Al-Kanti's treatment of weak hadiths in his book: Sharh al-Ahadith al-Muqriya (From the section beginning with 'Friday' to the section ending with 'funerals')

Abstract

This research examines the methodology employed by Shaykh Muhammad Bayy ibn ʿUmar al-Kunti when dealing with weak hadiths in his book Sharḥ al-Ahadith al-Muqriyyah. The focus is on the section ranging from the beginning of the Book of Friday Prayer to the end of the Book of Funerals. This is achieved by identifying the hadiths that he deemed to be weak, as well as those whose weakness has been confirmed through the works of hadith authentication and takhrij. The study also analyses the manner in which he employed and cited these hadiths in various contexts within his commentary. The importance of this topic lies in the fact that the evidentiary authority of weak hadiths, the fields in which they may be acted upon, and the conditions governing such use are issues concerning which hadith scholars and jurists have expressed divergent views.

The research is organised into three sections. The first section introduces Shaykh al-Kunti's biography, covering his name, lineage and birth, as well as his pursuit of knowledge, scholarly and social standing. It then presents his most important works and concludes with an account of his death. The second section addresses the concept of weak hadith and its types, together with the principal rules and guidelines governing its use. The third section is devoted to an applied study, examining how Shaykh al-Kunti treated weak hadiths in relation to the virtues of deeds and Islamic jurisprudential rulings. It analyses the formulas through which he cited these hadiths and demonstrates the extent to which he relied on them when discussing issues in his commentary.

The research adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology with an applied dimension. It describes the hadiths and the contexts in which they occur, analyses the commentator’s methodology in dealing with them and draws upon works of hadith, takhrij, al-jarḥ wa al-taʿdīl, hadith commentaries and jurisprudential sources to verify the hadiths' grades and identify how they are employed in the book. This approach seeks to highlight the main features of al-Kunti’s methodology in dealing with weak hadith, determine the contexts in which he employed them and assess the consistency of his practical application with the guidelines established by Islamic scholars in this field.