Introduction
All praise is exclusively for Allah. We all praise Him, seek His help, and ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and from our bad deeds. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide him, and whoever Allah lets go astray, none can guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah—such a testimony that guarantees salvation and elevation of ranks. And I bear witness that indeed Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the servant of Allah and His Messenger, whom He sent at a time when the signs of faith had vanished, the light of guidance had extinguished, its pillars had weakened, and its place and status had become unknown. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) revived the extinguished signs of faith, strengthened the testimony of monotheism, healed the one who was on the brink of death due to disbelief and misguidance, opened the path of guidance for anyone who wished to walk on it, and revealed the treasures of righteousness for anyone who wished to attain them.
The Importance of Following the Prophet
After praising Allah and sending blessings, it should be known that true following of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cannot be complete until there is full obedience to what came forth from his blessed chest. Only when his Hadith are followed entirely can the claim of following him be true. Complete reliance on the Book of Allah cannot be achieved except with the explanation, commentary, and interpretation of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Thus, the Qur’an can only truly be acted upon when his authentic Hadith are acted upon.
About Al-Masabih
Among the books written on Hadith, al-Masabih was a comprehensive book that compiled various Hadith together. Its author was the reviver of the Sunnah and the destroyer of innovations, Imam Abu Muhammad al-Husayn ibn Mas‘ud al-Farra’ al-Baghawi (may Allah elevate his ranks). Since the author (may Allah have mercy on him) followed the path of brevity in al-Masabih and omitted the chains of transmission, some scholars criticized it. They argued that by omitting the names of the Companions and the book references, the authenticity of the Hadith—whether sound or weak—cannot be determined, and one cannot know in which source the Hadith is found. Without a chain or book reference, most people would not accept a Hadith, even if the author himself was trustworthy. A referenced matter cannot be equated with an unreferenced one. Thus, the objection was correct.
Author’s Intention in Compiling Mishkat
Keeping this criticism in mind, I resolved to reorganize the book al-Masabih. I prayed to Allah for guidance and sought His help. By His grace, I added the missing details, mentioned the names of the Companions and the source books, and placed each Hadith in its proper category as narrated by the great Imams of Hadith—trustworthy and reliable guardians of the Sunnah—such as Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Isma‘il al-Bukhari, Abu al-Husayn Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj al-Qushayri, Abu ‘Abdullah Malik ibn Anas, Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i, Abu ‘Abdullah Ahmad ibn Hanbal al-Shaybani, Abu ‘Isa Muhammad ibn ‘Isa al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud Sulayman ibn al-Ash‘ath al-Sijistani, Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Ahmad ibn Shu‘ayb al-Nasa’i, Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Yazid ibn Majah al-Qazwini, Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Darimi, Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Umar al-Daraqutni, Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Husayn al-Bayhaqi, Abu al-Hasan Ruzayn ibn Mu‘awiyah al-‘Abdari, and others. I listed their names at the end of each Hadith along with the book reference.
Reliability of Hadith Narrators
When I attribute a Hadith to one of these Imams—for example, by saying “Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated this Hadith”—it is as though I am directly attributing it to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). This is because naming these Imams in relation to a Hadith is a clear proof that the chain indeed reaches back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the narration is connected and authentic. These scholars have already completed the task of chains, thereby sparing us the need to mention them fully. Thus, I omitted the full chains but mentioned the Companion at the beginning and the Imams and their books at the end of each Hadith.
Structure of Mishkat al-Masabih
Following the same structure as the author of al-Masabih, I divided my book Mishkat into chapters and sections. Each chapter is divided into three sections: 1. The first section contains Hadith narrated by both Imams al-Bukhari and Muslim or by one of them. 2. The second section contains Hadith narrated by the other scholars besides the two. 3. The third section includes narrations relevant to the topic, whether from the Companions or the Followers, while still maintaining the conditions of Hadith authenticity.
Reasons for Differences
If you do not find a particular Hadith from al-Masabih in my Mishkat, it is because I omitted it due to repetition. If you find a Hadith in my book with additional wording not in al-Masabih, or if some words from al-Masabih are missing here, it is because of certain scholarly reasons such as suitability for the chapter. At times, only the relevant part of a long Hadith is mentioned, while the rest is omitted. Where no such reason exists, I have included the full Hadith.
If you notice a Hadith from other narrators in the first section (which is supposed to be only for al-Bukhari and Muslim), or if you see a Hadith of al-Bukhari and Muslim in the second section, know that this is not due to error or forgetfulness. Rather, I relied on the books of al-Humaydi’s Jam‘ Bayn al-Sahihayn, Jami‘ al-Usul, and the original Sahihayn themselves. If you notice variations in the wording between Mishkat and al-Masabih, it is due to the different chains through which the Hadith reached us. Each author narrated what reached him. If you see differences, attribute them to me, not to the author of al-Masabih, for I might not have had access to his exact wording. May Allah elevate his ranks in both worlds.
Notes on Weak and Strange Hadith
Where the author of al-Masabih pointed out a Hadith as weak or strange, I have often explained the reason for its weakness in Mishkat. Where he remained silent, I too often remained silent, following his method. However, in some cases I mentioned further details for particular benefits. If you find a Hadith without a book reference at the end, it is because I could not trace its exact source. I left a blank space there, so if you find the reference, you may write it in. May Allah reward you with goodness.
Conclusion
I have named this book Mishkat al-Masabih. I ask Allah to grant me the ability to complete it, to aid me, to guide me to what is right, to protect me from mistakes, to make this work easy for me, and to grant me and all Muslims—men and women—benefit from it during my life and after my death. Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs. There is no power to avoid sin and no strength to do good except with Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise.
«Hasbiyallahu wa ni‘ma al-wakil, la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah al-‘aziz al-hakim» (Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs. There is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise).
