It is difficult to speak of the Books of the Sciences of Hadīth in the Later years without looking unto the encyclopedic work of As-Suyūti in the Tadrīb for it is a Commentary on An-Nawawī’s Taqrīb but an encyclopedia by all rights.
As-Suyūtī compiled it in a unique fashion and expanded on the details of it, drawing on the works of Ulamā that have preceded him and their different positions on matters of Mustalih and their preferences on matters of same. Whosoever ponders at the Tadrīb will realise the depth of knowledge the author had ornamented it with. There is hardly any matter among the matters of the Science of Hadīth that is discussed among the Ulamā before him and in his era except that he discussed it in it, around the words of Imām An-Nawawī in the Taqrīb and unto the words of the Ulūmi Al-Hadith that was the source of the Taqrīb.
He said in it’s introduction:
“Indeed the Science of Hadīth is elevated in status, great in esteem, honourable of mention, only the adept scholars specialise in it and no one is made to not have a share of it except the loser. The beauty of it is not lost to the passage of time…”
He was right, rahimahullāh.
Hāfidh As-Suyūtī was born 849 years after the Hijrah and passed away on the night of Jumu’ah 19th day of Jumada Al-Ūlā 911 years after the Hijrah at 61 years of age after authoring over 300 works. Imām As-Suyūtī lived a life of ‘Ibādah, knowledge seeking, it’s teaching, and it’s writing.
May Allāh unite us with him and with the rest Imāms of our Dīn in the Company of the Rasūl -salallāhu alayhi wasallam – and His Companions in the Gardens if Firdaws, amīn.
If you are a student of Hadīth or aim at being one, the Tadrīb is not one you can afford to not study for in it is a whole lot that shouldn’t be missed. In modern print, it’s about 590 pages filled with Ilm.
Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazakumullāhu Khayran
