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Introduction to Hadith Terminology: Nukhbat al-Fikar By Ibn Hajar

This course provides a rigorous study of one of the most important manuals on the Principles of Hadith and its nomenclature written by one of the most influential Hadith scholars of all time - Nukhbat al-Fikar by Imam Ibn Hajar. The text is usually studied after the completion of al-Bayquniyyah, and it is considered to be the gateway for studying the upper-intermediate and advanced textbooks of Hadith sciences. It is also considered to be the key to understanding the methodology of the scholars of Hadith from the 8th and 9th centuries onward because most of the scholars of Hadith after Ibn Hajar followed his systematic approach.

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Skill Level: Beginner
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Class Time: 10:00 PM ET
About the text:

Nukhbat al-Fikar is a fundamental primer in the Science of Hadith authored by the foremost late authority in Hadith, the renowned scholar Ibn Hajr al-`Asqalani. Since it was written, it was considered a breakthrough in the authorship of Hadith sciences. It was the first canonization of Hadith principles. So, its uniqueness does not stem only from its summarization of the previous works and its conciseness but from the fact that it was the first logically systemized text on principles of the Hadith sciences and Hadith nomenclature. For this very reason, it is considered to be the first detailed work - in the very technical sense of the term - on Hadith principles.
About the Author:

Imam Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani was one of the most influential scholars of the 8th and 9th centuries and a prolific scholar of Hadith. He was born in Cairo, Egypt, in the year of 773 AH. He lost both of his parents by the time he was four years old and was raised by the notable merchant Zaki al-Din al-Kharoubi. By the age of nine, five years after the passing away of his father, Ibn Hajar completed the memorization of the Qur’an. He also memorized a number of primers in the various branches of the Sacred Sciences. He had the opportunity to study under giants of the Shafi`i madhhab and giants in Hadith sciences, like al-Bulqini, al-`Iraqi, Ibn al-Mulaqqin, and others. He also traveled to study with scholars of Yemen, Hijaz, and the levant (Al-Sham)
Who is this course for:

This course is for those who have Arabic proficiency and have studied a basic text of of Hadith terminology. It is particularly beneficial for developing a mastery of Hadith sciences.
Learning outcomes:

  • Understand the epistemological foundations of the Sunna and its reliability as a source of knowledge and understand the dynamics of Hadith transmission and evaluation of chains of narration
  • Identify the nuances of Hadith terminology and recognize their contextual subtleties.
  • Understand the process of Hadith authentication and its requirements.
  • Understand the methodology of verifying Hadith narrators.
  • Conceptualize the various sciences of Hadith and their role in Hadith authenticationGrasp the various degrees of Hadith acceptance and rejection.
  • Understand the dynamics of Hadith transmission and evaluation of chains of narration
You cannot enrol yourself in this course.