Hadiyyat al-ahbab (book)
 Bibliographical Information | |
| Author | Shaykh Abbas Qummi |
|---|---|
| Original title | هَدیةُ الْاَحْباب فی ذِکْر الْمَعْروفین بِالْکُنی وَ الْاَلْقاب وَ الْاَنْساب |
| Language | Arabic |
| Series | 1 volume |
| Subject | Biography of Shi'a and Sunni scholars |
| Published | 1421/2000-1 |
| Publisher | Nashr al-Fiqa'ha |
| Preceded by | al-Fawa'id al-Radawiyya, Ghayat al-muna |
| Followed by | Mafatih al-jinan |
Hadiyyat al-aḥbāb fī dhikr al-maʿrūfīn bī l-kunā wa l-alqāb wa l-anṣāb, (Arabic: هَدیةُ الْاَحْباب فی ذِکْر الْمَعْروفین بِالْکُنی وَ الْاَلْقاب وَ الْاَنْساب) is a book in Arabic written by Shaykh Abbas Qummi (d. 1359/1941). It was a summary of two other books of Muhaddith Qummi, i.e. al-Fawa'id al-Radawiyya and Ghayat al-muna, about the lives of the companions of the Prophet (a) and Imams (a) and some Shi'a and Sunni scholars and poets who were famous either for their kunyas, titles or lineage. He tried to make the reader familiar with their lives in brief and also mentioned Arabic and Persian poems and social and historical points as well.
The Author
'Abbas b. Muhammad Rida Qummi (b. 1294/1877-8 – d. 1359/1941), known as Shaykh 'Abbas Qummi and also Muhaddith Qummi was a Shi'a scholar of 14th/20th century. He was a hadith scholar, historian and orator. Mafatih al-jinan, Safinat al-bihar and Muntaha al-amal are among his most famous works. Muhaddith Qumi passed away in 1359/1941 in Najaf and was buried in the shrine of Ali b. Abi Talib (a).
Date of Writing
According to a report based on the statement of Shaykh Abbas at the end of his book, writing this book finished in 1339/1920-1 in Mashhad near the shrine of Imam al-Riḍa (a),[1] but in the book published in the congress for commemoration of Muhaddith Qummi, the date of writing Hadiyyat al-ahbab was mentioned 1348/1929-30 in Mashhad.[2]
Writing Approach
Muhaddith Qummi used different approaches in compiling Hadiyyat al-ahbab. The text of the book is not coherent and both Persian and Arabic texts are used. Referring to hadiths from the Infallibles (a), using Arabic and Persian poems and mentioning stories are among the techniques of Qummi in writing the book.
When introducing people, Muhaddith Qummi mentioned the correct pronunciation of their names, dates of their deaths, their personality and ideological attributes, scientific merits and reasons of their attributes. However, he did not introduce some famous people.[3]
Content
In the introduction of the book, Shaykh 'Abbas Qummi mentioned that the treatise of Hadiyyat al-ahbab is about the scholars of the two schools of Shi'a and Sunni and the companions of Imams (a) that he has adopted from his two other books, i.e. Ghayat al-muna and al-Fawa'id al-Radawiyya and that he titled it as Hadiyyat al-ahbab fi dhikr al-ma'rufin bi l-kuna wa l-alqab wa l-ansab.[4]
Hadiyyat al-ahbab is comprised of three chapters, each of which contains entries in alphabetical order.
- Chapter one: this chapter is about those whose names begin with "ab". In this chapter, 100 people are introduced with their attributes. It begins with Abu Usama Zayd al-Shiham al-Kufi and ends with Abu Yusuf Qadi Ya'qub b. Ibrahim, Abu Hanifa's student.
- Chapter two: About those whose names begin with "Ibn". Muhaddith Qummi has mentioned 174 scholars and described their lives. This chapter begins with Ibn Abi Jumhur al-Ahsa'i and finished with Ibn Ya'ish Muwaffaq al-Din, Ya'ish b. Ali b. Ya'ish.
- Chapter three: it is about those who are famous for their titles or lineages. The author has mentioned 511 people in this chapter beginning with al-Abi al-Hasan b. Abi Talib al-Yusufi known as Fadil Abi and ends with al-Yafi'i Abu l-Sa'adat 'Abd Allah b. As'ad al-Yamani.[5]
Translations and Prints
One of the translations (only correction and translation of Arabic texts) was made by Ghulam Husayn Ansari and International Publishing published it. Another translation was made into Arabic by Hashim Salihi in Qom and Nashr al-Fiqaha published it in 1421/2000-1 for the first time.
Prints of Hadiyyat al-ahbab are different:
- A lithograph print in 1349/1930-1 in Matba'at al-Murtadawiyya of Najaf, including a summary of Kuhl al-basar titled as 'Ahsan al-'athar min makarim akhlaq Sayyid al-Bashar.
- A print in Tehran by Amir Kabir Publications in 1332 SH/1953-4.
- A print in Tehran by Saduq Library, first print in 1362 SH/1983-4.
- A print in Tehran by Amir Kabir Publications in 1363 SH/1984-5.
- A print in Qom by Nasim-e Kowthar publications, first print in 1383 SH/2004-5.
- A print in Qom by Nur Mataf publications in 1388 SH/2009-10 by the efforts of the congress for commemoration of Muhaddith Qummi, Muhsin Sadiqi and Ali Alizadeh.
Notes
References
- ʿAlīzāda, ʿAlī. 1390 Sh. "Hadīyat al-aḥbāb fī dhikr al-maʿrūfīn bi-l-kinā wa l-alqāb wa l-ansāb." Āyina-yi Pazhūhish 127:108-109.
- Farshchīyān, Riḍā. 1387 Sh. "Muʿarrifī wa naqd-i hadīyyat al-aḥbāb." Pazhūhishhā-yi taʿlīm wa tarbīyat-i Islāmī 4:145-152.
- Muḥaddith Rabbānī. Group of author. Qom: Nūr al-Maṭāf, 1389 Sh.
- Qummī, ʿAbbās. Hadīyat al-aḥbāb fī dhikr al-maʿrūfīn bi-l-kinā wa l-alqāb wa l-ansāb. Qom: Nūr al-Maṭāf, 1388 Sh.