TO HADITH 1 INDIA'S CONTRIBUTION

THE STUDY OF

LITERATURE

MUHAMMAD ISHAQ, A SURVEY THE EARLIEST TIME DOWN TO THE NINETEENTH CENTURY of the time Ph.D. 1947 ] H A 1955 INDIA'S CONTRIBUTION

TO THE STUDY OF

HADITH LITERATURE

OF THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF HADITH LITERATURE IN THE SUB-CONTINENT OF PAKISTAN AND INDIA FKOM

TOGETHER WIT

The lives and the works of the leading Mubaddithun

M.A.,

Lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies University of Dacca

Formerly Research Scholar, Government of Bengal

[ Thesis approved for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Dacca, January

Bulletin No. XXII

PUBLISHED BY

THE UNIVERSITY OF DAti&

(East Pakistan)

PBDfTED 7 AT ASKEAJT FRESS, 7 AIBAIC BOA D LAHORE BY SHAIKH MUHAMMAD A8HBA

y Section 3 : Under the later Delhi Sultanate (700 Section 2: Chapter I. The Advent * 900/1300-1494): Transmission of Islamic learning to of the Sahaba Ni?am Sind Section 3: in India. al-Dln Centres of Hadith Awliya' Muhaddithan thereof: learning and the and al-Dln al-Manirl and his School of Muhaddithan in Bihar'All al-Hamadfinl and* his School of Muhaddithan in Kashmir Caliphate of 'Urnar and QusdarIsm&'ilite Zakarlyya (J3-23/635-43)Sahaba coup (388*900/998-1494) Section 1: al-Mult&rii India upto the Caliphate of Mu'awlya d'etat in Sind and its effect on Hadith Under the Ghaznawids (388-582 700/1205-1300): and his School of in /998 - 1186): (40-60/661- Literature in Sind under the learning Traditionists of the 7th century A.H. Muhaddithan at MultSn Arab Colonies in Sind ... ... 21 Traditionists of Lahore ... ... 45 81) Arabs PAGE ix-xiv 120 214 4 22 28 4579 48 54 7 6 CONTENTS

Introduction

PART I

INDIAN TRADITIONISTS IN INDIA

Land and naval expeditions to India during the

Chapter II. Hadlth

Section 1:

al-Mansura

Traditionists of DebaL

Chapter III. Hadith Literature in Northern India

Section 2 : Under the early Delhi Sultanate (602-

his School of Muhaddithan in DelhiSharaf

Retrospect

Chapter V, thS-IUl B % # vi Section 1: Section 5: Section 4: Section 2: Section 2: Section 1: INDIES ShSh Shaykh Growth and development of the centres of Hadlth learning in India: Transmission of al-Hadith Wall (I) Muhaddithun Allah and his School of Ahmad al-Sihrindl Deccan, (II)" Gujarat. (Ill) from al-HijizMigration to India Asqalanl'Abd (V) Sind, (IV) (VI) Hajar al- al-RahmSn Lahore, (VII) Jhansi and Kalpi, foundation of the Dar al-'Ulam al-Sakhawl Zakariyya (VIII) Agra, (IX) Lucknow, Shaykh Abd at Deoband and the Mu?ahir al-AnsauIbn (X) Jawnpur, al-Haqq al-'Ulam at Saharanpar Indian LITERATURE Learning in India (820-992/1417-1584) Hajar al-Hay (XI) Bihar, and (XII) 11th century A.H. al-Dihlaw (1000-1229/ 1592-1814) to the middle of 12th * ... 163 Ruwat ... ... ... 19121 prisoners from India Cultural activities of the tribesmen ' - 80 -11 6 80 Bengal 101 120 i 140 * 146 century % 155 7 r 19 1 CONTRIBUTION TO HADITH

Chapter IV. Renaissance of Hadlth

of the Tradi- tionists of the Schools of Ibn

9 9 9 *

Khandish,

Malwa,

Indian Traditionists ... ... 117177 Section 1 : Traditionists who flourished from the middle of the 9th to the middle of the

and his School of Muhaddithun (1000-1296/1692- 1878) ... ... ... ... Section 3:

and his School of Muhaddithun

Traditionists who flourished from the middle of the 11th

*

(1146-1283/1734-1866)The

PART II

INDIAN TRADITIONISTS OUTSIDE INDIA

Chapter!. Early

Tribesmen of Sind IslamizedWa

Section 2:

Sahih His role 90/1511-82 as a TraditionistHi al-Muttaqi ) Section 3 : Abu Bilgraml's "Sza Mashariq al-AnwarMis and his School of Muhaddithan 'J-Hasan granted to Sul.an 'Abd s and his literature before al-Saghani other works on al- Hadlthal-Saghani (950-1000,1543-92) al-Sindi al-Nahrwall al-Hamld al-Din Works ... ... 21823 222 as an editor of the ... 232 al-Nahrwali (d. 1138/1726) and other Tradi- Journals ... of Turkey (1774-89) ' ... 261-270 CONTENTS Vi i 19 5 1 n 226 - (917- 23 238 tionists : t Cultural activities of the Indian war- prisoners

Chapter II. Al-Saghrur

Section 1 : His short biography ... ... 218 Section 2 : Hadith

Section 3:

of al-Bukha

Chapter III. Indian Traditionists (950-1257/1543

1841) Section 1 : 'All

*

232243

Section 2 : Mufti Qu.b

Section 4 : 'Umar

... 240

Bibliography (a) Manuscripts (b) Published works (c) Catalogues ... (d)

247259 247 .. 248 .. 258 259

APPENDIX

Copy of Sayyid Murtad.i

& Ma'irtf 2. Ma'irtf. 1940), PP* 1934); Muqaddima, p. 45). becomes highly doubtful and con- pp. The document authorizing the grant of land on behalf of Caliph 'Uthman sequently the authority of al-Baladhuri which was written on the 22nd of Jumada in contrast with that of the C hack-Nam a follows (Mu becomes at once indisputable and unassailable. In the jam II, 29/February al-Duldan, light of the above, the depreciatory remarks of Dr. K.C. Thus the version 650, reads as vol. iii, pp. 290-91) Majumdar 13 : j>\ & ou w (vide IN INDIA

where his house was built and was known as Mughlratan.1

that al-Mughira was victorious at

stands.3

granted to *Uthman al-Thaqafl and was known after his name Shaft

Jl ^UJI

cit. 3. As the Arabic original of the Chach-Nama

Cf. Isaba, 1. 'Abd Allah was attached to the Banu-1-Hubla, Journal of Indian History, Madras, vol. 'Amr al-Tamiml,2 mite,has Kharijiteno We have just noticed how during the Caliphate of 'Umar SAHABA 14 INDIA'S p. 199. of India, 2. A Companion of the Prophet, 'Asim b. 'Amr vol. ii, pp. 817 scq Ansars in al-Madina. a tribe of the x, Part I, art. The yet disturbed the unity brought about by the Prophet in an earstwhile warring society of Arabia. The Companions to a man stood solid behind Islam. Their sole concern was to deliver the message of Islam to the mankind at large. So in the course the Arabs reached of the illustrious Arab soldiers of early lalam al-Tamlmi ; Tajytd, He was one of the noblest of the Companions of reprinted, Madras, 1931, pp. 28-29) Arab Invasion of twelve years of the Prophet's demise (i.e., 23 A.H.) India by land and sea. This period synchronized with the golden (Tabari, vol. i, played a conspicuous part in the conquest of was one under the celebrated Khalid vol. i, p. 2500). He b. al-Walid al-'lraq where he fought (vol. i, pp. 2027, 2058 seq). He was We also meet him on the Indus Valley. Cf. Jbn (Hyderabad, 1330 A.M.), vol. ii, p. 500 ; Tsaba, 'Abd al-Barr, 3. Suhar belonged to the tribe of Abd vol. ii, p. 014. in al-Madina with the deputation al-Oais. In History of India, vol. i, vol. i, p. 2035). In 21/641 he succeeded Sa d as governor of al-Kufa 8/030 he arrived from Hujr pp. 415-10) (Ibid., pp. 2008-09). and embraced Islam. During the Caliphate of 'Dinar regarding Towards the close of this year he was transferred to the governorship of he came over to al-Basra al-Basra the powers of the Arabs and their Caliph, do not bear any scrutiny since and then he started his career of conquest in the Eastern Persia where he settled LITERATUR or or Hashi- (2) 'Asim (4) Suhail b. they are based on the Chuch-Nama and in the frontiers of India. His death-date has not been mentioned. vol. iii, al-lalYyab down. He participated in the eastern campaign. From his description E b. . CONTRIBUTION TO HADITH

IN INDIA DURING THE CALIPHATE OF UMAR

age of the Com- panions of the Prophet. No factionShi'ite

partisan spiritUmayyad

they ap- peared, on the one hand, beyond the Nile and as far as the Indus, on the other. As a matter of fact, of the Companions who participated in the Indian Cam- paigns, the following names have come down to us : (1) 'Abd Allah b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Utban,1

(3) Suhar b. al-'Abdi,3

the historian Elliot {vide

and for the matter of that

the Prophet and leading members of the Ansars (Tabari,

p. 345; Usd al-Ghaba,

the first Arab General who overran the territory west of the Helmund.

Jsaba, vol. i, ii, p. II ; Tajr.d, vol. i, a)baid Miah 'Adi,1 p. 707. Cf. Tajrid, Prophet (*~x\*> 303; Isiba, Cf. ltti'vab, 1. Suha.il belonged to the tribe of Azd and was attached to the HanQ p 282 ; Isabel, or the region cast of the Tndus as given above, it. is evident Ma-marai-Tamimi. b. Allah b. Ma'mar Consequently, the After their SAHABA and (5) aHIakam THE ADVENT OF THE SAHARA IX vol. if *J). vol a 3. 'Ubaid p. 145; U*d He was still living in 44/(H>4 vol. iii, p. 22. i, p. 578 ; Vsd 'I-Asbhal. was thoroughly that Suhar al-Tamlmi next Caliph 'Uthman first flush of victory in the region extending from Mukran to that part of Sind which comprised the west of Indus, the IN INDIA DURING THE CALIPHATE OF 'UTHMAN b. Abi came VAs Allah, who lived in al-Madlna, al-Ghaba, vol. ii, p. 35 ; Jstt'yab, 2. Al-JJakam al-Ghabat Of his suhbat acquainted who was (Ibn Sa'd, vol. was one ot direct evidence. (companionship) with the Prophet, we have no with the topography those Sahuba But since in 17/(>3!) of the pJace he vii, p. 27). lie who migrated to al-Basra paign in al-jazlra was a leader of the military cam- Prophet, while transmitted Hadlth the lifetime ol (Tabarl, vol. i, p. 2199), He Mu'awiya on the authority of the the Prophet, it may be assumed that during b. Qurra he was sufficiently fjrown al-Muzani up to have the (d. 113) had it from al-Haka privilege of being a Companion particularly because of the fact that his embraced Islam before II A. 11. and participated with the Prophet in al-Wada', the farewell pilgrimage {Jsabat vol. i, reasonable doubt should, therefore, arise as to the bona Harith b. 'Adi, 'Abd al pro'Uthmanite and died in al-Hasra Rahman b. 'Adi p. 703). No a Sah"ahi f probably in the latter days of Mu'awlya. and Thabit ide of his being and counting his Ahadlth b. 'Adi, al- b. 'Adi Sa'd, vol. vii, Part I, p. 01 ; al-lsti'yab, fought in the battle of Uhud. as Marfu'. Further, we have it on the authority of al-Dhahabi vol. i, Cf. Ibn p. 322; Usd What lends an additional support to our assertion is p. 22; Tajrid, that al-Hakam al-Ghaba, vol. that a notice of him is seen in the principal works of the Companion. vol. i, p. had companionship with the and was a man ot vast fortune. 15 . 2 d INDIA

al-Thaqafi

[23-35 /643-55]

Arabs retired after the natives had agreed to pay the usual tribute. But the wild and warlike hill tribes could have hardly been sub- dued permanently. Evidently, therefore, as soon as the Arabs left the country they revolted and stopped tribute.

sent 'Ubai

Companion of the Prophet3 to

in contact with the native people. He was a Xasibi,

and also

vol. ii, p. 472.

brothers were very much loyal to the Prophet. Thus Sahal

vol. iii,

belonged to the tribe of Thaqif. All the adult members of this tribe

(Tabarl, vol. ii, p. 80).

vol. i, p. 118 ;

of the Prophet. He transmitted Hadith

was a younger Companion

i, p. 391, Isaba, Abd 'Abd a hold bdue 5. Elliot, vol. i, loc. 1. The date of 'Ubaid Cf. al-Isti'yab, near Kudbar 'Uthman. tion with the b. Samura. Sahabi4 ai-Rahman I- Rah man b. Samura to Paris and 'Umair over the region appears to have taken a permanent footing. For, in 296/30 'Ubaid AJJah not only 16 INDIA'S CONTRIBUTION TO HADITH cit. vol. Allah's appointment He succeeded al-Rabl' in Mukran has not been b. Ziyadal-Harithi mentioned. From the context of the events as governor of Sistan in 31/650. The new governor was in al-Tabarl (vol. i, pp. 2828-29) it appears that immediately after his assuming oihee Caliph 'Uthman sent him to Mukran. 2. Tabari, vol. i, p. 2829, 3. Ibid., p. 2830. 4. He belonged to the tribe of the Ouraish the day of the conquest and embraced Islam on of Makka in 8,029 name of 'Abd al-Rahman, when the Prophet gave him the al-Ka'ba. his prc-islamie name being 'Abd Kilal or'Abd In 9 030 he accompanied the Prophet to the battle of Tabuk. proud distinction of being Shaykh (teacher in Hadith) of Ibn Sa'id b. al-Mussiyyab, Ibn Sirln, al-Hasan 'Abbas, 'Abd al-Kahman al-Basrl. b. Abl Laila and Of his A hadith. one occurs in the Sahlhan another two in Muslim alone." Cf. Ibn Iat'yah, vol. ii, pp. 393-94; Sa'd, vol. vii, Part Usd al-Ghahat ii. pp. 903-04; and II, p. 101; vol. iii, pp. 297-98; Jsaba, Ibn Hajar, Tahdh h (Hyderabad, 1325). vol. vi," Usd al-Ghabat vol. Khulasa, Henceforth Arab was appointed in his b. cAbd was the next he came in conflict with the Indians Their first triumphal career le vol. Hi, p. 345; Tajnd, in 23/644 cf. supra, p. 5 and note 3 of p. 6. p. 190; p. 193. Majumdar, op. cit., p. 15. Allah 3 d vol. LITERATURE

them.1 On his arrival in Mukran, 'Ubaid

crushed the rebellion in the teeth of a stiff opposition but brought the territory extending upto the Indus under his control as well.2

was transferred

b. 'Uthman

b. I Tabib

Shams b. 'Abd Manaf

who was mentioned in connec-

Indian campaign during the Caliphate of

a soldier of great dash and drive. Immediately after he had taken over the charge, he pushed eastward from Zaranj and brought the region right upto the frontiers of India under subjection. Advancing on the lower waters of the Helmund,

on the frontier between modern Afghanis- tan and Baluchistan.6

ii, p. G04;

vol. iii, pp. 153 scq.

He transmitted Hadith on the authority of the Prophet and obtained the

6. K.C.

MarasiJ. 4IrS.q, 1. Mu'jam appointed him commander for the Indian frontiers in 48/668.* Muhabbiq The last Companion of the Prophet we meet on the frontiers of India was Sinan b. Salma Sinan b. SAHABA al-Rahman into the situated in the territory of Sind.1 an idol of gold them as far as Bust. Three THE ADVENT OF THE SAM IN al-Buld'an, al-Hudhali.4 Sal temple and cut off a hand and took out the rubies. But the gold and the Ibn 2. Baladhuri, vol. ii, p. 956 ; Lc p. 394. 3. Ibid., p. 352. 4. He was born in 8 J?29 and was blessed by the Prophet who himself conferred the name Sinan upon him. Therefore, fide because the he was Sahabi bona Prophet saw him in his infancy (Isaba, vol! i, p. 4). name in the second sectionqism than!of his Isaba {vol. ii, pp. 322-23). So the traditions transmitted by Sinan direct from the Prophet are His AhadTth have been preserved in the Sahihan, Abu Dawud, Ibn Maja and al-Nasa'i {Khulasa, p. 258 ; Usd al-Ghaba, the Sunans vol. ii, pp. 357-58 p. 132).," Ci. 5. Ibn al-'lmad, I only wanted to show you that it had no power whatsoever to harm or to help.1'2 ; Jsh'yab, Shadharat al-Dhahab Tajrul, vol ii. p. 56 . was then went Now after his successful penetration into the territory of Sind 'Abd where Sikka Ibn Samura3 or the street of Ibn Samura was called after his name. [41-60/661-81 [8-531629-73 of al- Strange, p. 345. (Egypt, 1351-53 A.H.) vol. i, A 17 ] ] of vol. i. p. 55. ABA IN INDI

marches above Bust lay a mountain containing a temple of Surya (Arab. Zur),

with two rubies for the eyes. This mountain which became famous as al-Zur

Samura

jewels were returned by him to the astonished governor of the place saying, "

retired to Zaranj. He died in 50/670 in his residence at al-Basra

INDIA DURING THE CALIPHATE OF MU'AWIYA

ma al-Hudhall

b. al-

Ziyad, the governor

On proceeding to assume charge of his functions he conquered Mukran, founded cities, set up his residence and organized the revenue system of the

Ibn Hajar recognizes him as a junior Companion and as such includes his

yalqahu). al-Buldan during 2. Chach-Nama, p. 65. 1. Baladhuri, India during the Caliphate of Mu'awlya. AI-Muhallab, Al-Muhallab place1thus 3. Baladhuri, loc. b. Abl proved himself a capable general and good administrator. region : " cit. : Elliot, vol Sufra But for reasons unknown he was dis- charged. Rashid b. 'Amr i, p. 425. Topography of the al-Judaidl On the north-eastern frontiers of Makran, and close to the Indian border the Arab geographers describe two districts ; Turan, namely, of which the capital was Qusdar. and Budahah to the north of this, of which the capital was Qanda'blf " (Le Strange, p. 331). " Qaudabll . has been identified with the present Gandava, lying south of Sibi of Kelat." and east (Ibid., p. 332). Budahah or Budh is no doubt the same as Budha, and this principality seems to have included the districts of Balis and Walistan. Cf. K.C. Majumdar, Arab Invasion, of Sinan. According to Ibn Sa'd (vol. viii, Part 1, p. 154) who is corroborated by later authorities on the Asm a* al-Rijal, Sinan died during the latter days of al-Hajjaj (83-96/702-713). This seems to be absurd, for, both the Fulvh and the Chack-AUrna are at one to record the death of Sinan his campaign in the frontiers of India appointment of al-Mundhir and that he died before the b. Jariid in his (Sinan's) place by 'Ubaid Allah b. Ziyad (Ibn Sa'd, vol. vii, Part 1, p. til ; cf. Baladhuri, loc, cit.; Chach-Nama, p. 65). Now al-Mundhir appears to be the first oihcer in charge of the Indian frontiers since 'Ubaid Allah's appointment as gover- nor of the eastern provinces (57-67/67G-K6) and as such al-Mundhir must have been appointed in 57 A.11. Hence Sinan died before 57 A.H. Asa matter of fact, appointed second time frontiers for two years. So his in 60 death A.H., Sinan ruled over the Further, had Sinan died during akkiv walayat Ibn must have occurred in 63 al-Hajjaj\ Sa'd, the liqa\ A.H. as asserted by meeting between himself and Qatada (d. 117), Traditionist, would have been established in. them lived in al-Basra the view of the fact that both of (cf. Tahdluh, s.v. Sinan b. Salmaand Qatada). But the critics of Ruwat are of opinion that Qatada did never meet him (lam Nor did he hear any Iiadith from Sinan (ibid., vol. iv,p.241). Therefore, the fact remains that Sinan had been martyred in the frontiers of India some seven years before the birth of Qatada in 61 A.H. 6. As his name occurs in al-Istt'yab, In 50/670 Sinan was recalled and confirmed to the post.2 He gave as before a good account of himself by conquering al-Oayqan Usd al-Ghaba, 5 and Budh where he ruled for two years. He was killed at Qusdar3 [8-83/629-702 visited p. 213; Elliot, vol. if Tajrid and Isab (mod. ] p. 424; Chach- a 18 INDIA'S CONTRIBUTION TO IIADITH LITERATURE

of the tribe of Azd who superseded him, however, fell in action with the Meds.

Khozdar in Baluchistan) in 53/673/

al-Azdi

who was a senior Tabi'l

As a general

p. 434=Murgotten,

Nama, p. 65.

p. 55. 4. A little confusion is observed regarding the death-date

Jo Vide* Tabuqat, Sahabt. fc^ >&U 2. Briggs in his translation of the Tartkh-i-Firhhta 1. BaladhurT, pp. 396-07 ; Isaba, (s.v. al-Muhallab b. Abl far as Lahore2 Sijistan in 43/663.1 under 'Abd THE ADVENT OF THE \ SAM AC } vol. i, p. 4) states that al-Muhallab 'penetrated (Calcutta, 1908, Sufra), Having detached himself from the main army, he penetrated a]-Rahma.n / \yt NJU SJ* J> as far as Mooltan'. Rut one is apt to look upon him as a Com- panion of the Prophet. But according a* al-IUjal. al-Muhallab was a senior labi'i, He and not a transmitted Hadith on the authority of the Companions of the Multan and Kabul (Baladhuri, Prophet, viz. 'Abd Allah b. *JCmar, p. 432=sMurgotten, *Abd Allah b. ' p. 210). It is Amr b. ul-'As, Jundab and Bara' b. al-'Adhib. unfortunate that owing to the incorrect rendering which has been freely Samura b. while on his quoted by historians and writers (e.g. Elliot, op. cit, vol. ii, pp. 414-15 ; M. authority Abu Ishaq Titus, Indian Islam, Sabi'yy, Simak b. Harb and 'Uniar b. Saif al-HasiT was a reliable Ham. Oxford, 1930. p. 48 ; narrated He was born in 8/029 vol. ii, p. 1082, in the last work, reference to Briggs' Hadith. has Zaghiil) tr. is wanting) that the integrity of the historian Abu 'I Firishta and died at Katftiul in Marw has been exposed to unnecessary criticism (see K.C. al-KiTdh, op. cit, p. 18, note.) 3. Baladhuri, p. 432 = a district, vol. vii, Pt. Murgotten, p. 210 ; Elliot, vol. ii, p. 414. The I, p. 94; Nawawi, ed. Wustcnfeld raiding ground, according to al-Baladhuri, (Gottingen, 1842-47), (Hyderabad, was Banna and al-Ahwar. Banna is no doubt TtiJullnb 1325 A IT.), the present Bannu in N.-W. p. r>K2 ; Tbu AswW vol. v, pp. 328-29 Frontier Province, but the Hnjar, Tnhdlnb ; Tim A.II.), vol. ii, al-Tahdhxb Khallikan pp. 1-15 identification of al-Ahwar has given rise to difference of opinion among modern (Cairo, 1310 seq. The Ahadith been produced historians. Elliot (loc. transmitted by al-Muhallab have in the Sitnans cit), B. Meynard. of Abu HawUd al-Tirmidhl the work (cf. Tanhh~i~Firishfat p. 118), S. Sulayman Nadawi and al-Nasa'T. and the Mttsnad ed. Newul Dictionnaire (vide Fitt'ith of Ahmad b. Hanbal Kishore Press, Lucknow, de la Perse, al-Baldan Dar-al-Musannifin, 1874, the /ami' (Khn/Tisa, p. 1G). The translator must have derived the information from al-Bala- in possession of A'zamgarh, of dhurl's Vutvh p. 333). For further particulars about him, see Jiiii-y. al-Huldan, marginal note on p. 432) identify it with Lahore, whereas K. al- He uj Islam, (Tabari, vol. ii, pp. (540-41 the earliest source on the subject, but, we are C. Majumdar ; Qasim came to of Kabul, he advanced as of Khorasan. al-Lughat Islamic Culture, Hyderabad, vol. xvii, No. 1 (January, 1943), pp. 1-14. afraid, he has not been able to follow the Arabic text which runs thus : Majumdar, (loc. cit ), failing to locate the spot, takes 19 . A IN INDIA

b. Samura, al-Muballab

into the heart of India with a troop mostly picked from his own tribe, the Azd. Marching on the border land

and raided the country between it and Bannu in 44/664.3 The details of the raid are nowhere

critics of the Asm

to the consensus of opinion of the

vol. ii, p. !W3

curiously enough, no such account is found in the original Persian text of

U He, i.e., al-Muhallab reached Banna and al-Ahwar towns between

al-\f AJ-Ahwaz it to have been matter of fact did not beginuntil their stay here panions of the Prophet that one of the aforesaid war-prisoners. Though a number of Sahaba Indian origin. In the family of al-Muhall.ib, b. Salim uhallab question relating to Asma' available. Fortunately, 20 INDIA'S was the capital of Khuzistan a town somewhere near Hannu. (Le Strange, p. 233) and as This difference may be al-Ahwar the oft-repeated becomes the same as al-Ahwaz and is accounted for duo slip of th*1 scribe of the original MS. The identification to the of Ahwaz with of the Futuh Lahore, may, in our opinion, be safely dismissed. In al-Buldan, viz. al-Ahwaz, the circumstances al-Anwar there is no other alternative left but to identify Luhawur Buldan, and Luhawur ed. De Goeje, p. 432, note), Luhur with Lahore. Both Yaqut (Joe. (Marasid Goeje) and Lahur cit.) and Cunningham [Ancient Geography of India, ed. (Mu'jam Patna, 1924, al-Baghdadi (d. 231), a Mawla have been them Ahadlth, al lttila* al-Buldan, vol. i, pp. 226*27) [Vutuh al- LITERATURE throwing light on a namely, that has it that Khalaf (client) of the a descendant of the Com- the circumstances, the work of Hadith transmission could not begin in right earnestas ref. by De p. 747). support our assertion. a CONTRIBUTION TO HADITH

Firishta gives us an important piece of information incidentally

al-Rijaly

carried away with him from India twelve thousand prisoners of whom some embraced Islam inasmuch as al-Khatib

al-Sindi

was a distinguished Rawi

light of the above, we can safely presume that Khalaf might

visited India, as has been seen above, they could not do the work of Hadith transmission to this country notwithstanding the fact that they must have had with

they were, because either

was too short or they did not find perma- nent Muslim colonists to whom they could bequeath the science. Anyway, the details to this effect are lacking. In

the nineties of the first century of the Hijra when Sind was brought under the Muslim sway.

explained away by variants in the reading of the place in the original MSS.

such has nothing to do with I ndia. Omitting the dot on 4)'

1. Section Nicholson, A Literary History of the Arabs (Cambridge, 1928), coast to Debal Sind, now from al-Basra JL the nineties of the first century A.II. I. Arab Colonies IIADITH pp. 4-5, and thence right up to MultSn via Shirfiz, quoting from A. Muller's vol. i, pp. 24seq Der Islam Im ; Sayyid Sulayman Morgen Nadawi, 'Arab (Allahabad. 1930), p. 7 ; Tara Chand, (Allahabad. 1936), p. 29. 2. Vide supra, p. 6 ; R.C. 3. Baladhurl, Majnmdar, p. 437 = Murgotten, op. cit., p. 218. had already been acquainted ever since their commercial relations with India,1 and Mukrfln media of commercial intercourse between Sind and the neighbouring Influence 6. Arnold, Und n>a Hind The UNDER the land-route issuing coast to who encouraged the Arabs to colonize the newly conquered territory.3 They spread over the country, and almost all the harbours and important towns from MukrSn countries Abendland, Ki Ta'alhtqat of Islam on Indian Culture Preachings of Islam (London, 1935), p. 273: Elliot, d in p. 45. vol. i, p, 467. CHAPTER II

LITERATURE IN SIND

THE ARABS

in Sin

ME foundation of an Arab principality in Sind

was an epoch-making event in that it threw the gates of the territory open to the Arabs. Besides the sea-route with which the}7

Kirmfin

came into use more and more.2 So, both by land and sea, Sind was linked up with Arabia and the communication between these neighbouring countries became very much facilitated. Through these routes numerous Arab immigrants poured into Sind since its conquest in 93/711 by Muhammad b. al-Oasim

were dotted with their settlements.1 Like their compatriots in South India, these Arab settlers set up themselves as merchants and formed the via

of India and the world outside.5

4. Nadawi, op. cit., pp. 304 seq ; Elliot, vol. i, p. 468.

Turan 1. Chach-Nama, b. 'Abd al-Malik and al-IIadith, and Qandabil.2 b. al-Qasim soldiers who settled down in Sind, Apart from the colonists there were also 22 IXDIA'S p. 192. 2. Nad (86-96/705-14). Further, several Companions of the Prophet, too, came to the region west of the Indusa found stationed at Multan alone 'nearly swelling the Arab population of the territory. The vastness of their number may be gauged CONTRIBUTION awl, op. cit., pp. 309 secj; TO 50,000 horsemen as a permanent force.'1 There were other places of the like military importance, viz., Mansura, Alor, Sinddn, LITERATUR Qusdar the Arabs overran MukrSn, E d vol. i, p. 465. IIADITH

Arab

from the fact that Muhammad

etc., where evidently Arab forces were posted on a permanent basis. Thus arose and flourished in the far eastern territory of the Caliphate several Arab colonies of which the principal were Mansura, Multan, Debal,

These colonies early became seats of Islamic learning in Sind.

Section II. Transmission of Islamic Learning to Sin

In the wake of the advent of the Arab soldiers and immigrants, early Islamic learning, viz., al-Qur'an

its way to Sind. It was probably brought to the west of the Indus earlier than to the east and that as a result of the difference in the timings of the advent of the Muslims in those regions. In 23/643, during the Caliphate of'Umar

and Budaha, the territories comprising the west of the Indus and within a little more than two decades, these became a part of the eastern Caliphate, while the east was conquered at a later date in the days of Walld

fact which strengthens our belief that Islamic sciences were at least brought, if not introduced, there. But to thist here is, however, no allusion. The first direct recorded evidence of Islamic sciences being brought to Sind and their subsequent

Elliot,

Uchh 1. Chach-Nama, Malik(96-99/714-17) appears to have long enjoyed reputation for learning and scholarship as is evidenced from the fact that as late as 613/1216, Ismfi'il Thaqafl and was appointed Qadi 7. Musa the (JurYm on whom al-Hajjfij dissemination there dates from the conquest of Muhammad b. al-Qasim. b. \Ali 2. Ibid., p. 78. and the Sunna p. 79; also infra, No. 1. ladith b. Abi b. *. LITERATURE IN SIND UNDER THE ARABS 23 (qurra1) be busy reading it/ lore of literature, seems al-Thaqaf to Sind by the latter. Al- family at a descendant of his, 'was a mine of learning and a soul of wisdom, and there was no one equal to him in science, piety and eloquence.' Kabsha al-Saksak [ d. 97/775 b. 'Abd Qasimfrom Kabsha Elliot, p.m 1 } 4 l ] al- i , . IIADITIT

We are told that among Arab soldiers were many readers of the OurYin

enjoined 'to

Nor was that all. Several men versed in ihc

accompanied Muhammad to Sind.2 Henceforth, with the influx of the Arabs, there came to be settled in Sind learned men also to whose labour and love of knowledge was probably responsible the growth of the seats of Islamic learning in the Arab colonies. Now, a reference to some of the outstanding personalities of those learned men who carried with them Islamic sciences, particularly 1

to be called for here.

b. YaLqub

He accompanied Muhammad b. al-Q.lsim

of Alor

who settled permanently in Sind was highly learned in the Sunna of the Prophet.3 His

al-Thaqafi,

2. Yazld

al-Dimashqi

On his becoming Caliph, SuJaiman

recalled Muhammad

Sind and appointed in his place Yazld b. Abi

3. Chach-Nama. pp. 186-87 ; Elliot, vol. i, pp. 134. 20?

1. in Baladhurl, witnessed in al-'Irfiq. that brought 3. Al-Muftidclal Muhammad b. al-Hasan occur in the Sahlh Mu'awiya Marwan b. al-llakam,4 Ahadlth who, however, could not live long in Sind. On the eighteenth day of his arrival here, he died.1 Yazid was a Tabil. 24 INDIA'S p. 282. him 2. Tajrid, p. 442=Murgotten, In his anti-Umayyad designs, Yazid b. al-Muhallab succeeded in gaining support from al-Kufa b. al-Muhallab b. Qurra the Companions of the Prophet. He has been reckoned as a thiqa, from Abu vol. ii, p. 170 p. 225 ; Ibn and al-Basra. al-Muzani reliable authority, by the critics of the Traditions. Amongst his pupils Abu Bishr, 'J-DardaY 3. Ibid., vol. i,p. 273. He and Ibrahim al-Saksak al-Hakam 4. Ibid., achieved remarkable initial successes. For, the rule of the Caliph in the provinces of Faris, b. al-'Utaiba, p. 75. 5. Tahdhib, al-Ahwaz, Newul vol. xi, Kirman Kishore pp. 354-55: and Qandabil Press, I/iicknow, Ibn Hajar, p. 399. 6. Khulasa, ' al-Sahth, 7. Tahdh. b, loc. i Snfra [cl. cit . & LITERATURE received a good many b. Aws b. aJ-Aqmar, His AhfidTt Kitab al-Athar and al-Mustadra al-Naisabun 702/727 (101-05/720-24), a serious MuhalJab al-Malik. A hard lighting decided the day against Yazid b. al-Muhallab who along with his sons was vol. iv, Taqrib al-Tahdhib, ed. Egypt, Kitab al- Elliot, vol. i, p. 440. ' and h by k . ] , was . ed. CONTRIBUTION TO IIAPITH

He

Shurahbll

'All

were noted transmitters of Hadlth.5

of al-Bukharl,

al-Shaibanl

by al-Hakim

b. Abi

In 102/721, during the Caliphate of Yazid b. 'Abd

Circumstances al-Malik

rising headed by Yazid b. al-

a former Governor of KhunlsSn,

(part of Sind) as far as the banks of the Indus8 was overthrown and there Yazid appointed his own men. In order to suppress the rebellion, the Caliph sent his brother Maslama b. 'Abd

al-Athlr,

Jihad, p. 111.

p. 373; cf. al-Jami'

al-Sind 6. Tajrid, 3. Supra, p. 18 1. For their names, vide Tbn Abu Musa 4. Abu Muscl and Jarlr the Prophet.6 His the authority of al-Nu'man ai-Muhaiiah, Ai-Mufaddai appeared there in pursuit of them. The brave sons of al-Muhallab, however, did not surrender themselves and most of the leading members fell thither. Wadda' boat to Qandabil2 slain. The TIADITTT LITERATTRE . a t>. vol. ii, p. 116. 7. Tahdfvb, 4. Baladhurl, was a reliable rftwl I&ra'tl son Hajib, Sind, b. llamid, surviving IX SIND loc. vol. x, 5. His Ahadith cit.; lbn b. Milsa al-Mufaddal has been singled p. 275. 8. Ibid. ; Taqnh. al-Nasa'I al-Athir. p. 362. loc, cit. 9. PhahabI, Mtzan, vol. i, p. 441 = THE ARABS 25 of his family1 lied But death pursued them proved b. al-Tamlmi, to the bitter sons killed at Qandabil in and narrated Iladlth a Companion of (d. 127) narrated Hadith on the authority of Hibban and other critics of the Science of Tradition as sadug, Nazll 155/771 Perhaps as a trader he came to Sind and set up his residence there as is evident from his nickname Nazll al-Sind al-Basr Murgotten, of Abu Dawiid p. 330). (vol. i, p. 261) has Nazll by on ] ? l vol. v, p. 41. p. 226. and al-Hind . I'NDER

members

(modern Gandava), a north-western province of the then Sine!.3

the Governor of Qandabil who owed his office to Yazid b. al-Muhallab,

treacherous when the Caliph's agent, Ilihll

lighting

end.4 Among al-Muhallab's

out as a transmitter of Hadith. He was a Tabi'i

b. Bashlr,

Thabit al-Bunanl

b. Hfizim

al-Mufaddal/ Al-Mufaddal has been regarded by Ibn

reliable.8

al-Basrj

[d. cite.

He was a native of al-Basra.

and transmitted Hadith on the authority of al-Hasan

2. Baladhurl,

al-Athlr,

have been recorded in the Sunan*

(Khulasa,

p. 97 ; Tahdhib

'Amr Bahill, 6. Tahdhib, 1. Sam'anI, 6. Al-Rab% It is interesting to note that cAmr, was a brother of Qutaiba 5. 'Amr were among his pupils.1 Al-BukharT b. 'Uyaina (d. 198) and Yahya b. Sa'ld (d. 110) and Abu Ilazim 26 INDIA'S CONTRIBUTION TO HADITIT s.v., Isra'Il fol. b. Musa 593a ; Tahdhib, loc. vol. via, p. 105. 2. Khulasa, ; Ma'arif, cit.; Taqrib, b. SabiJt a hazardous life despite leading b. Muslim al- b. Muslim al-Bcthili quotes one of Abu Musas al-Qattan al-Ashja'i: p. 31. al-Sa'di of a soldier, cultivated, to a certain extent, the Science of Tradition as he is credited to have narrated Hadith the famous conqueror of Transoxanin.3 He came to Sind as a governor of Caliph 'Umarb. traditions in as many as four different places of his Sahjh. (d. 115). His 4Aziz 'Abd al- 3. Baladhuri, 4Ubaid, on the authority of Ya'la (99-101/717-19) and is said to have conducted some successful raids into al-Hind.4 Ahadith 4. Ibid. while Abu M-Tahir ft received it from him. 'Amr's b. (d. 161), Sufyan works.2 123/740) son of Dahar, accepted Islam in response to an appeal made to them by the Caliph. himself is said to have over Marw at the time.7 [d. 1601776] vol. xxii, No. 4, p. 251. p. 400Murgotten, p. 440 ; Arnold, op. cit., p. 272. 5 * vol. i. p. 152. vol. ii, p. 1C61 . LITERATURE

rank as a traditionist may be had from the fact that such master traditionists as Sufyan al-Thawrl

(d. 198)

have also been preserved in the Sunan

His

[d. cite.

It was during his tenure of office that many kings including Jaisinha,

death-date is not known. He, however, died later than 120/738 as he was lAmil

al-Basri

A Traditionist and one of the early authors of

p. 362 ; Nuzha,

5. Ibid.; Elliot, vol. i,

7. Taban,

3o, aUTahdhxb. have us believe, Cf. Tahdhib, the active (t^i^**) Al-Baladhuri according 7. Tabarl, 6. Shadkarat, 4. Barbad (Elliot, Delhi, 1290), p. 133. 3. Abu 1. J lujJ Iladith,1 IIADITII LITERATURE and not in to lbn Ilafs, IN SIXD the passive (J^at^o) Murgotten (p. 369) corroborates lbn Sa'd, al-Rabi' loc. cit. lbn vol. i. p. 446, has Barada) has been identified according to lbn Khalifa. KashJ al-Rabi' as with al-Zumm, Sa'd verbatim. Unfortunately, died in the open sea and was buried in Sa'd (vol. vii, Part I, p. 36, the present Bhiirbhut, Sa'd, vol. vii, Part I, p. 30, which Tara ed. Fluegel b. Sablh P- 18) in his translation of the Futuh an island. It is not, however, explicit from the text quoted above whe- . 5. TabarT. near Broach in Gujarat (Nadawl, (London, 1842), vol. iii, surnamed entire text devoted to al-Rabi's al-Buldan ther the death occurred on the way to or back from the Indian expedition. vol. iii, pp. 460, 476-77 p. 28. 2. His father's name has been variously represented as Subh Abu Bakr3 ; lbn dhuri, (Bala- as its narrator al-Ilasan has confused the Butlbn'Imad p. 369=Murgotten, came to India in 160/776 along with a naval squadron under 'Abd Chand, p. !W Baladhuri, Indian expedition by associating with it (Shadkarat, ; Yaqut, al-Malik al-Basrl (d. 110) (cf. Murgotten, p. 96= loc. cit.). presumably on this authority, goes vol. iii, pp. 397-98), b. Shihab al-Misma'i p. 396) who predeceased al-Rabi' by half op. cit. p. 46) and Ibrahim (lbn Khaldun, Sahib (Tara that attacked Barbad4 during the Caliphate of al-Mahdl5 TartMt, however, is that al-Rabl' a century. The fact, "ed. Egypt, (158-69/775- 85). The Arabs conquered Barbad, then a flourishing port.6 But they FattanI, al-Mughnt the meantime, plague broke out in the coastal places, taking a heavy toll of the Arabs. Al-Rabi6 ft Dah\ al-Basrl and this is conveyed by ^^^.M^JI al-Rijal vol. v, ^ was one of the many who fell victims to (lithographed on the margin of Taqrx p. 19; lbn Khaldun, loc. cit. died while returning(J{j^^J\^) the verb being b . 1) # in UNDER THE ARABS 27

had to pay very dearly for the success. For, prior to their sailing homeward, they halted there for sometime in the expectation of favour- able weather. In

vol. iii, p. 209). For the correct name and its reading see Taqrxb, p. 77 ;

Chand (loc. cit.) misreads as Abu Hifs

op. cit.#

al-Athlr,

vol. i, p. 247.

says (^o^J

a step forward and asserts that al-Rabi*

transmitted Iladith on the authority of Hasan

Murgotten would

vol. iii, p. 247.

Ta'hqUt Now. Thabit Hasan al-Bukhartt who states that al-Rabl' died in Sind proper (WX^MJI the statement of Tbn Sa'd and their Muhaddithu Section III. (d. 198) al-Tayalisl (d. 181), transmitters of Traditions, al-Kabi* al-Bunilnl Traditionists of his age, viz., I lam Hadith. al-Basri Al-!\abi\ 28 IXDIA'S Jpj\ 1. Tahdhtb. O^0) that al-Rabl' n Although introduced in the second century A.H., as shown above, the study of Hadith Centres (d. 203) and 'Abd Sufyan al-Thawrl, (d. 127), id al-Tawll He a nilivc CONTRIBUTION* Sabih. . also TO vol. iii, pp. 247-48; Mizan died in the of Hadith al-Rahman Waki' Mujahid acquired the Science of al-Basra, HADITH & Lisan, open sea is in s.v., al-Rabl' conflict with that of al-Tabari who holds that his death took place at Bar- b. the Sunans p. 98; cf. Sunan p. 204). 2. Ilajl Khalifa, op. cit., pp. 80-81 ; Ibn Hajar, Muqaddimat (Cairo, 1347), vol. i, p. 4 ; Tahir al-Dimashql, pp. 7-8; al-KhawlI, M'iftah al-Fr.th Tawjth al-Na.ar (Cairo, 1910)', al-Smma (Cairo, 1921), p. 21. Notices of his biography will also be found in Bilgrami's bay, 1303) and Hakim 'Abd al-Hayy's Subhat al-Marjan b. Sablh better entitled to be accepted. Further al-Tabari (Bom- and Ytid-i-Ayyam, Nuzha, authorities like Muhammad b. al-Muthaniia of Abu DawHd Vol. i, s.v. al-Rabr ed. Lucknow, the* is corroborated by early p. 347) and Bukharl Ibn Maja, pp. 5-6. In the last named book, author misrepresents al-Rabl' (d. 252), (Tahdh'tb, (d. 256) and Tbn Maja {Khultisa, ed. Faruql as a Tabi'I (Kitaba l-Du-'afa vol. iii, al-Saghir, Press, Delhi, Kitab and this has been widely quoted by later writers. Cf. Ma'arif, Hadith, Agra, 1323. al-JihUd, vol. xxii, No. 4, E " p. 11) p. 251. LITERATUR

was a disciple of al-

(d. 110) under whom he studied

from the leading

(d. 142),

b. Jabar (d. 103) and others. Among his contemporary Ruutft

occupied a high place. The celebrated 'Abd Allah b. al-Mubarak

(d. 197), Abu Dawfld

b. al-Mahdi

were amongst his pupils transmitting Hadith on his authority.1 Further, he was one of the pioneers in the field of collecting and codifying Ahadith in the second century A.II.

Learning

in Sind does not appear to have made much headway until the fourth century when great enthusiasm prevailed among native students to seek higher knowledge of the subject abroad. The slow growth of Hadith learning in Sind during early centuries of Islamic rule may be attributed to

bad. Of the two statements, the latter is circumstantial and as such

The Ahadith narrated by al-Rabl' have been recorded in al-

Sin lained as 1. II.C. from time study of Iladith prosperity pendent Arab rule talf good G d The foundation of the two independent Arab principalities in Multan of the difficulties facing al-'Iniq in contact with the central Government; a matter of fact, the status of Sind under the Umayyad tained due to the lack for their growthcould internal security of the countryso two reasons : (1) The circumstance HADITH vol. i, Kay, Dynastic or other places of the Caliphate, as it lay at a great distance with pp. 11-1ft History Nort/irrn no easy means . India 2. Al-Haladhuri, pp. 442, 445^1 in notion, ft. Al-HashshaiJ Ahsan al-'J"aqastm to the territory. Even in the fourth century ai-Maqdisi, ft Ma'rifat (Leyden, 1900), p. 474. 4. Nadawi, SIND UNDER THE ARABS 2 because the Caliphs.1 As the famous Syrian Geograph towards the in Sind. The period of this inde- suzerainty over Sind. Peace and Sindian students to seek abroad higher studies in Iladith literature. We have it on 1931), pp. 22r>26, al-Aqalim, op. cit., pp. 309 seq, 345 ; Elliot, vol. i, pp. 454-57. 9 favour 3 N 2ft0-ftl . LITERATURE IN

s able for the cultivation of art and literature,

essential a factor

not have always been main-

of stable and strong Government

and the 'Abbasid

in the eastern Caliphate was more of a frontier outpost (thaghr)2 than

that of a territory so as to

and (2) Sind could not come

the seats of Islamic learning in Arabia,

of communication. Save enterprising tradesmen and adventurous colonists, nobody dared undertake the hazards of sea or land- routes leading

a traveller to

and Mansura

of the third century ushered in an era of Dvernment

was a landmark in the history of their three hundred years'

reigned everywhere in the country as evi- denced by the accounts of the itinerants visiting the prin-

)gress the

made was due, primarily, to the internal security brought about by these Governments. As a matter of fact, during this period great enthusiasm was marked among the

(Calcutta,

ed. De Goeje

al-Maqdisii,

tu Mtzan, area.10 tctlibti vol. i, p. 272. 1. Sara'an Some idea of its population may be had from the number killed by an earthquake in 280/893 during the Caliphate of al-Mu'tadid built a mosque and settled 4,000 conquest of Muhammad b. al-Sam'anl, al-cIraq, al-Daybul), from Abu 'Uthman India {bilad 30 INDIA'S I, Ansab, foil. 6. Elliot, vol. i, pp. 374 scq 2. K.g. 347a, 347 b. we have, in his Kitab al-Hind) ; Cunningham, Amicnt at Mansura, Geography oj sec infra, p. 38. India, ed. S.N. Majumdar (Patna, 1924), pp. 340 seq ; Kaveity, JASB, 317 seq ; Haig. 1892, pp. Indus Delta Country '.London, of the Province of Sind (Hombay, 1894), pp. 44 seq ; 391.92 . 1919) 7. Nadawi, Gazetteer loc. cit. 8. Baladhuri, p. 437==Murgottenl (d. TO HADITH LITERATURE 566) that scholars from to hear Hadith (373-449), the Shafi'ite Hailing from Debal a band of ardent travelled extensively in Arabia, Syria, was established2 was in progress in Sind.3 Even some exchange of Traditionists between Debal and Baghdad,4 and Mansura and Khurasan 5 labour of a list of the Sindian students reading abroad in Muslim lands. dated from the (93-96/711-14) It was a city of considerable which Baghdad, vol. viii, p. 333. 4. Ibid op. cit., pp. Majumdar, op. cit., p. 57. (Ar. who . p. 218. CONTRIBUTION:

the authority of al-Sam'anl

went to Nishapur

al-Sabuni

savant.1 This was not aJJ.

Mansura and Ousdar,

'l-ilm

Khurasan and even Egypt in quest of Hadith. And by the fourth century a halqa

and oral transmission of Hadith

was noticed. Thanks to the indefatiguable

al-Ansab,

(I) STUDY OF HADITH AT DEBAL

A celebrated harbour occupying a site between the present Thatta and Karachi,6 Debal, during the Arab rule, had an extensive sea-borne trade with foreign countries.7 Its importance under Islam

al-Oasim

colonists there.8 A centre of trade and commerce, Debal gradually became largely populated by the Arabs.9

(279-89/892-902),

3. E.g. at. Debal. Vide Tarikk

13, vol. i, p. 53 ; Nadawi,

9. Nadawi, loc. cit. 10. K.C.

na's 'Abd 4. See infra. 3. Mu'jam 1. Suyutl. Mubarak's b. 'Abd Kitdb Apart from lladith, (teachers), all Allah al-DaybulJ, in Hadlth The Jirst Dcbalese /. Abu Ja'far of Mansura dent Arab rule, Debal was estimated at one lac IIADITII 5. Ibn *. al-Bui Tavtkh ai-Nadlm, dan, vol. ii, 2. Maqdisi, al-Khulafa*, Kitdb al-Rahman al-Tafsjr* Abu Ja'far of whom died by the surnamed Abu Ja'far. al-Daybull and had one hundred villages attached to it.2 Side by side with and a half.1 LITERATURE IN Kitab aUFihfist He SIND al-Birr wa 3 the indepen- whose names are as follows : tradi- tionists. The date of his arrival there has not come down to us. But from the death-dates of his shuyiikh 'Uyai- disciple Sa'id (d. 249) and Ibn al- under his disciple p. 479 ; Nadawjf, 1348 A.H ), p. 316. ] . loc. cit. loc. cit. . p. 319. UNDER THE ARABS 31

Under

was a port of the principality

the commercial and administrative activities of the Arabs, there went on the dissemination of Islamic learning. The position of Debal was suitable for the purpose inasmuch as it was linked up by the sea- route with Muslim lands from where scholars of enter- prise arrived there. The local institutions apparently housed in mosques provided for instructions in religious sciences. Although prior to the third century the cultural activities of the Arabs do not seem to have developed to any appreciable extent, nevertheless an interest for HadTth literature had already been created at Debal resulting in the production of a number of Ruwdt

TRADITIONISTS OF DEBAL

[ d. 322/934

who went out for higher studies

literature was Muhammad b. Ibrahim b.

repair- ed to Makka and read with some noted Makkan

forties of the third century A.H.,4 it can be reasonably presumed that he must have reached Makka before that time

studied Ibn

under the latter's

al-Makhzumi

'l-Sila*

ed. Calcutta, p. 380 ; Nadawi,

p. 38

Ibid.,

(Egypt,

fol A 2. Khatlb, 1. Ibn Abu Ja'far, A talib 3. Ahmad b. LAbd Baghdad,2 and Muhammad b. 'All son of Abu Ja'far, 2. Ibrahim b. Ibrahim al-Muqn science of tradition. He others. Abu Ja'far Makkan Traditionist, 'Abd Husain 32 INDIANS Tar.kh Abu 'I-Hasan ii, p 38. Kitab Ahmad trans- mitter of Hadith. He narrated it on the authority of Musa p. 203; Sam'ani, Ansab, at-Ansab Tahdkxh, (d. 242). He b. Harun s.v., al-Daybuli; s.v., Mrl. Mu'jam h. narrated Hadith on the authority of Muhammad b. Xanbur weJI-verscd b. Ibrahim b. Farras of Makka, Abu 'l-IIusain al-Daybuli al-Bazzaz par excellence, was a great al-Buldan, Ibrahim; Shadharat, 3. Sam'ani, Ansab, [d. circ. TO HADITH LITKKA1 (d. 2-18), b. Sablh in the Muliam- (d. 3b8) and Muhammad He died at Makka in I, 322/April, 3-45/956 (d. 294), the Hafiz (d. 291), a [d. 343/954 Ahmad, a pupil of itinerary. Perhaps in the later half of the Traditionist (Sam'ani, vol. ii, p. 29"> fol. 237a. t'R E a and 934. 1 ] of ] Ansab, foil. 266b, 640b). . . vol . Sam'ani, loc. cit. CONTRIBUTION

al-Marwazl

al-Rahnuin

became M uhaddith^

did not come back' to his native land. He stayed on at Makka, devoting him- self to the services of Hadith.

mad b. Muhammad al-IIajjaj

(d. 381) transmitted Hadith on the authority of Abu Ja'far.

Jumada'

b. Muhammad

Ibrahim was a Kawi,

al-Sa'igh

Traditionist of Makka.3

Allah al-Daybuli

al-ilm,

was one of the widely travelled Tradi- tionists of the fourth century.4 Practically the whole of the Middle East from the Oxus to the Nile he trotted singly, hearing Hadith from eminent Tradi- tionists. With material available, we cannot exactly follow Ahmad's

al-Muqri

237a ; Maqdisi,

Baghdad, vol. iiit

hula *Ali 1. For the correct reading of the Nisba, Hasan b. Ya'qub Before the death ot Ibn 318), the Hafiz; ; at Harran, b. *Abd third century, he went nADITIT I\T SIX'D fol. 138a. tT\PER 3. Sam'anI, THE bull (d. ARAHS of Hadith (d. 322), already a Muhaddith al-Janadl (d. 104).2 and Muhammad b. b. Jawsii, rut, from Abu Abd b. Abl from Jafar (d. 301); in al-Basra, (d. 305); at 'Askar (210-306), the Hafiz] b. Khuzairna life, particularly the Khanqa, 336), thronged and ascetics,3 attracted him. There he terminated his wanderjahre al-Nisabun fol. 158a. 4. Ibid., In 33 learning and studied in Makka with his compatriot, Abu Ja'far of standing, and (d. 308),1 a descendant Egypt he heard Hadith from Eayyan (d. 320), al-Rahman Mak- Ma'shar b. Muhammad from Abu Khalifa Mukarram, from 'Abdan at Tustar, (d. 312) and at (d. 311). Besides, he received Hadith from many other contemporary Traditionists. convent, of al- as it and joined the Khftnqa. (321- from him.4 He was wont to wool, and was often seen walking bare- ibid., foil. fol. 237a. ; (d. 5 137-38 . &. Ibid. LITERATTRE

out in quest

al-Day

Muaddal b. Muhammad

of Sha'bJ

al-Rahman

in Damascus, from Ahmad b. 'Umair

the Hafiz ; at Bay

from al-Husain

in Baghdad,

al-Faryabl

al-Oadl

b. Ahmad al-JawkiqT

from Ahmad b. Zuhair al-Tustarl

Nishapur. from Muhammad b. Ishaq

Khuzairna in 311/923 Ahmad reached Nishapur of which cultural and reli- gious

al-ITaddad

was with sufls

Henceforth, he became pre-eminently an ascetic giving himself up to devotional prayers and abstemious prac- tices. Nevertheless, he went on cultivating the science of tradition. The young al-Hakim

405) took lessons in Hadith

Ahmad died at Nishapur in 343/954 and was buried in the cemetery of al-Hira.

put on snf,

footed.

2. Ibid.,

'Abd 1. In the middle age, Khalaf had his training in Hadlth in his native town Debal A disciple of Abu Ya'la al-Hasan of Faryab1 Hadlth. Me Faryab was a most important town of the district of Juzjan in Khurasan (Le 2. Ansab, fol. 3. Ibn 237a. 'Asakir, al-Tarikh al-Kahtr (Dimashq, 1332), vol. iv, pp. 355-56 . b. Musa al-Daybull at Debal with isnad _ mnt traced back to Anas runs (Khatib, . V VI I VI I II Baghdad, (d. 305) of al-Basra; Mukarram al-Nisfiburl (d. 307), al- Hasan transmitted Hadlth in 340/951 in Damascus, his isnad, b. Musa al-Daybuli.4 I I v l ^ viii,p. LITERATURE Damascus, Bayrut and even Egypt in quest of Hadlth and ransack the treasures they offered Allah mad al-Daybull, had a fair share of travelling (rihla) quest of Ja'far b. (d. 301), of Baghdad;'Abdftn ; Muhammad b. (d. 405). lie al-Daybull 3501961 chain of authorities, going back to Jabir b. and others received Hadlth from him.3 360] He repaired to Baghdad and lectured (haddatha) on Hadlth. Strange, p. 425). 333) : CJ\^J . from b. ' ] vol. \ J* I f ^ 34 INDIA'S CONTRIBUTION TO IIADITH

It is worth our while to recall the time when an Indian scholar could go to such distant places as NishapQr,

4. Muhammad b. Muhammad b. ^Abd

al-Daybull [d. 346]

Ahmad's compatriot and fellow-student, Muham

though not so much as Ahmad'sin

received instructions in Abu Khalifa al-CJadi

Muhammad al-Faryabl

Ahmad (210-306) of'Askar

and others. A copyist (warraq) of Hadlth literature, Muhammad distinguished himself as a teacher of al-Tfakim

died in 346/957.

5. Al-Hasan b. Muhammad b. Asad

[d. ctrc.

al-Mawsili

Allah (d. 78), the Companion of the Prophet. Tammam

6. Khalaf b. Muhammad al-Daybull [d. cite.

under 'All

4. A tradition received by Khalaf from his Shaykh 'All

s. ibid, 2. Le b. Rakr, 6. Ibid., 4. Khatlb, as Khan Ibn (d. 354), while paying a visit to the city, stayed with him. The unique combination of his beLig Al-Hasan 8. Al-Hasan al-Wfisiti b. Duma al-Ni'ali Ahmad b. Sharik Muhammad al-Faryabl Ilarblya accordingly. Afterwards migrated to Rayy Born at Debal 7. Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Harfm Ahmad b. 'Uinair Abu '1-Husain IIADITII vol. vii, vol. v, pp. 3034)4, Ibn 'Asakir, Hamid.6 a scholar and a commercial magnet impressed the poet so much that he remarked, "Had I eulogized any merchant, I would have certainly eulogized you.1,5 b. Hamid, b. Hamid of al-Kufa. 'the great acquired Hadith from b. al-Jundi LITERATURE IX vol. SlXD Ahmad b. 'All al-Bada (d. 420), Abu 'All suberb of the west Baghdad'8 (346-431)3 and al-Qadl and hence he is called al-Harbl Abu '1- (d. 431) . Abu Bakr studied Hadith in Baghdad were his pupils. He dird in Baghdad, 4Ala [iL THE ARABS 35 of Baghdad and under Ja'far in 370/980/ 407] which came to be known 1 i - cit. \j*x> u.> u tTXDER

(306-96)

Khalaf.

al-Daybul

' [275-370]

in 275/888, Ahmad, surnamed Abu

and became famous as al-RSzI

he settled permanently at

northern

(d. 301) and also under

Besides being a trans- mitter of Hadith, he was well-versed in the science of al-Oira'at.'

al-Daybuli

a Debalese, unlike his other compatriots, went abroad as a trader and established himself in Baghdad. By his business he amassed a vast fortune and became a leading citizen of Baghdad as is evidenced by the fact that the poet al-Mutannabl

As a philanthropist, he built for the poor and indigent an asylum (Khan) at Darb al-Za'franl

Side by side with his com

1. Khatlb, loc.

Strange, p. 51.

pp. 113-14.

^.oj

iv, p. 159.

1. 3. Ibid. 4. Sam'anl, conquerer of Sind,6 between 110/728 and" ed by 'Amr, Mansura5 Hyderabad 'Ruined The great mound of Bambhra-hl-thul, (II) STUDY OF IIADTTH Egypt and established a halqa, al-Daybuli 9. Abu 'l-Odsiw also a poet and a litterateur (adib). weep while narrating was so devotedly Naqqash al-MawsilT Hadith, rnercial 36 INDIA'S loc. cit.; Ma'arif, Tower,' study circle, where he lectured on Hadith. Abu Sa'id \d. circ. Shu'aib (d. 351) and Abu 'All he was a pupil of 'All COXTRIBTTION vol. xxiv, No. 4, 400/1009 p. 247. 5. The discovery of this interesting place was due to the zeal and painstaking labour of A.F. Bellasis, late of the Bombay The coins found were those of Mansur Muhammad 'Abd pp. 312-16). _ 6. Baladhuri, p. 444=Murgotten, 7. Nadawl, 'Abd al-Rahman, (Eiliot, vol. i, (Elliot, vol. i, p. 371; 8. Ibid., p. 374; p. 335. LITERATURE carried on cultural activities. In b. Muhammad b. Sa'id (d. 351), Muhammad al- (d. 360). He that he would He was Ahmad He went to was a pupil to the north-east of modern was found- b. al-Qasim, Cunningham, Cunningham, pp. 341 425. 4 A the vol. xii, p. 82. < p. 311). TO IIADITH

business, he

(d. 359V Da'laj

al-Tumari

attached to Hadith

it.2 His erudition in the science of tradition may be conceived from this that he went to Damascus and Egypt to lecture on Tladith.

He died in Egypt

in 407/1016,3

b. Muhammad b.

] He was better known as Abu Qat'fin.

b. Yunus

of Abu Oat'aii.

IN AL-MANSPR

or the

situated near an old bed of the Indus at a distance of 47 miles

in Sind, represents the ruined city of al-

which, according to al-Baladhuri,

the son of Muh?,mmad

120/738.7

With the establishment, in 270/883,8 of an independent Arab principality in Lower Sind, it steadily rose into

Khatib,

2. Ibid. '^DJJ*X>0*

Allah and 'Umar

b. Jamhur,

Civil Service.

others misread 'Amr as 'Amru

p. 229 ; Elliot, Cunningham and

1. Ibid., In local townships Hanatite Dawud aMsbahanl With regard to the religious and intellectual life of al-Mansura, al-Maqdisi says, uThe viz., Bab al-Bahr Hawqal prominence. By 340/951when HADIT11 p. 310. 2. AMstakhrl, jurists were also in evi- dence, but no Malikite, I Ianbalite or Mu'tazilite Kitab Learning and the wa learned had seen their better davs in al-Mansura.6 Since the bulk of the population was Ashdb 'UMamalik op. cit., p. 345, freely worshipped their own gods. The majority of the Muslims were Aslulb Hadith, (Elliot, vol. ii, p. 27). quoting Tbn 4. MaqdisI, S1ND UNljER Turan (the Turan- gate), Bab Sindan (the Sindan-gate) Hadlth, cultivation of the science of tradition had naturally been recoursed to. Here Traditionists engaged themselves in the pursuit of their own Science. Classes in Madith Hawqal. 5. Ibid. well THE ARABS 37 visited it1 Al-Mansura," who visited the city in 375/985, "is with Damascus. of timber and plaster. The city had four gates, and Bab Multan adherents of Apostolic traditions, who were the followers of Imam (literalist). were held i op. cit., p. 479 ; cf. Nadawi, 6. Ibid. the 4 n p. 34( . LITERATURE IN

al-Istakhrl

al-Mansura was a flourishing city with an area of four square miles and was inhabited by the Muslims.2 Ibn

repeated the same account.3 "

says al-Maqdisi

metropolis of Sind and resembles

The buildings are constiuclcd

The big cathedra] mosque, standing at the busy market place, is built of brick and stone and roofed with teak like the mosque of 'Uman.

(the sea-gate), Bal

(the Multan-gate)."

people were generally intelligent and given to pious habits. Islam was held in high esteem and its principles were strictly adhered to with no priestcraft to intervene. The Dhimmls

(d. 270), the Zahirite

; so that Islam was found in its pristine glory and native simpli- city, virtue and chastity being at a premium every- where.1'5

3. Nadawi,

al-Masalik

^l^Ji pi. a statement which has led 'Allama of vJo^. 5. ,l*Xitll 1. See infra. Kitab al-Hadi voluminous works8 visited al-Mansura Ahadlth most district of Faris.4 then held the office of Oadi al-IIizzanl al-Athram the name of al-Oadi Sam'auj, fol. vol. xxiv, Sayyid Sulaiman Nad from him, suggests awl (Ma'arif, that al-Mansuri of al-Sam'anl (d. 562). But we are of opinion that this was the statement of al-Hakim and not of al-Sam'ani. f *AA3|Ji ^ 544a. says that a in the halqa $ 0. This is apparent inasmuch as al-Mansuti (d. 1-Man vol. i, cit. ^ C^\) y was a CONTRIBUTION TO HADITH LITERATURE literature. As an instance, Abbas al-Mansuri be cited here. OF AL-MANSUK al-Mansuri al-Mansuri had his under Abu 'J-'Abbas under Ahmad (d. 332).2 lie the western- 405) received sun was the most (study circle) set up was an eminent author of the Zahiritc and compiled several learned and al-Kabir, have been men- p. 66 ; Lisan, 4. Le Strange, Lisan, loc. cit. without mak- o Cf. Lisan, vol. i, p. 272 ; Sam'ani, Traditionist. 7. MaqdisT, p. 481. as a A b. vol. i, p. 272. p. 268. fol. 38 INDIA'S

different mosques of the city. Scholars were found to compile works on Hadith

Abu M-

teacher and a compiler may

TKADITIONISTS

7. Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Salih

Ahmad surnamed Abu M-'Abbas

education in Hadith in Faris

(d. 330) and at al-Basra,

commonly called Abu Kawq

of Arrajan,3

That on the occasion of his visit to Bukhara in 360/970 aJ-Hakim

had already established himself as a Traditionist of renown. Fur- ther, al-Hakim

sharp-witted of the scholars he had ever seen. Towards the seventies of the fourth century when al-Maqdisi

he found that al-Mansuri had been lecturing on Hadith6

by him.7 He

school of theologians

of which Kitab al-Misbfih

and Kitab al-Nayyir

3. Lisan, loc.

514a ; Mhan,

Ool^

Al-Sara'Sni,

ing any reference to al-Hakim, says ,l^*Jl

No. 4, p. 247) to conclude that al-Mansuri was a contemporary

O^Ju* ghan Rawl Ja'far 3. Tbid., a Traditionist of Dihistan,4 Abu 'l-Fityan and Kaja' b. Muhammad al-Husayni, Amongst his shuyukh 2. Sibawaih authority.3 He (d. 474), the Haji%? of Hacllth. :iI-S;imad an ascetic. He Ousdar, surnamcd Abu Muhammad, /. Ja'far TRADITION in the fourth century with the HADITH L1TLRATUKK fol. 4f>fla . b. 4. Ibid., 'Amr b. 'Abd Yahya were al-'As b. Isimttt transmitted Iladith Abu 'J-Futuh b. Muhammad settled at Balkh. aUKhaliub IX SIXD 5. Le . b. al- fol. 261a. b. Abu 'l-IIasan al-Wahid b. Ibrahim Dawild 'Abd :U-Ghafir Asiml. He al-Qusdari [d. Strange, al-Rawwasi al-Isbahanl. lie circ. p. 379. foil. 451a, 452b. 1 R . l Id. circ. 463] 'All supra. foj. 472b. UNDER THE ARABS 41

establishment of an independent Arab principality here.

1STS OF OUSDA

450)

a native

was a jurist as well as

took lessons in Iladith from 'Abd

was a reliable

al-Kash-

on his

flourished early in the 5th century A.II

al-Quzdar

Abu U-Qasim

al-Makhul

He migra- ted to Makka where he lectured on Hadith. The Hafi%

(d. 503),

in the province of Jurjan,5

narrated Hadith on the authority of Sibawaih. He

died in about 4G3/1070.6 From the above discourse, it is evident how the study of Hadith in Lower Sind was making long strides in the fourth century under a number of devoted Traditionists. We are now going to discuss below the causes of the sudden check the study of the Science, then, met with due to a cataclysm that overwhelmed the country.

1. See

vSam'ani,

Sam'ani,

1. Nadawl, a congenial home for the Sunni change; pp. 313 seq. 2. Al-BIruoi, scholars. It was quite likely that the Traditionists might it had a far-reaching effect on the life Kitab al-Hind, either have been obliged to quit the country or, in case of their stay, they had to suspend their cultural activities so near and dear to them. Nor was it improbable and faith of the Sunnls of Sind. Bent on destroying not only Isma'llities which were contributing so greatly towards the diffusion and dissemination of Islamic culture and learning in the country. This perhaps explains the reason why the study of Hadith in Sind came to a standstill at the end of the fourth century. It is not unreasonable and al-Mansura1 This was not merely left no stone unturned to attain their objective. The fact that the Isma'llities coup d'etat of the Sunnls, received a great setback. Sind, under Isma'llites, to believe that the Ismfi'ilitics, (London, 1887), Elliot, vol. i, p. 470 ; LITERATURE of the fourth century, the were usurped a political closed down the Grand Mosque of Mulian,2 gave a death- did not prove on the suppressed the religious in- p. 501 Nadawl, op. cit., p. 315. 42 INDIA'S CONTRIBUTION TO HADITH

Towards the second half

principalities of Multan

by the IsmS'lIitcs.

the structure of the states of the Sunnls, but also their religion and culture, the

shows to what length they could have gone to annihilate all that the Sunnls stood for. Thus collapsed the religious organization of Sunnls that grew up under the fostering care of their savants as also their rulers. In the sequel, the Isma'jJite

blow to the centuries-old Sunnite Arab regime and what it built up in Sind.

Naturally, therefore, the study of Hadith, the foun- tain-head of the religious laws

on the part of the fanatics who closed down the Grand Mosque against the SunnT Muslims to perpetrate their acts of vandalism on the educational institutions of al-Mansura and Debal

assumption of their power,

ed. Sachau

2. Elliot, vol. i, again, captured for themselves the Government of Lower Sind in 443/1051 from the weak successors of Sultan Mahmud.2 the Sunn! been peregrinating throughout the that the last 11AD1TH IX SIND t'XDER ousted them and usurped the Government.3 Meanwhile, the province was, no doubt, conquered by Mu'izz THE AKABS al-'IIm al-Din 43 of the Sunnis. This hypothesis gains in strength from the fact that henceforward no student from Sind was found going abroad to study the Hadlth seem to advance. Moreover, the fact who had were the products of abroad. Obviously, the Isma'ilites of Ghaznin, country of the Shi'ites tribe who became Now, these Sumras, Muhammad al-Ghurl and was governed by his lieutenant pp. 374 seq. to pp. 314, 349-G0 . LlTLKATt'Kli

stitutions

literature. Nor did the cultivation of the Science on the part of the Traditionists of al-Mansura

have made any further

batch of ardent Talib

Muslim Jands to master the science of tradition died by the close of the fourth century, shows that they

regime. Since then Sind did not and, as a matter of fact, could not send any of her young learners to study Iladith

were, thus, responsible for arresting the expansion of the religious and cultural activities of the Sunnis.

True, Sultan Mahmud (388-421/998.1030)

a champion of the Sunnis, did succeed in setting up his rule after having overthrown their Government and driven them out of the territory.1 But his career of conquest was cut short before he could restore Sind to her cultural glories of the past. Nor could he effect a wholesale extermination from the

whose secret propaganda was very active among the natives and who, thereby, succeeded in convening

their own faith, a powerful Indo-Arab

famous in history as the Sumras.

Thus the Isma'ilites regained their hold which they appear to have maintained till 752/1351 when Sammas

(570-602/1174-1205)

1. Nadawl.

pp. 484 seq ; Nadawl, p. 358. 3. Elliot, vol. i, pp. 494 seq ; Nadawl,

Naslr and the Muzaffar Isma'ilites, of the territory in the second half al-Dln 44 IXDIA'S Shahls in some form or other, was continuous and uninterrupted in Lower Sind. In the circumstances, with the termination of the Sunni of the fourth century down to the middle of the eighth, Oabacha,1 CONTRACTION' learning in other Islamic countries, particularly with those of al-Hijaz, From was cut off. Thus the revival of the study of Hadith in India was delayed until the rise, in the ninth their usurpation century, of the Bahmanis p. 600. TO HADITH LITERATURE

nevertheless, Delhi Sultanate could not control it effectively and the real power was still retained by the Sumras.

the influence of the

Arab regime in Sind, the contact which the territory had maintained with the seats of Hadith

in the Deccan and Gujarat, respectively. In the meantime flickering light of Sunna was visible in Northern India with the advent of the scholars from Central Asia ever since the Muslim conquest began to take shape in that region.

Section /. 1. Firishta, vol. i, p. 27. The Traditionist Ghaznaxvids ITADITIT 2. Cambridge History of India, ed. Haig (Cambridge, 1928), whose memory [3S8-582/99S-1186 p. 26. ) saw has been associated with the introduction of Hadith into Lahore was Shaykh Isma'il T penetration of the Muslims into Northern India al-Lahurl, an eminent saint from Bukhara. He came to India in 395/1004 and settled at Lahore under Mahmud of Ghaznin 1 wherefrom he got the nisba who brought the Punjab under his sway. Within the next two hundred years the Muslim dominion was extended by the Slave Sultans further afield in the region reaching the Bay of Bengal.2 This phenomenal of al-Lahuriwhile political conquest was atten- ded with the expansion of Islam and the transmission of Islamic sciences the all Isma'll Muhammad Ismail also distinguished himself as the first Muslim missionary to preach the faith of Islftm HE later part of the fourth century A.H. al-Lahurl [d. 448/J056 in the city of Lahore. Crowds flocked to listen to his sermons and the number of his converts swelled (Firishta, vol. i, m ] P. 31). CHAPTER III

LITERATURE IN NORTHERN

INDIA [388-900/998-1494]

over Northern India by the labour and personal influence of the scholars, saints and missionaries who poured into the country from the neighbouring Muslim countries of the north-west, the gates of India being now wide open to them. Shaykh

city was not yet conquered by the Muslims.3 Highly versed in Hadith and Tafsir,

vol. iii,

3. Lahore was conquered by Mahmud in 412/1021

the Sayyid 1. Arnold, of Sultan Shihab al-Din He was a native of al-Kufa. Murtachi the nisba Hadith a legionto Shaykh Isma'il rapidJy 46 INDIA'S op. cit., pp 280-81 . 2. Ghulam Lucknow. Sarwar, Kkazinat 1902. vol. ii, al-Asfiya\ p. 230 ; Faqlr ed. Newul Newul Kishore Press, Kishore Press, Muhammad, Jlada'iq 1886, p. 194; Rahman 4 . Nadawl, Hindustan hi 6. Minhaj al-Ansab 1930) pp. 8fi-86. al-Siraj, the by Cf. grandfather also received Ahadith from him. lie the Sultans and Bukhara. Thence cultural activities gradually found their way to the eastern zone with Delhi as their rallying centre7 (Gibb (A'zam- Ma'arif, Tabaqat-i-Nasirt, Qad%m IslUmi LITERATURE of al- from some other acquired some reputation as a met him at died in about 7205-1300 who were Shafi'ites,3 of Delhi, Persia, Khurasan and the Transoxania men versed in Fiqh and Ma'qulat.5 from where by the middle of the seventh century, they per- Memorial 2. Sara'ani, vol. xxii, pp. 339-41. pp. 2 seq. ) toe. cit. No. 4, CONTRIBUTION TO IIADITII

al-Sam'anj,

lie

of his time. Besides being a Traditionist and jurist, Abu 'l-Oasim

controversialist. Al-Sam'anT

and heard Hadlth

540/1148.2

Early Delhi Sultanate [602-700/

Under the Ghaznawid SuJtans

learning and continued shedding its lustre until the end of the sixth century.4 But with the foundation of Delhi Sultanate in 602/1205, the study of Fiqh was introduced into India. Themselves Hanafites,

naturally, attracted from al-'Iraq,

and Thaneswar were thronged with scholars so as to well make them rivals of Balkh

Series), p. 2.

Introduction to Kitab

in the Muslim Educational Institutions of India (Lahore, 1941),

7. Hayat'i-Shibltt

/ * 1. Infra, p. 52. 2. Tabaqat-i-Nasiri, colated as far as Bengal.1 Then there sprang up in khanl, p. 124 ; *Abd Northern India schools and colleges through the muni- ficent endowments of the Sultans. Of them, the famous were the Flruz Nasirlyya College at Uchh,2 the Mu'izzI Colleges of Delhi3 and the Mu'izzT and the Badayun.* College of Besides instructions were also imparted in different cities and townships of the country by the individual scholars who were subsidized by the state. With the growth and expansion the Islamic sciences more and more. In the seventh century the s}rllabus of studies comprised Arabic literature, grammar, rhetoric, Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Mantiq, Tasawwuf, Tafslr and Hadlth. Special stress was, however, laid on Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh parifiassu with Arabic grammar and literature. Hadlth and Tafslr, the two principal branches of Islamic sciences, received but scant attention, the course of the former being only nominal. except al-Saghanfs Save and Baghawl's Mashariq al-Anwar Masabih Muzaffar and al- al-Sunna? wa Alih, no work on Hadlth, not even any of the Sihah ed. Denisou title ol Sitta, An Arabic History of Gujarat (London, Ulugh- was included in the curri- Ross under the 3. Tabaqat-i-Nasiri. culum. Circumstances being what they were at the 1921), vol. ii, p. 695. pp. 188-89 ; time, nothing more than this could be Ulughkham, Hasanat, expected. For, op. cit., p. 703 ; op. cit., pp. 17-18 the courses of study followed in India had the same ; Elliot, vol. ii, p. 344 ; Narendra objective behind them as they Promotion of Learning in India during Muhamtndan p. 22. had in the feeder- 4. Abu '1-Hasanat, p. 33. countries of Central Asia, namely, to prepare a student 5. Ibid., pp. 90-02; 6. for the qadlship.6 Ma'arif, Abu '1- Sufi, Therefore, it is nothing unusual to find) Nath Law, op. cit., pp. 16-17, 25. vol. xxii/No. that among as many as forty-six scholars who flourished Rule (London, 1916), 4, pp. 263-54, 49 HADITH LITERATURE IN NORTHERN INDIA

of their political power in India, the Sultans of Delhi promoted the cause of

Zafar al-Walitibi

Allah Muhammad b. Umar

al-Din Baha1 1. Diva' the science. Further, of the Sihfth al-Dln1s stated in the letter that the 'Ulama1 a letter addressed to 'Ala' al-Dln Zakarlyya on his way to Delhi, that Sultan 'Ala' during the reign of 'Ala1 Sitta^ al-Dln BaranI, Tatthh regime had already dispensed with Hadith con- fining themselves to Fiqh and that out of sheer disgust he was now leaving the country although he had gone there to spread Hadith literature.8 al-Din Khalji. al-Multanl al-Din al-Dln Firuz Shaht Calcutta, 1862), pp. 352-54 Khalji . UlughkhanI, to whom we owe the above information has not included yadlth AUah, vol. ii, pp. 831-32, alto vol. iii, XCVII; Ma'Srif, among the subjects taught at the time.1 So, it is highly doubtful if the works on Hadith were read at all or at any rate with any seriousness. Our assertion is borne out by the following incident. In 700/1300 Shams al-Dln Turk, an eminent Egyptian Tradi- tionist, came to India with a mass of compilations in Hadith in order to popularize them in this country. But to his great dismay he came to know at Multan, a grandson of Shaykh towards Hadith remained what we have outlined above, there were, however, a few scholars who had some proficiency in, and interest for, cf. p. 810 and vol. XXII, No. 4, p. 252. 50 INDIA'S CONTRIBUTION TO HADITH LITERATURE

(695-715/ 1296-1316), only Shams al-Dln Yahya (d. 747) had some interest in Hadith. But the historian BaranI

had not been regular in his daily prayers, nor would he attend the Friday congregation. This mortified him so much so that he abandoned the project of working for the dissemination of Hadith literature. But before return- ing to his home, he wrote a treatise on Hadith and dedicated it to the Sultan of Delhi. He then left it with Mawlana Fadl

(d. 666) along with

Shams

of 'Ala1

Thus, with his departure a great opportunity for the cultivation of Hadith literature in India was lost. Though in the seventh century the general ten- dency of the 'Ulama'

a copy of the

(Bibliotheca Indica,

2. Ibid, pp. 29, 7-9;

Baha' Sunan 1. Infra, He belonged to a cultured family of Juzjan in 2. Qadi al-Dln Zakariyya, 7. Shaykh of Abu Davvud,perhaps p. 60. Khurasan which he left in 623/1228. He had from his the famous saint of 2. Taj rid, vol. ii, p. 126. father, who was a Qadi Multan and a disciple of Shihab 3. Amir in the army of Hindustan al-Dln al-Suhrawardl Khin, Hasan, under Muhammad al-Ghurl (d. 632), was a descendant of Habbar b. Aswad, a Com- Ruhtak* FawU'id (570-602/1175-1205), panion of the Prophet.2 a al-Fu*ad Karur, near Multan, He was born at Qila' Kut 1313 A.H.), pp. 152 (Urdu trail, and received his education in vol. ii. pp. 404 seq. ; 'Abd (Meerut, 1277). al-Haqq pp. 26-28; Dara Dihlawl, Shikuh, p. 196; Ghulam Sarwar, Habbar Akhbar Saf .nat Hadiqat mage to the Haramayn and became a specialist in al-Akhyar al-Awliya'; aUAwhya' % Hadith, (Delhi, 1209). ed. Lahore, Zakariyya, Khazinat al-As studying it for live years under the Madinian s. v. Baha* jiya, vol. ii, p. W; Traditionist, Kamal pp. 19-26; Rahman 'Ali, Nadawl, op. cit., ppi al-Dln Muhammad al-Yamani. number of high posts under Nasir al-Din Qubacha of 339, 366; al-Siraj al-Dln He died at Multan in Safar, Multan and under the Sultanate of Delhi which cover- Ma'arif, al-Din found in possession of Minhaj al-Juzjanl, Zahariyya 666/6ctober, id. cite. ed the regimes of Iltutmish op. citM vol. xxii, No. 5, the author of the Tabaqat~i-Nasiri. al-Multftn [ d. 666/1267 1267.3 668/J270 (707-33/1210-36), Radiyy pp. 328-29 1 l ] i ] a . HADITH LITERATURE IN NORTHERN INDIA 51

available in India,was

the only copy then

TRADITIONISTS OF THE SEVENTH CENTURY

Baha?

Bukhara and Khurasan. He then went on a pilgri-

Minhaj al-Siraj al-Juzjari

good general education which fitted him to hold a

has been misprinted as Mahiyar

63 ; Firishta,

by Ghulam Ahmad

has Flruz al-Dln 1. Urdu Fawa'id (d. 593), the famous author of al-Hidaya. Burhan al-Din al-Balkhi 3. Burhctn suggests that Juzj0.ru of several Ahadith College of Uchh Mahmud (614-64/1246-66). (634-37/1236-40), Bahram al Fu'ad, been misprinted p. 269; Akhbar Mahmud, who flourished during the reign of Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Balban (664-86/1266-86), was a disciple of al-Saghanl al-Dln and Nasinyya as Jurjani. (d. 650) from whom he obtained a sanad of the Mashariq al-Anwfir. pp. 259 seq; Ulughkhani, He was the first Traditionist who initiat- ed the study of the Mashariq al-Anwar 2. Pp. 325 26. 3. Ma'arif. vol. xxiv, No. 4, p. 261. 4. Urdu FawU'id al-Fu'ad, pp. 252-53 5. Ibid., pp. 257-58; Mir Ahhbar Khurd, Siyar al-Awliya al-AkhyUr, p. aUHanafiyya, cp. cit., gave a bril- liant account of himself. In 640/1242, he reached LakhnawatI, Burhp.n p. 264; Rahman'All. p. S3; Nutha, in Bengal, where he remained for two years. He died after 664/1266, but the exact date is not known.1 al-Din p. 74. Juzjani Tabacat-i-Nasirt, vol. i, s.v. Burhan al-DIn and Nasir His quotation in his Tabaqfit-i-Nasiri2 of Abu Dawud 7 Khayr As^a al-Marghlnanl p. 172; Elliot, vol. ii, Mahmud 4 d 5 vol. iii, LX. . . 52 INDIA'S CONTRIBUTION TO HADITH LITERATURE

(637-39/J240-42)

As a principal of

College of Delhi, as a chief justice and a preacher, JuzjanI

from the Sunan

must have studied this work at least.3 He does not, however, seem to have been very much acquainted with the Science of Tradition inas- much as he took a few forged and weak Traditions as Mutawdtir.

Mahmud b. Abi

' [ d. 6S7/72SS ]

in Delhi. Burhan al-Din had the privilege of meeting in his early years, at Marghlnan,

He was much respected by Balban who used to visit him on Fridays for his blessings. He died in Delhi in 687/1288 and was buried on the eastern quarters of the Hawd-i-ShamsI.

al-Akhyar,

68; Hada'iq

(Delhi, 1885), p. 105;

1. S.yar Asfiya, al-Awtiya', [ d. circ. 700 ] Sharaf al-Dln Abu Taw'ama, 6. Abu Taw*ama al-Dln was said to have been well-versed in Hadlth literature. He was a Qadl to appoint him Imam or leader of prayersan al'Nayyirayn Mahmud the two disciples of al-Saghanl, Awllya himself as a teacher better known as Kamal Muhammad b. 4. Kamal viz., vol. i, p. 314; pp. 104-06 who was a native of Bukhara, migrated to Delhi early in the 7th century. During the Sultanate of Iltutmish al-Bukhnrl of Ku'il office which Kamal al-Dln refused to accept. He died in Delhi in 684/1285.1 5. Radl al-Dln fx AkhbCir (d. 687) and the author of Buihan (d. 725). Me in Iladlth al-Dln al-Zahid, al-Dhi Nuzha, Tadhkira-i-'Ulama'-i.Hind, ; Akhbar (607-33/1210-36) he came over to Sunargaon in Bengal where he settled down permanently. Abu Taw'ama (mod. 'Allgarh) al-Badayiini al-Sahjhayn. read the Mashdriq Zahid al-AkhyUr, [ d. His circ. p. 45 ; Khasinat aU vol. i, s v., Md. b. Ahmad b. Md. al-Marlkili; p. 45 ; Ma'arif, 2. Urdu Fawa'id vol. xxii, al-Fu'ad, al-Dln has been confused al-Dln al-Hasan Ct Infra, p. 204, b. Muhammad al-Saghanl also Nuzha, vol. i, s. v. Radl (d. 650). al-Din aUBddUyuni 53 with n 2 i . HADITH LITERATURE IN NORTHERN INDIA

[ d. 684/1285 ]

Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Marlkill,

distinguished

of Shavkh Nizam al-Dln

al-Anwar

a]-Din

the Shark Athar

exceedingly pious habits induced Sultan Ghiyath al-Dln Balba

700 ] Among his contemporary scholars in Delhi Radl

and went to Makka, thence to Baghdad where, as a Tradi- tionist, he was granted an audience by the reigning Caliph [?]. He returned to India and died at Lahore. The date of his death is not known.

al-Hanbal

was a teacher of great celebrity. As a Hanbalite scholar, he was evidently deeply learned in the science of Tradition. Under him, Sunargaon early developed into a seat of Hadlth in Bengal, which claims among its alumni

with his namesake Radl

pp. 137-39. Radl

No. 6, p. 329.

^ rrr "Verily, al-Asfar, I have seen the emperor of India holding after morning prayers 2. Tarikh 1. Nuzha, historian Diyfl1 an extent that Muhammad b. Tughlaq's of the 'UJama' Next to Fiqh, Makhdum Firiiz 3. Ibn ed. Shahi, vol. lxxi. vol. i.. discussions particularly of 'Ilm Battuta, s v. Sharaf al-Din al-Dihlaw! al-Din Baranl4 was Malqulat Sharaf al-Din TVin Tuhfat Battuta. al-Ma'qulat al-Xuzzar which in the time of Muhammad b. Tughlaq (725-52/1325-51) was vigorous- pursued in Delhi. Himself a scholar of no mean order, the Sultan patronized Ma'qulat. Yahya Ot>. cit. fvol. Defremery with French tr. ft Chara'ib His circle of learned men consisted, among others, of the erudite philosopher, Mawlana'Allm al-Manirl statement of Dr. Mahdl al-Amsav al-Din, Husain Tughlaq, London, 1938, (Paris, 1922), vol, wa 'Aju'ib with whom he used to hold regular discussions on the subject.2 The Sultan was so much fascinated by Ma'qulat iv, p. 843. The that he would personally conduct lectures on Ma'qulat* p. 200) that Muhammad b. Tughlaq pave study of philosophy (Ma'qulat)before the arrival in Delhi of and that the latter 'had seen none of it' (philosophy) with th \ the celebrated saint-traditionist of Bihar. Abu Taw'ama and the Sunna was neglected to wide of the mark inasmuch as Ibn Battuta himself maintains or philosophical sciences Ibn Battuta, op. cit. (vol. iv, p. 343). 1 ] such meta - . uo his : " h 54 INDIA'S CONTRIBUTION TO HADITH LITERATURE

(d. 782),

died at Sunargaon towards the close of the 7th century A.H.

Section III. Later Delhi Sultanate [700-900/1300-1494

the subject that attracted attention

which along with Fiqh constituted the subjects of popular in- terest during the period under review. While the study of the Qur'an

contemporary

attributes the former's cruelty and eccentricity to his study of Ma'qnlnty

(April-June 1939), pp. 196-97

; Calcutta Review,

p. 465.

(vide his Rise and Fall of Muhammad bin

iv n 343

4. TUftk

1. Manqulat because the Shaykh, 7iMiiqallid4-AbuHariifa the Fuqaha1 al-Din Awliya and the Fuqaha\ between Shaykh Nizam al-Din influence of philosophy and logic was responsible for his whims and idiosyncrasies still remains a moot question.2 of the Qur'an in contradistinction with Ma'qulat includes the sciences (follower of the Hanafite School) as he was, had nothing to do with Traditions, and, secondly, because the Ahadith themselves were pro-Shafi'ite But it cannot be gainsaid that sober-minded men of that age deeply felt the absence of humanizing effect of the teachings of the Qur'an and Hadlth and, as such, they did not commend to their acceptance. Further they asserted that here in India Fiqhl and the Sunna. The number of such men was, however, few and far between. The 'Ulama1, en and also the subjects primarily based on them. fiwftyat 2. The Cambridge History of India, p. 631; Ulughkhani, Firishta. vol. ii, pp 397-98; Ma'arif, in terms of the Hanafite Fiqh. Any de- viation from a recognized rite of this school, even if sanctioned by Traditions, was, therefore, opposed tooth and nail. This rigid attitude of the '(llama1 in favour of Samft\ on the matter. The hardihood of rejecting Apostolic Traditions on the part of the Fuqahct^ vol. iii, pp. 855-57; vol. xxii. No. 4, How far the evil was strik- ingly illustrated in a familiar controversy on SamtC on the one hand Appa- Nizam But place, shocked Nizam al-Din Awliya* pp. 254-55; vol. xxii, 55 so No, 5, p. 93, HADITH LITERATURE IN NORTHERN INDIA

physics, at the cost of Manqtilftt}

masse, were affiliated to the Hanafite School. Their interest centred round Fiqh, the sure passport for government service. Having no wide outlook and independent judgment, they viewed the Shaft a

Awliya

on the other, during the Sultanate of Ghiyath al-Din TughJaq Shah (720-25/1321-25).3

rently adhering to the school of the Shafi'ites,

cited Ahadlth

rejected the Traditions, in the lirst

or the decision of the Hanafite jurists had greater legal value than Traditions themselves. Therefore, they insisted on his producing a definite opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa

3. Siyar at-Awliya',

vol. iii, pp. 136-37.

Shaykh Ni?am Khawaja 'Arab fatherspaternal BadayQn, Nizam al-Din Awllya1, Muhammad b. Ahmad b. 'All, Ni?am I. NIZAM AL-DIN AWLIYA' and his school of Muhaddithun at MultSn. Sharaf al-Din al-Manirl Awllya' and his Sunna, several Sufi al-Din Awliya', Therefore, from the remarks of Shams al-Din the Muslims of a land much that he was obliged to remark, "How 56 INDIA'S in Bihar, {Hi) 'All al-Hamadanl and his school of and maternalShaykh was born in 634/1236 at and his school of Muhaddithun in Delhi, (it) survive where the judgment of an individual is considered superior to Ahadlth." it is clear that the atmosphere obtaining in the circles of the 'UIama\ The Sufi who represented intelligentsia of the day, was not congenial for the cultivation of the science of Tradition in India. As the matter stood, the future of the science seemed to be very gloomy. Happily, there was a silver lining on the clouded horizon. Inspired by the love scholars, viz., Zakarlyya Awliya9 'All of the Prophet (i) Nizam al-Din al-Multani [ 634-725/7236-1325 and al-Din ] CONTRIBUTION TO HADITH LITERATURE

long will Turk and

scholars read the science themselves and also inculcated its study amongst their disciples. As a result, four schools of Hadith learning came into being in Northern India under the leader- ship of the four Sufi and his school of Muhaddithun

Muhaddithun in Kashmir and [iv) scholars of these schools carried on the culture of Hadith in Northern India until the end of the 9th century when the renaissance of the science was usher- ed in in the country.

AND HIS SCHOOL OF MUHADDITHUN

al-Din

popularly