Yanabi' al-mawadda li-dhawi l-qurba (book)

Yanabi' al-mawadda li dhawi l-qurba

Author	Sulayman b. Ibrahim al-Qunduzi al-Hanafi
Original title	ینابیع المودة لذوی القربی
Language	Arabic
Published	1418/1997-8, Beirut
Publisher	Mu'assisa al-'A'lami li-l-Matbu'at
Pages	593

Yanābīʿ al-mawadda lī-dhawī l-qūrbā (Arabic: یَنابیعُ المودّة لذوی القُربی) is a book about the biographies of Ahl al-Bayt (a), their virtues and the value of loving them, especially Imam Ali (a). The book is authored by Sulayman b. Ibrahim al-Qunduzi al-Hanafi (d. 1294/1877-8), a Sunni, Hanafi scholar in 13th/19th century. The author has divided the book into 100 sections with different topics, without any particular order or organization. He has also cited Shiite sources in the work. The book has been translated into Persian.

Author

Sulayman b. Ibrahim al-Qunduzi al-Balkhi was a Sunni, Hanfai scholar and Sufi who was born in 1230/1814-5 in Kunduz (a city in Afghanistan) near Balkh). After his early educations, he went to Bukhara and then to India, where he joined the Sufist path and was trained in mysticism and religious understanding. After a while, he went back to his homeland and began to instruct his people in religious matters. In 1269/1852-3 he decided to go to Mecca but he stayed in Baghdad and Konya, where he learned and taught. For a while, he also undertook the position of Shaykh (master) of Sufism there. He died in 1294/1877-8) in Constantinople.

Title

About the reason why he called the book Yanabi' al-mawadda (springs of love), he says in the beginning of the book: "I called it "Yanabi' al-mawadda" because of the relationship with the progeny of the Prophet (s); the progeny or Ahl al-Bayt who are Ahl al-'Aba (a) and springs of prosperity and blessing.

Motivation for Writing

In the introduction of the book, the author says: "the purpose of writing the book is that in the Qur'an, God tells us that the Prophet (s)'s reward for his messages is the love of Ahl al-Bayt (a), which is an obligation for us."

Without having an organization, the book cites some narrations about the virtues of Imam Ali (a) and some of Ahl al-Bayt (a) such as Imam al-Hasan (a), Imam al-Husayn (a), and Imam al-Mahdi (a).

Sources

The author cites the important Sunni sources of hadith, such as al-Sihah al-Sitta, Manaqib Abu Na'im , Manaqib Ibn Maghazili , Fara'id al-simtayn , Manaqib al-Khwarazmi, or Manaqib Amir al-Mu'minin, and al-Fusul al-muhimma. Al-Qunduzi has also cited some Shiite sources in his book.

Contents

The book has 100 sections each of which is concerned with a particular topic. Al-Qunduzi has cited different sources; and unlike many traditional authors, he has mentioned the names of these sources. In many cases, he cites one hadith more than one time.

In general, Yanabi' al-mawadda is concerned with the biography of Ahl al-Bayt (a), and their virtues, and most of all it is concerned with the virtues of Imam Ali (a). He has collected many hadiths concerning the virtues of Ahl al-Bayt (a), without any particular order. For instance, in the section where he cites hadiths about the virtues of Imam Ali (a), he also cites the virtues of Ahl al-Bayt (a) in general, and then he goes to the virtues of Imam al-Mahdi (a). He has also talked about the Arabic letters and their features, which is concerned with the science of letters ('ilm al-huruf).

Copies, Translations, and Publications

A copy of this book is available in the Library of Princeton University in the US, under the title Yanabi' al-mawadda wa wasa'il al-sa'ada, which was hand-written in Jumada I, 1288/July-August 1871.

There is a Persian translation of the book under Ali wa shukuh-i ghadir bar faraz-i wahy wa risalat (Ali and the glory of Ghadir in the heaven of revelation and prophecy) by Muhammad Ali Shah Muhammadi.

Below are the publications and prints of the book:

• The first print and publication in 1302/1884-5 in Istanbul.
• Another publication in Istanbul.
• Lithographical print in Mashhad in 1308/1890-1 edited by Muhammad Shafi' I'timad al-Dawla.
• Lithographical print in Bombay in India in 1311/1893-4.
• Publication in Tehran in 1312/1894-5.
• Publication in Beirut in 3 volumes.
• Publication in Najaf in 1384/1964-5 in Haydariyya publications.
• And many other publications based on the early versions.