Al-Istibsar (book)
Al-Istibṣār fī mā ukhtulif min al-akhbār (Arabic: الاستِبصار فی ما اختُلِفَ مِن الاَخبار) is the fourth book of the Four Books. It is a hadith collection compiled by al-Shaykh al-Tusi (d. 460/1067 ) known as al-Shaykh al-Ṭa'ifa.
 | |
| Author | Al-Shaykh al-Tusi |
|---|---|
| Original title | الاستبصار فی ما اختلف من الاخبار |
| Language | Arabic |
| Subject | jurisprudence hadith |
| Genre | Hadith |
| Published | Beirut, 1426/2005-6 |
| Publisher | Mu'assisa al-a'lami li l-matbu'at |
Content
This book contains jurisprudential hadiths and is more concise than Tahdhib al-ahkam. The order of the chapters in al-Istibsar is so that the first two parts are dedicated to issues regarding worship (except Jihad) and the last part (part three) is about other jurisprudential issues such as contracts, unilateral obligations, fixed punishments, and financial compensations.
According to statistics that the author has given about the hadiths recorded in al-Istibsar, they are 5511 hadiths,[1] while in a researched publication of the book, the number of hadiths is 5558 and this difference might be due to the way of counting some special hadiths.[2]
In the first two parts, al-Shaykh al-Tusi has recorded almost all hadiths with their references. Still, in the last part, the references are mentioned in a brief way and similar to the style of Tahdhib al-ahkam and more similar to the style of al-Shaykh al-Saduq in Man la yahduruh al-faqih the references of hadiths to hadiths Usul [original references] are mentioned at the end of the work.[3]
Purpose of Compilation
Some scholars and students of al-Shaykh al-Tusi asked him to write a book where he collects conflicting hadiths, analyzes them, and marks the correct and incorrect ones. In this book, al-Shaykh al-Tusi first brought authentic and correct hadiths and then has mentioned conflicting ones and has tried not to miss one and finally has tried to reach a conclusion after discussing the two kinds of hadiths.
Manner of Compilation
In this work, in addition to collecting all hadiths related to one issue at one place, al-Tusi has reviewed their references and meanings and in each chapter, has suggested his own opinion for removing apparent disagreements between hadiths or the priority of some of them over others. Methods for reach agreements and conclusions between hadiths and removing their disagreements have a special position in the al-Shaykh al-Tusi's fiqh, and has been reflected especially in his al-Istibsar.
Therefore, this book should not be regarded as a mere collection of hadiths and ignore its jurisprudential value. Similar to other books among the Four Books, the order of the chapters of al-Istibsar is based on the usual order in jurisprudential works.
Although in compiling al-Istibsar, al-Shaykh al-Tusi has so much relied on his previous work Tahdhib al-ahkam , but al-Istibsar has its own characteristics regarding the general purpose of compilation as well as the chaptering and the order of hadiths in each chapter and is regarded as an independent work. This independence is clearly seen in a list of the author's works[4] and in the words of his contemporary scholar, al-Najashi.[5]
Attributes
This is the first book that has been published to make an agreement between conflicting hadiths.
In addition to its great credit, al-Istibsar has excellent coverage so that Ibn Tawus says, "If there is any disagreement about an issue, it must have been mentioned in al-Istibsar."
At the beginning of every chapter, first, the authentic or reliable hadith(s) are mentioned and then other hadiths are listed.
Position
This book is among the most authentic Shia hadith books and every faqih or Mujtahid needs to refer to it when judging about rulings.
Al-Istibsar is one of the Four Books and at the same level with al-Shaykh al-Kulayni's Al-Kafi, al-Shaykh al-Saduq's Man la yahduruh al-faqih and al-Shaykh al-Tusi's another book, Tahdhib al-ahkam which was written previous to al-Istibsar.
Regarding the significance and value of al-Istibsar, its name has always been in the list of references and Shia scholars and faqihs gave permission of narrating its hadiths to each other.
Comparison with Other Collections of Hadiths
| Important Shi'i hadith collections | Author | Death | Number of hadiths | descriptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| al-Mahasin | Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Barqi | 274/887-8 | about 2604 | Hadiths regarding different topics such as fiqh and ethics |
| al-Kafi | Muhammad b. Ya'qub al-Kulayni | 329/941 | about 16000 | Variety of hadiths regarding the principles of beliefs, ethics, conducts, and fiqh |
| Man la yahduruh al-faqih | al-Shaykh al-Saduq | 381/991-2 | about 5500 | Hadiths regarding fiqh |
| Tahdhib al-ahkam | al-Shaykh al-Tusi | 460/1067 | about 13600 | Hadiths regarding fiqh |
| Al-Istibsar | al-Shaykh al-Tusi | 460/1067 | about 5500 | Hadiths regarding fiqh |
| al-Wafi | al-Fayd al-Kashani | 1091/1680 | about 50,000 | Collection of hadiths in the Four Books with eliminating repeated hadiths and explaining some hadiths |
| Wasa'il al-shi'a | al-Shaykh al-Hurr al-'Amili | 1104/1693 | 35850 | Hadiths regarding fiqh in the Four Books and over 70 other collections of hadiths |
| Bihar al-anwar | al-'Allama al-Majlisi | 1110/1699 | about 85,000 | Hadiths from most of the Infallibles (a) regarding various issues |
| Mustadrak al-wasa'il | Mirza Husayn Nuri | 1320/1902 | 23,514 | Supplementation of hadiths regarding fiqh in Wasa'il al-shi'a |
| Safinat al-bihar | Shaykh 'Abbas Qummi | 1359/1941 | 10 volumes | an alphabetically ordered index for Bihar al-anwar |
| Mustadrak safinat al-bihar | Shaykh 'Ali Namazi | 1405/1984-5 | 10 volumes | Supplementation of Safinat al-bihar |
| Jami' ahadith al-Shi'a | Ayatollah Burujirdi | 1380/1961 | 48,342 | Including all Shiite hadiths regarding fiqh |
| Mizan al-hikma | Muhammad Muhammadi Reyshahri | 2022 | 23,030 | 564 non-jurisprudential (not regarding fiqh) topics |
| al-Hayat | Muhammad Rida Hakimi | 2021 | 12 volumes | 40 chapters regarding theoretical and practical issues |
Old Copies
About old copies of al-Istibsar, first, the incomplete manuscript transcribed by Ja'far b. Ali Mashhadi must be mentioned that Aqa Buzurg Tihrani[6] reports that was available in the library of Sayyid Hadi Kashif al-Ghita' in Najaf. According to this report, the mentioned copy has been compared with the handwriting of al-Shaykh al-Tusi and the job has finished in 573/1177-8.
Then, a copy kept in Ayatollah Mar'ashi Najafi Library in Qom should be mentioned that has been transcribed in the eighth/fourteenth century.
Commentaries and Glosses
Compiling works as commentary, gloss or marginal notes on al-Istibsar can be seen particularly since late 10th/16th century, among the most important ones of which are the following:
- Marginal notes written by Muhammad b. Ali b. Husayn al-'Amili, author of Madarik al-ahkam (d. 1009/1600) which is kept together with the text of al-Istibsar in Rawdati copy.
- Marginal notes written by Hasan b. Zayn al-Din al-'Amili, author of Ma'alim al-din (d. 1011/1602-3). Availability of this marginal notes is reported by Afandi in Riyad al-'Ulama.
- Marginal notes written by Muhammad b. Ali b. Ibrahim al-Astarabadi, author of Minhaj al-maqal (d. 1028/1618-9), different copies of which have been seen in Najaf and Mashhad.
- Istiqsa' al-i'tibar which is a commentary written by Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. Hasan b. Zayn al-Din al-'Amili (d. 1030/1620-1) and Aqa Buzurg Tihrani has reported some copies of it.
- Manahij al-akhbar which is a commentary written by Kamal al-Din (or Nizam al-Din) Ahmad b. Zayn al-'Abidin al-'Amili.
- A commentary written by Mulla Muhammad Amin al-Astarabadi (d. 1036/1626-7)
- A gloss written by Mir Muhammad Baqir al-Astarabadi, known as Mirdamad (d. 1040 or 1041/1630-1 or 1631-2) which has been sometimes referred to as a commentary. There are several copies of it in Sepahsalar Library in Tehran and Chester Beatty Library in Dublin.
- Jami' al-akhbar fi idah al-istibsar which is a commentary written by al-Shaykh 'Abd al-Latif b. Ali b. Ahmad b. Abi Jami' al-Harithi (d. 1050/1640-1), a pupil of al-Shaykh al-Baha'i.
- Kashf al-asrar fi sharh al-istibsar which is a commentary on al-Istibsar written by al-Sayyid Ni'mat Allah al-Jaza'iri (d. 1112/1701) and several manuscripts of it have been mentioned by Aqa Buzurg Tihrani.
- Nukat al-irshad written by al-Shahid al-Awwal Muhammad b. Makki.
- Sharh al-Istibsar written by Sayyid Mirza Hasan b. 'Abd al-Rasul Husayni Zunnuzi
- Sharh al-Istibsar written by Amir Muhammad b. Amir 'Abd al-Wasi' Khatunabadi, al-'Allama al-Majlisi's son-in-law.
See Also
Notes
References
- Āqā Buzurg Tihrānī, Muḥammad Muḥsin. Al-Dharīʿa ilā taṣānīf al-Shīʿa. Beirut: Dār al-Aḍwāʾ, 1403 AH.
- Dānishpazhūh, Muḥammmad Taqī. Nashrīya-yi kitābkhāna-yi markazī Dānishgāh-i Tihrān. Tehran: Intishārāt-i Dānishgāh-i Tihrān, 1362 Sh.
- Group of authors. "al-Istibṣār." In Dāʾirat al-maʿārif buzurg-i Islāmī, vol. 8. Tehran: Markaz-i Dāʾirat al-maʿārif Buzurg-i Islāmī, 1377 Sh.
- Najāshī, Aḥmad b. ʿAlī al-. Al-Rijāl. Edited by Mūsā Shubiyrī Zanjānī. Qom: Muʾassisat al-Nashr al-Islāmī, 1407 AH.
- Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-. Al-Fihrist. Edited by Muḥammad Jawād Qayyūmī. Qom: Muʾassisat Nashr al-Fiqāha, 1417 AH.
- Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-. Al-Istibṣār. Edited by Ḥasan Mūsawī Kharsān. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmīyya, 1390 AH.