Kitābu Al-Jāmi’i from the Book: Bulūghu Al-Marām by Ibn Hajar

*Shar’h Session*

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله رب العالمين
والعاقبة للمتقين ولا عدوان إلا على الظالمين
Assalāmu Alaykum Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh                                                                                                    Honored brothers and sisters on the Platform,                                                                                                          You are welcome to this month’s Sessions of the Shar’h
Where we take in Ramadān every evening the Commentaries of certain texts and expound on them
We ask Allāh to accept our fast of this month and to make us of those emancipated from the fire of Hell in this blessed period
Bārakallāhu fīkum
Āmīn
We shall inshā Allāh be expounding on the last Volume of the Book Bulūghu Al-Marām
Which he termed Kitābu Al-Jāmi’i and which contains six Chapters (Abwāb)
The book is authored by the Illustrious Imām and Hāfidh, Ahmad Ibn ‘Alī Ibn Hajar Al-‘Asqalānī rahimahullāh
He was born on the 12th of Sha’abān 773 years after the Hijrah in the City of Egypt
His father enrolled him in the Kuttāb Schools when he was five years of age and thereby memorized the Qur’ān while he was seven, spending two years in its memorization. He thereafter memorized the books of the different Sciences of the Sharī’a such as the ‘Umdah, Al-Hāwī As-Saghīr, Mukhtasar Ibn Hājib, Mulhatu Al-‘I’rāb, and many others
Of them were Ibn Al-Qattān who taught him Fiqh, Arabiyyah and Hisāb
An-Nūr Al-Ādamī taught him Fiqh and ‘Arabiyyah also
Ibn Mulaqqan also taught him Fiqh especially his Shar’h on the Minhāj
Who was known for his adept and thoroughness in matters of Fiqh
He thereafter at the age of 17 became a disciple to many of the Ulamā of his time
He then remained a dedicated disciple of Al-Bulqīnī rahimahullāh
Other Stars of Ilm from whom he studied in his teen ages were:
Al-Majd Al-Fayrūzabādī, the author of the Qāmūs, who taught him the Mufradāt and other Arabic Sciences
Imām Burhānuddīn At-Tanūkhī taught him the seven Qirā’āt and awarded him the Ijazāt in its field
Al-‘Izz Ibn Jamā’ah with whom he remained till the later passed away in 819 years after the Hijrah
Muhibb Ibn Hishām, Al-Ghimārī, in Lugga
Allah opened its gates to him and the science was made easy for him without a doubt
Allāh made loving to him the Sciences of Hadīth. He therefore pitched his tents in its gardens and dedicated himself to it.
He remained the disciple of Imām Zaynuddīn Al-‘Irāqī the author of the Alfiyyah for ten years and benefitted immensely from him
He therefore excelled until he reached the heights and surpassed his mates
Allāh blessed him with immense memory and fastidiousness in seeking for Ilm
And when the entire Muslim world noticed his excellence and deep understanding of Hadīth and its sciences and his Shuyūkh had awarded him the highest Ijazāt of transmissions and writings, he was referred to on matters of Hadīth and became the highest authority known everywhere
He became the Qādī at Dāru Al-Ashrafiyyah and later the Muftī
He authored many books in his time
Among them is the book Fat’hu Al-Bārī Shar’h Sahīh Al-Bukhārī which is a detailed Commentary of Sahīhu Al-Bukhārī and very detailed. It has been mentioned that he spent 25 years in its authorship
He traveled east and west, and to everywhere in the Muslim world where there were Imams with knowledge of the Hadīth
In the science of Mustalih, he authored many such as Nukhbatu Al-Fikar which he followed with the Nuz’hatu Al-Nadhar which is a commentary on the Nukhbah
He then wrote a detailed introduction to this Commentary and titled it Had’yu As-Sārī which no student of Hadīth can do without
A book which he authored after he had surpassed the age of fourty
Our Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Al-Hasan Ad-Dadduw maintained that if not for the Had’yu As-Sārī most of the Ummah would be negligent of the efforts put by Imām Al-Bukhārī in the Sahīh
He also authored books in other Sciences
Among his students were Burhānuddīn Al-Baqā’ī, Shamsuddīn As-Sakhāwī, Zakariyyah Al-Ansārī and other great Imams who learnt from him
And after living a life full of ‘Ibādah, Ilm, Ta’alīm, Tadrīs and Iftā
He passed away in Al-Qāhirah (Cairo) in the night of 18th Dhū Al-Hijjah 852 years after the Hijrah
Rahimahullāh
Where are the sons of the Ummah to trace in his footsteps, a life dedicated to the service or Ilm and Dīn

In his Introduction to the Bulūghu Al-Marām he had mentioned the purpose of his authorship of this Sterling Book
He said:
“This is a Summary containing the Primary Sources of evidences of Hadīth for the Injunctions of the Sharī’a. I chose them carefully that the one who memorizes it may be a Genius (Nābigh) in the midst of his peers, and the Student who is just beginning may seek help with it, and the Advanced Student who also seeks may not do without it.”
As we have said earlier, he divided it into Six Chapters
And lumped them up together in this Volume Kitābu Al-Jām’i
After exhausting the previous Volumes with Ahādith concerning Ibādāt and Mu’āmalāt, Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalānī – rahimahullāh then turned to other matters that may not directly fall under Ibādah or Mu’āmalah.
May Allāh alleviate their pains and bring solace to them

The first Chapter: Al-Adab (Comportment)

The Second Chapter: Al-Birru Wa As-Silah (Strengthening of Relationships and ties)

The third Chapter: Az-Zuhdu Wa Al-Wara’a (Scrupulousness and Austere living)

The fourth Chapter: At-Tar’hīb Fī Masāwī Al-Akhlāq (Cautions on Wrong Manners)

The fifth Chapter: At-Targhīb Fī Makārimu Al-Akhlāq (Encouragements to Excellent Manners)

The Sixth Chapter: Adh-Dhikr Wa Ad-Du’ā (Supplications and Prayers)

We shall inshā Allāh begin tomorrow with the first Chapter
May Allāh accept our fast and grant us His Mercy, forgiveness and everlasting Peace in this World and the Next āmīn.

We should not forget our brothers and sisters who are very unpriviledged and suffer the brunt of war and displacement in the different theatres of Jihād today. May He grant victory to the Mujāhidīn wherever they are. Amen

Bārakallāhu fīkum

Jazākumullāhu Khayran
سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله أستغفرك وأتوب إليك