al-Kifaya fi Ilm al-Riwaya

Al-Kifaya fi Ilm al-Riwaya ("The Sufficiency in the Science of Transmission") is al-Khatib al-Baghdadi's (Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit) book on the principles of hadith science and the rules of transmission. ^{1 2} Ibn Hajar, as the Hyderabad editors quote him, counted it as al-Khatib's book "on the rules of transmission", coming after al-Ramahurmuzi's al-Muhaddith al-Fasil, al-Hakim's book and Abu Nu'aym's work on it. ³ They also quote Ibn Nuqta: anyone who is fair knows that the traditionists after al-Khatib all depend on his books. ³

In his preface al-Khatib complains of people of his time who spent all their effort collecting hadith books without following the early scholars in examining transmitter and report, content with the name and outward form of hadith. ⁴ He describes them as taking from men whose probity is not established, not distinguishing hearing from licence (ijaza) or connected from mursal chains, and writing from innovators whenever the chain was short. ^{4 5} In his view this opened the way for innovators to attack the scholars, until some who set themselves up as muftis and preferred opinion came to disparage hadith and its people. ⁵ He then states his aim: to set out what the student of hadith and of law needs of the principles and conditions of hadith science and the positions of the early transmitters — criticism and vindication, authentication and finding hidden defects, whom one should avoid hearing from, the difference between "haddathana", "akhbarana" and "anba'ana", correcting errors of language, the duty to act on single-source reports, when a child's hearing is valid, and handing over (munawala), licence and correspondence. ² He opens the preface with the verse on obedience, al-Nur 52. ^{1 4}

The book opens with chapters on the equal standing of the Book and the Sunna in the duty to act, the Sunna's specification of general Qur'anic rulings, the division of reports, and a refutation of those who reject acting on the single-source report. ⁶ Then come chapters on the conditions of a transmitter who may be relied on, the probity of the Companions and the definition of a Companion, the conditions for those after them, and hearing in childhood. ^{6 7} Then chapters on probity, being unknown, and criticism and vindication, including a chapter on the major sins, one on which prevails when criticism and vindication meet, and one on whether criticism must be explained. ^{7 8} Then chapters on those whose hadith is left: innovators, the weak, the confused, those dominated by objectionable reports, the lax, those who take payment for teaching hadith, and the dissolute. ^{8 9} After this he goes through the modes of receiving and relaying hadith, ending with a chapter on weighing conflicting reports. ⁶

• The probity of the Companions: their probity is established by God's vindication of them in the Qur'an and the Prophet ﷺ's praise, so they are not enquired about; this is "the position of all the scholars and of the jurists whose word counts". ^{10 11} See the probity of the Companions.
• Narration from innovators: he sets out four positions, then relies on accepting the reports of those who do not consider lying lawful, on the basis of the practice of the Companions and Successors, which he treats as akin to consensus. ^{12 13 14} See narration from people of innovation.
• Strictness in legal reports, leniency in virtues: he reports al-Thawri, Ibn Uyayna and Ahmad distinguishing hadiths on the lawful and unlawful from hadiths of encouragement and heart-softening. ^{15 16} See leniency in reports on virtuous deeds.
• Payment for teaching hadith: he gathers the sayings of those who disliked it and of those who allowed it, explaining the prohibition as protecting the transmitter from suspicion. ^{17 18 19} See payment for teaching hadith.
• The confused: he gathers reports on men whose hadith was left after they became confused, such as Sa'id ibn Abi Aruba, and sets the rule that what was heard from such a man before his confusion is sound. ^{20 17}

Al-Khatib relates each question through his own chains to the early generations, then adds his own view introduced by "I say". ^{21 18} The Hyderabad editor observes that in al-Kifaya al-Khatib quotes the books of the judge Abu Bakr al-Baqillani, through Muhammad ibn Ubayd Allah al-Maliki from him. ²²

The edition of the Da'irat al-Ma'arif al-Uthmaniyya society at Hyderabad Deccan, completed on Wednesday 10 Sha'ban 1357 AH. ²³ It used the Asafiyya Library manuscript (siglum "صف"), then a photographed Istanbul manuscript (siglum "قط") which the correctors describe as very good. ²⁴ It was corrected by Abu Abd Allah al-Surti, then collated by the society's director with Shaykh Ibrahim Hamdi al-Madani, keeper of the Shaykh al-Islam library in Medina, then by the society's correctors including al-Sayyid Hashim al-Nadwi and Abd al-Rahman ibn Yahya al-Yamani, with a second reading by Mahmud Hasan, author of Mu'jam al-Musannifin. ^{24 23} It ends with an index of chapters and a biography of the author. ^{6 25}