Jami at-Tirmidhi: The Introduction

The current work is a translation of Shaykh al-Islām Muftī Muḥammad Taqī Usmānī’s introduction (muqaddimah) to his well-acclaimed commentary on the Jāmiʿ of Imam Abū ʿĪsā Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā at-Tirmidhī (209–279/824–892), entitled Dars Tirmidhī. In a concise yet comprehensive and comprehendible manner, Muftī Muḥammad Taqī Usmānī simplifies many critical issues of the sciences of hadith (ʿulūm al-ḥadīth). These include the validity of hadith as legal evidence, the stages of hadith codification, and the principles that govern the grading of hadiths. This introduction also explains the meaning of aṣḥāb ar-raʾy and appraises objections levelled against Imam Abū Ḥanifah concerning hadith. The author also presents a much-needed perspective on following an imam (taqlīd) before providing a biographical sketch of Imam Tirmidhī and the specialities of his Jāmiʿ. This indispensable work is a must-read for students of hadith and fiqh, not least anyone delving into Abū ʿĪsā’s magnum opus.