All praise and gratitude belongs to Allāh and may peace and blessings be upon His beloved Messenger ﷺ and those who followed in his noble path.
Following years of anticipation, our patience was rewarded with the blessing of a live ḥadīth majlis and maqra’ah of al-Muwaṭṭa’, with its four riwāyāt [i.e. transmissions]. The riwāyāt of Imām Muḥammad al-Shaybānī, Imām al-Qaʿnabī, Imām Abū Muṣʿab al-Zuhrī, and Imām Yaḥyā al-Laythī [may Allāh have mercy on them all] were transmitted in an event organised by Cordoba Academy in partnership with Al-Nujum Institute in London.
The programme was supervised by our beloved teachers: Shaykh al-Ḥadīth Muftī Shah Sadruddin and Shaykh al-Ḥadīth al-Musnid Mohammed Abu Bakr Daniel [may Allāh preserve them both]. Additional supervision was provided by a host of ʿulamā’ [may Allāh preserve them all] who attended via Zoom. The following article is a brief account of this inspirational event that recollects some of the benefits gained throughout. May Allāh allow it to be of use for all students of knowledge. Āmīn.
Thursday 2nd June 2022
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Waḥīd Malak commenced the programme by transmitting al-Ḥadīth al-Musalsal bi al-Awwaliyyah with his chain taken directly from Shaykh Muḥammad Zakariyyā al-Kāndehlawī [may Allāh have mercy on him]. Shaykh Muftī Sadruddin then recited the same ḥadīth with the chain from Imām Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah [may Allāh have mercy on him] in a manner that is appropriate for transmitting this narration and not just sufficing on ḥadīth text without its chain. The Shaykh mentioned that he was also honoured to have heard this ḥadīth from Shaykh Zakariyyā [may Allāh have mercy on him].
Following this, Shaykh Daniel, with his multiple chains, narrated the chain of Shaykh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī al-Baqqālī al-Mālikī from Shaykh Idrīs al-Sanūsī from Imām ʿĀbid al-Sindī. Thereafter, we began with the recitation of al-Muwaṭṭa’ via the transmission of Imām Muḥammad al-Shaybānī [may Allāh have mercy on him]. Unfortunately, external factors meant that we were not able to complete this recitation and what remained was eventually completed on Sunday 5th June 2022.
Friday 3rd June 2022
On Friday evening, we began the recitation of al-Muwaṭṭa’ via the transmission of Imām al-Qaʿnabī [may Allāh have mercy on him]. This was supervised by Shaykh Mohammed Daniel and Muftī Sadruddin, the latter being present throughout most of the recitation. Our blessings continued as we were permitted to read al-Awā’il al-Sunbuliyyah with Shaykh Zakariyyā al-Ṭālib al-Ḥalabī and Shaykh Muftī Sadruddin. Muftī Ṣaḥib then highlighted a number of benefits regarding the books chosen by Imām Muḥammad al-Sunbul [may Allāh have mercy on him] for his work. Once more, external factors meant that the recitation was left incomplete until Saturday 4th June 2022, at which point it was completed.
Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th June 2022
After completing the transmissions that remained incomplete from the previous two days, we began the transmission from Imām Yaḥyā al-Laythī and Imām Abū Muṣʿab al-Zuhrī [may Allāh have mercy on them both]. On Sunday, Shaykh al-Ḥadīth Mawlānā Yusuf Khoti, who was physically present, and Shaykhah al-Musnidah Umm Ibrāhīm, who was present via Zoom, both graced the event with their presence. Shaykh Khoti recited al-Ḥadīth al-Musalsal bi al-Awwaliyyah before multiple musalsalāt were read to both individuals. Shaykh ʿAbd al-Waḥīd attended the khatm [i.e. end of program] via Zoom. All that remained from the book was completed on Sunday, and the program was concluded with a beautiful duʿā by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Waḥīd, in which he prayed for all of the attendees, those near to them, and the wider Muslim community.
List of works covered during the maqra’ah:
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Waḥīd Malak:
al-Musalsal bi al-Awwaliyyah
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām Muḥammad al-Shaybānī [full]
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām al-Laythī [full]
Shaykh Muftī Sadruddin:
al-Musalsal bi al-Awwaliyyah
Musalsal Sūrah al-Ṣaff
al-Musalsal bi al-Maḥabbah
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām Muḥammad al-Shaybānī [full]
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām Al-Qaʿnabī [more than half]
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām al-Laythī [full]
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām Abū Musab al-Zuhrī [full]
al-Awā’il al-Sunbuliyah [full]
Mishkāh al-Maṣābīḥ [al-Muqaddimah and the first five ḥadīth]
Shaykh Mawlānā Yusuf Khoti:
al-Musalsal bi al-Awwaliyyah
Musalsal bi Sūrah al-Ṣaff
al-Musalsal bi al-Maḥabbah
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām al-Laythī [a small portion]
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām Abū Muṣʿab al-Zuhrī [a small portion]
Shaykh al-Musnid Mohammed Daniel:
al-Musalsal bi al-Awwaliyyah
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām Muḥammad al-Shaybānī [full]
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām Al-Qaʿnabī [more than half]
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām al-Laythī [full]
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām Abū Muṣʿab al-Zuhrī [full]
Shaykh Zakariyyā al-Ṭālib al-Ḥalabī:
al-Musalsal bi al-Awwaliyyah
al-Awā’il al-Sunbuliyyah [full]
Shaykhah al-Musnidah Umm Ibrāhīm:
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām al-Laythī [a small portion]
al-Muwaṭṭa’: the riwāyah of Imām Abū Muṣʿab al-Zuhrī [a small portion]
All the above Shuyūkh gave ijāzah khāṣṣah and ijāzah ʿāmmah, except Shaykh al-Musnid Mohammed Daniel and Shaykhah al-Musnidah Umm Ibrāhīm, who both gave ijāzah khāṣṣah only. Throughout the program, Shaykh Daniel mentioned multiple riwāyah fawā’id [i.e. beneficial regarding narration of ḥadīth] and made numerous corrections to the readings.
The following are a handful of benefits mentioned by the Shaykh:
- Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā Ḥabbān’s [may Allāh have mercy on him] name is pronounced Ḥabbān not Ḥibbān like the famous Imām Ḥibbān [may Allāh have mercy on him]. Shaykh mentioned this is a common mistake amongst students and book editors.
Imām ʿAbd al-Ḥayy al-Laknawī [may Allāh have mercy on him] mentions a similar point:
قوله: حَبّان، بفتح الحاء المهملة وتشديد الباء الموحَّدة بن مُنقِذ بضم الميم وكسر القاف آخره ذال معجمة، كما ضبطه الحافظ عبد الغني في “مشتبه النسبة” وابن ماكولا في “الإِكمال” وغيرهما لا بكسر الحاء المهملة كما ظنه القاري.
- When the name Muwaṭṭa’ Mālik is mentioned unqualifiedly, then it typically refers to the riwāyah of Imām Yaḥyā al-Laythī [may Allāh have mercy on him]. This is due to the fact that this transmission was widely accepted. The ʿulamā’ of the past and present have written commentaries on this transmission and have been teaching it for generations.
وهو المتبادر بالموطأ عند الإطلاق وأكب عليه العلماء في القديم والحديث بالتدريس والشرح.
Interestingly, in the Hindi Madāris of Shāh Walī-Allāh al-Dehlawī [may Allāh have mercy on him] we note that only two of his chains have complete samāʿ [i.e. oral transmission] in every ṭabaqah [i.e. generation]. These are al-Ṣaḥīḥ of Imām al-Bukhārī [may Allāh have mercy on him] and al-Muwaṭṭa’ through the transmission of Imām Yaḥyā al-Laythī [may Allāh have mercy on him]. All other works transmitted through Shāh Walī-Allāh [may Allāh have mercy on him] with a full samāʿ to him have only partial samāʿ in the generations prior to him.
- The sincerity of Imām Yaḥyā and his teacher Imām Ziyād Ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān [may Allāh have mercy on them both] was of the reasons behind the acceptance of this riwāyah. The work then gained unanimous acceptance across Ahl al-Sunnah.
Sincerity of Imām Ziyād:
Imām Yaḥyā studied al-Muwaṭṭa’ with his teacher Imām Ziyād [may Allāh have mercy on them both] in Spain. Upon completing his studies, his teacher advised him to travel to al-Madinah al-Munawwarah and take this great work from Imām Mālik [may Allāh have mercy on him] directly. The intelligence and sincerity of Imām Ziyād [may Allāh have mercy on him] was demonstrated through him urging his student to attain ʿuluw al-isnād [i.e. a higher chain] and not restricting him. Unfortunately, we see in our times that some teachers prevent students from obtaining higher chains for fear of being undermined themselves.
Alḥamdulillāh, the students of Cordoba Academy can testify to the efforts of their Shaykh in encouraging them to seek senior ʿulamā’ and obtain higher chains of narrations through meticulous study with them and acts of khidmah for them. Through this, they hope to attain the blessing of proximity to the Chosen One ﷺ.
Sincerity of Imām Yaḥyā:
After completing al-Muwaṭṭa’ with Imām Mālik himself, Imām Yaḥyā [may Allāh have mercy on them both] had doubt regarding three chapters from the section on iʿtikāf. When narrating the text, he would say: ‘I narrate al-Muwaṭṭa’ by samāʿ except these three chapters due to doubt. I narrate them from Imām Ziyād.’
This episode highlights the truthfulness and sincerity of the Imām in transmitting the work. It appears that Allāh preserved the mention of Imām Ziyād due to his sincerity in advising and teaching his student, and Allāh preserved the narration of Imām Yaḥyā due to his honesty and sincerity. Alḥamdulillāh, at Cordoba Academy, particular attention is paid to ensure that the ʿulamā’ are able to clearly hear what is being recited. If there is any doubt as to what was narrated, then the organisers make it a point to repeat the recitation of those narrations for the whole group.
- Typically, the muḥaddithūn would recite a full singly riwāyah and mention its chains in an isolated manner to avoid inadvertently mixing them.
إفراد الروايات بالقراءة وإفراد الأسانيد وعدم دمج شيءٍ منها.
However, many ʿulamā’ in the past have narrated the extra marfūʿ narrations [i.e. additional statements found in other riwāyāt that were not gathered] when transmitting al-Muwaṭṭa’. Examples of those who did this includes: Imām ibn ʿAbd al-Barr and Imām Dānī [may Allāh have mercy on them both]. Interestingly, only Imām Jawṣā [may Allāh have mercy on him] in his work of gathering the riwāyāt of Imām ibn Wahb and Imām ibn Qāsim [may Allāh have mercy on them both] mentioned these additions and slight differences in wording. We do not typically read multiple works simultaneously (دمـج) due to a lack of early research in gathering all additional aqwāl [i.e. statements] and āthār [i.e. sayings] from the earlier generations.
لم يحصل الموطأ خدمة شاملة في إفراد رواية صحيحة مع التحشية عليها بجمع دقيق لفروق الروايات بمراجعة متكررة ومقابلة للأصول، نظير فعل اليونيني المتقن في صحيح البخاري.
Some earlier ʿulamā’ have worked on this field, but due to a lack of early manuscript availability and methodological limitations, there is still much to be done.
Why, then, did this maqra’ah read simultaneously the transmissions of Imām Yaḥyā and al-Imām Zuhrī?
Imām al-Dhahabī [may Allāh have mercy on him] mentioned that these two narrations were the closest to each other. Furthermore, Dār al-Ta’ṣīl in their edition of the riwāyah of al-Zuhrī worked exceptionally hard through manuscript verification and the study of earlier works (e.g. those of Imām al- Dānī, Imām Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr [may Allāh have mercy on them all] and others) to remove any errors. Thus, the transmissions of al-Laythī and al-Zuhrī [may Allāh have mercy on them both] were read together, and the transmissions of al-Shaybānī and al-Qaʿnabī [may Allāh have mercy on them both] were read separately.
- The Muḥaddithūn would travel [i.e. riḥlah] extensively to obtain these monumentous works. Although Imām Yaḥyā [may Allāh have mercy on him] had already studied al-Muwaṭṭa’ from his teacher Imām Ziyād, he travelled across the world to benefit from Imām Mālik [may Allāh have mercy on him] directly. A heartwarming 21st century example is found in Muftī Mujib al-Rahman and Brother Tashdid travelling from America, and Brother Muhammad Gassama travelling from France, to attend this maqra’ah in London.
We asked Muftī Mujib al-Rahman to provide some feedback about his experiences at the event. We hope that his valuable words will serve as an encouragement and inspiration for fellow students to pursue further studies in the field of various Islamic Sciences and the revival of the sanad tradition.
Muftī Mujib al-Rahman:
‘Alḥamdulillāh, after studying with Cordoba Academy online for over two years now, I was blessed with the opportunity to study with them onsite for the first time. Travelling from New York to England for the sole reason of the Ḥadīth of Rasūlullāh ﷺ, this became one of the most blessed journeys of my life. To top that, while meeting the musnid of the world today, Shaykhunā Muhammad Daniel (ḥafiẓahullāh), I was taken aback by his humbleness and compassion and awed by his mastery in the science of the narration of the tradition.
I enjoyed the blessed company of the students who became like family in those few days. It felt like the old times when seekers of knowledge would do riḥlah (travel) to acquire Ḥadīth, as was the way of the Muḥaddithūn.
Unfortunately, this science is almost dead today, besides the efforts of a few such as Shaykhunā Daniel, one of the pioneers of reviving this tradition, as well as our ʿulamā’ of Deoband. We were also blessed with the company of several such ʿulamā’ on this trip, including the likes of Shaykhunā Muftī Sadruddin, and Shaykhunā Yusuf Khoti (ḥafiẓahumullāh).
This is besides being blessed with the recitation of one of the greatest masterpieces of Ḥadīth, the Muwaṭṭa of Imām Mālik (raḥimhullāh), in four recessions. I have come to see the mastery of Imām Mālik and his vast expertise in Ḥadīth as well as Fiqh al-Ḥadīth and have understood the speciality of his work, i.e. the following of qualified scholarship and not relying on one’s own understanding, unlike many who have stooped to that level today.
May Allāh ﷻ bless Shaykh Daniel, Cordoba Academy, Al-Nujum Institute, and everyone else for conducting such a blessed program, and may Allāh ﷻ continue their effort until Qiyāmah and accept it from all of us. Āmīn.’
In conclusion, the program was a great success with many students participating from various cities throughout the UK and other students listening online from France, Australia, America, Malaysia and Singapore etc. May Allāh bless Cordoba Academy and give us the ability to further benefit from them and other great ʿulamā’. Āmīn.
