī Ḥanīfah wa Aṣḥābih by Ṣaymarī (d. 436 AH)

This work is the earliest biographical dictionary within the Hanafi tradition available today, possibly falling within the Manāqib genre. Spanning 169 pages, the text dedicates over half of its content (90 pages) to the biography of Imām Abū Ḥanīfa. Additionally, Ṣaymarī includes entries on 57 of the Imām’s students, with particularly extensive sections on Imām Abū Yūsuf and Imām Muḥammad. The work adheres to the traditionist approach, featuring a chain of transmission at the beginning of each report. Ṣaymarī’s objectives appear to be twofold: compiling important biographical details of the School’s founder and his students to highlight their virtues and credibility, and dismissing criticisms levelled against the School’s status and the scholarly acumen of the Imām in the field of hadith. Ṣaymarī’s use of the isnād method, along with other historical contexts, suggests that his main intended audience were the traditionists, further supported by his inclusion of favourable comments from prominent hadith critics about Imām Abū Ḥanīfa.

Al-Jawāhir al-Muḍiyya fī Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafīyya by Ibn Abī al-Wafā’ (d. 775 AH)

Ibn Abī al-Wafā’ begins his work with the observation, “I have not seen anyone taking notice of the ṭabaqāt of our colleagues,” which might explain the common recognition of this book as the first work in the genre of ṭabaqāt. In the introduction, he mentions the encouragement from his teachers to undertake this compilation, followed by six benefits for the compilation of ṭabaqāt works. The existing edition comprises 2347 biographies, with the first volume containing 1158 entries and the remainder in the second volume. Following these biographies, Ibn Abī al-Wafā’ dedicates a section to the manāqib of Imām Abū Ḥanīfa and his students.

Tāj al-Tarājim fī man Ṣannafa min al-Ḥanafīyya by Ibn Quṭlūbughā (d. 879 AH)

This study originally stemmed from the work of Ibn Quṭlūbughā’s teacher, Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Maqrīzī (d. 845 AH), titled at-Tadhkira. Ibn Quṭlūbughā expanded on this book and incorporated supplementary information along with editorial refinements. The biographical entries, totalling 348, are arranged alphabetically. He predominantly relied on al-Jawāhir, with little reliance on other sources. His inclusion criteria focused on Ḥanafī scholars who contributed written works, primarily evaluating these scholars academically while omitting aspects of character and piety. The biographies are notably short, with the most extensive one encompassing merely ten brief sentences. Due to the brevity of the biographies, not many facts can be deduced from it. Ibn Quṭlūbughā’s includes remarks on the scholars’ character and piety and focuses solely on the assessments of hadith critics.

Aṭ-Ṭabaqāt as-Saniyya fī Tarājim al-Ḥanafīyya by at-Tamīm ad-Dārī (d. 1010 AH)

According to Ḥājī Khalīfa, this work, authored by ʿAbd al-Qādir at-Tamīmī, stands as the most comprehensive, encompassing 2523 biographies. Tamīmī states his motivation, saying, “whoever wants success in both worlds…he should follow the way of the guided Imāms that preceded him.” His objective was to immortalise their teachings, character, and virtues through this compilation. The preface notes his citation of 40 sources used in the work’s development and discusses essential skills for historians, including writing methodology and grammatical knowledge. The work starts with a concise biography of the Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) but dedicates an extensive section to Imām Abū Ḥanīfa. The length of the biographies varies, ranging from a few sentences to over ten pages. Tamīmī heavily references Ibn Abī al-Wafā’s al-Jawāhir and consistently cites his sources throughout the work. A notable aspect of Tamīmī’s methodology is the emphasis on the opinions of scholars of al-Jarḥ wa at-Taʿdīl, often prioritising this over the character and piety of the scholars. He frequently incorporates anecdotes and poetry. Given its early 11th-century origin, the rich diversity in content is unsurprising, particularly since Tamīmī references 40 sources. This diversity explains the detailed nature of the work and why some entries extend beyond ten pages.

Al-Fawā’id al-Bahiyya fī Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya by Imām ‘Abd al-Ḥayy al-Lakhnawī (d. 1304 AH)

This work is a condensed version of Imām Kafawī’s (d. 990 AH) Katāʾib Aʿlām al-Akhyār min Fuqahā Madhhab an-Nuʿmān al-Mukhtār. Lakhnawī’s methodology involved removing the fiqh lessons from the original text, supplementing it with information from other biographical dictionaries, and providing biographies of certain scholars referenced in the primary text. Lakhnawī’s biographical additions in the footnotes are titled “Taʿlīqāt as-Saniyya ‘alā al-Fawāʾid al-Bahīyya.” His motivations echo those of Ibn Abī al-Wafā’, further fuelled by his perception that “many young scholars do not seem to pay attention to these matters,” thus inspiring his compilation. Lakhnawī’s comprehensive coverage of biographical dictionary content focuses on issues of al-Jarḥ wa at-Taʿdīl, reflecting his strong background in a family of distinguished traditionists from the Indian Subcontinent. Despite the absence of at-Ṭabaqāt as-Saniyya and an entry for Imām Tamīmī, Lakhnawī’s work is noted for its detailed references to the works of hadith transmitters. His decision to allocate less space to Imām Muḥammad’s biography compared to other students of Imām Abū Ḥanīfa might be attributed to the existence of extensive biographies for Imām Abū Ḥanīfa’s prominent students, particularly Imām Muḥammad and Imām Abū Yūsuf, thereby allowing him to focus on lesser-known students.

List of Ḥanafī Ṭabaqāt Works

Title	Author	Additional Information
Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Abū ʿĀṣim Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh al-Harawī	A manuscript of this book is located in Ayasofya, Istanbul, under number 948.
Ṭabaqāt al-Fuqahā’	ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Fāmī	Referenced in “Al-I‘lān bi al-Ta‘bīkh” page 191.
Ṭabaqāt al-Fuqahā’	Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Ibrāhīm al-Hamdānī	Mentioned in Kashf al-Ẓunūn, and “Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya” by al-Qurashī, page 478.
Wafayāt al-A‘yān min Madhhab al-Nu‘mān	Najm al-Dīn Ibrāhīm ibn ‘Alī ibn Aḥmad al-Ṭaraṭūsī	A copy is in the Al-Ẓāhirīyah library: Q 31 / 2 year 7149 Al-Ẓāhirīyah.
Kitāb fī Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Muhandis	Referenced in “Al-Durar al-Kāminah” 3/6.
Al-Jawāhir al-Muḍiyya fī Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Muḥyī ad-Dīn ‘Abd al-Qādir ibn Muḥammad ibn Naṣr al-Qurashī	Published in Hyderabad in the year 1332 AH, Karachi by Mir Muḥammad Kutubkhana, and in Cairo by ‘Īsa al-Bābī Al-Ḥalabī with the editing of Dr. ‘Abdul Fattāḥ al-Ḥalw in 1398 AH.
Naẓm al-Jumān fī Ṭabaqāt Aṣḥāb Imāminā an-Nu‘mān	Ṣārim ad-Dīn Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad ibn Aydamur ibn Daqmāq al-Qāhirī	Annotated in “Kashf al-Ẓunūn” 2/1098. Multiple copies available.
Al-Mirqāt al-Wafiyya fī Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Majd ad-Dīn Abū Ṭāhir Muḥammad ibn Ya‘qūb al-Fīrūzābādī al-Shīrāzī al-Shāfi‘ī	A copy is in the Aref Hikmet Library in Medina under number 42.
At-Tadhkirah	Taqī ad-Dīn Aḥmad ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Maqrīzī	Mentioned by Al-Hafiẓ Ibn Quṭlūbughā in the introduction to “Tāj al-Tarājim”.
Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Taqī al-Dīn Abū Bakr ibn Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ‘Umar al-Asadī al-Shahbī al-Dimashqī	Referenced in “Al-A‘lām” by al-Zarkalī 2/61.
Kitāb Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Al-Qaḍī Badr al-Dīn Maḥmūd ibn Aḥmad al-‘Aynī	Referenced in “Shadhārāt al-Dhahab” 7/287.
Tāj al-Tarājim fī Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Zayn al-Dīn Qāsim ibn Quṭlūbughā	First published in Leipzig in 1862, and in the Al-Muthanna Library in Baghdad in 1962.
Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Ibn Ajā	Referenced in “Al-A‘lām” 7/88.
Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Muḥibb al-Dīn Abī al-Faḍl Muḥammad bin Muḥammad al-Thaqafī al-Ḥalabī	Referenced in “Naẓm al-‘Uqyān” 171, “Al-A‘lām” 7/51.
Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Al-Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Raḥmān bin Muḥammad as-Sakhāwī	A copy is in the film library of the Islamic University of Medina, manuscript section, under number 5/4857.
Mukhtaṣar Min Manāqib A’imma al-Ḥanafiyya wa al-Shāfi‘iyya	Aḥmad bin Sulaymān bin Kamāl, known as Ibn Kamāl Pāsha	Copies are in the Library of the Holy Mosque in Mecca under number 82 Tarājim, and another in the Maḥmūdiyya Library in Medina under number 16/2650.
Al-Ghuraf al-‘Aliyya fī Tarājim Mutā’akhkhirī al-Ḥanafiyya	Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad bin ‘Alī bin Aḥmad bin Ṭūlūn al-Ṣāliḥī al-Dimashqī	A manuscript copy is in the King Faisal Center in Riyadh, number B 21477-21483.
Talkhīṣ al-Jawāhir al-Muḍiyya fī Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Muḥammad bin Ibrāhīm al-Ḥalabī	A manuscript copy is in Riyadh (Film 63) attributed to Aref Hikmet. It is also an abridgment of the aforementioned book by Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Muhandis.
Abridgement by Ibrāhīm bin Muḥammad bin Ibrāhīm al-Ḥalabī	Ibrāhīm bin Muḥammad bin Ibrāhīm al-Ḥalabī	Copies are available in multiple libraries, including the Ayasofya Library in Turkey.
Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Muḥammad Ḥafīd Agha Shams ad-Dīn	Referenced in “Kashf al-Ẓunūn”.
Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Aḥmad bin Muṣṭafā bin Khalīl, Taşköprüzade	A copy is in the Kuwait Library and believed to have been printed in Mosul in 1954.
Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Mawlā ‘Alī Shibli al-Ḥamīdī al-Rūmī, Sayf al-Dīn and ‘Alā’ al-Dīn, known as Qanalī Zādeh, and ‘Alā’ī, and Ibn al-Ḥanālī	Published with the editing of Dr. Muḥy ad-Dīn Hilāl al-Sarḥān in the press of the Sunni Waqf Diwan in Baghdad in 2005 in 3 volumes.
Katā’ib A‘lām al-Akhyār min Fuqahā’ Madhhab al-Nu‘mān al-Mukhtār	Maḥmūd bin Sulaymān al-Kafawī	Copies are in the Maḥmūdiyya Library in Medina under number 2575, and in the Qadiriyya Library under number 1242.
Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Aḥmad bin Muḥammad bin Qāḍī Khān bin Bahā’ al-Dīn bin Ya‘qūb bin Ḥasan bin ʿAlī al-Nahrawānī al-Hindī then al-Makkī al-Ḥanafī	Referenced in “Shadhārāt al-Dhahab” 8/420.
Ṭabaqāt al-Sādāt al-Ḥanafiyya	‘Abdullāh al-Suwaydī	Copies are in the Berlin Library in Germany under number 10026, and another in the Khuda Bakhsh Library in India under number 12/761.
Aṭ-Ṭabaqāt as-Sanniyya fī Tarājim al-Ḥanafiyya	Taqī al-Dīn bin ʿAbd al-Qādir at-Tamīmī	First part published with editing by ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ al-Ḥalw, then reprinted in Dar al-Rifāʿī in Kuwait in 1983 in three parts but remains incomplete.
Al-Athmār al-Janniyya fī Asmā’ al-Ḥanafiyya	ʿAlī bin Sulṭān Muḥammad al-Qārī al-Harawī	Abridgment of “Al-Jawāhir al-Muḍiyya” by al-Qurashī, printed in Khuda Bakhsh Library with editing by Salīm al-Dīn Aḥmad in 2002 in one volume, and also in the Sunni Waqf press in Baghdad with editing by Dr. ʿAbd al-Muḥsin ʿAbd Allāh Aḥmad in two volumes in 2009.
Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Khalīl al-Rūmī	Manuscript copy in the library of Walī al-Dīn Efendi.
Muhimmāt al-Fuqahā’ fī Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	Muḥammad Kāmī bin Ibrāhīm bin Aḥmad bin Shaykh Sinān bin Maḥmūd al-Adirnahwī al-Rūmī al-Ḥanafī	Referenced in “Iḍāḥ al-Maknūn” 2/608.
Khulāṣat al-Jawāhir fī Ṭabaqāt al-A’imma al-Ḥanafiyya al-Akābir	ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Amīn bin Shams al-Dīn al-Dāghistānī	Referenced in “Al-A‘lām” 4/7.
Al-Fawā’id al-Bahiyya fī Tarājim al-Ḥanafiyya	Abū al-Ḥasanāt ʿAbd al-Ḥayy al-Lakhnawī	Printed in Lucknow in 1993 AH, with “At-Ta‘liqāt as-Sanniyyā ‘alā al-Fawā’id al-Bahiyya” by the same author in the margin, and also in Pakistan and Egypt.
An-Nāfi‘ al-Kabīr fī Sharḥ al-Jāmi‘ aṣ-Ṣaghīr	Abū al-Ḥasanāt ʿAbd al-Ḥayy al-Lakhnawī	Biographical work dedicated to the narrators of “Al-Hidāyah”, including an introduction to “Al-Hidāyah”, as well as a supplement called “Muzīlat ad-Dirāyah”. Several other works on biographies by the same author.
Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya	ʿAfīf al-Dīn al-Shirwānī	A copy is available in the Egyptian National Library.

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References

— Sinanovic E., Hanafi biographical Dictionaries, (Malaysia: International Islamic University).

— ‘Abdullāh ibn Mubārak Āl Sayf, Kutub Tarājim al-Fuqahā ‘alā Madhāhib al-Arba’a, (al-Aluka: https://www.alukah.net/books/files/book_9827/bookfile/book.docx).

— Ḥājī Khalīfa, Kashf az-Ẓunūn ‘an Asāmī al-Kutub wa al-Funūn, (Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ Turāth).

— Ahmad K. and Abd al-Muqtadir, Catalogue of Arabic and Persian Manuscripts (The Bengal Secretariat Book Depot, 1905).

— Ibn Abī al-Wafā’, Al-Jawāhir al-Muḍiyya fī Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyya (Dār Hajr).

— Dhahabī, Siyar Aʿlām an-Nubalāʾ (Shamela: Muʾassasa ar-Risāla, 1985).