Athar as-Sunan: Traditions of the Sunnah – Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Nimawi

Athar as-Sunan: Traditions of the Sunnah. The Book of Proofs For Purification and Prayer.

In this classic work Allamah an-Nimawi relates fiqh rulings, particularly those of the Hanafi madhhab, to their source Hadiths, reviewing what the leading scholars have said about their chains of transmission. Footnotes indicate the views of other Hadith specialists on the authors assessment of each Prophetic Tradition. Although an-Nimawi was only able to complete the sections on ritual purity and prayer, the subject matter includes questions of special concern today, including practices that have recently become a source of controversy. For this reason, and because of its status as an authoritative reference work, Athar as-Sunan should be studied by anyone with a serious interest in Hanafi fiqh.

The Author

Muhammad ibn Ali an-Nimawi (d, 1322/1904) was one of the foremost Indian Muslim scholars of modern times. He studied the Islamic sciences with some of the most eminent figures of his time, including Abd al-Hayy al-Lakhnawi, Allamah an-Nimawi is especially renowned for the sureness of his critical judgement in the field of Hadith, and his profound knowledge of narrators. Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari described him as a “great scholar”

Concerning this book the servant of the prophetic hadith, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali an-Nimawi said, “This is a collection of hadiths, traditions, a collection of narrations and tidings which I have chosen from the Sahih, Sunan, Muj’am and Musnad collections. I have mentioned the source of each hadith but refrained from mentioning the complete chain of transmission for fear of lengthening the work.

I have elaborated on the status of ahadith that are not from the two sahih collections (i.e. al-Bukhari and Muslim) in a satisfactory manner and have named the book Athar as-Sunan (The traditions of the Sunnahs) while simultaneously asking Allah for His decision. May Allah make this work purely for His Face and a means of meeting Him in the Gardens of Bliss.”

English Translation by Abdassamad Clark and Mawlana Inam Uddin.