MISHKAT AL-MASABIH - an Exposition
by Moulana Yunus Osman

Chapter One	Chapter Two	Chapter Three
Origin and Development of Hadith	Hadith as Second Source of Law	Masabih al-Sunnah

Chapter Four	Chapter Five	Chapter Six
Mishkat al-Masabih	Conmmentaries and Translations of	as a source book of Hadith
Conclusion

FOREWORD
All praise is due to Allah Ta'ala Who revealed the Holy Qur'an upon the greatest of all Messengers - Sayyidina Muhammad (on whom be Salaat and Salaam) and entrusted him with the responsibility of explaining its contents by words and practice.

If the Holy Qur'an was the word of Allah Ta'ala, then regarding the speech of the beloved Messenger, the Holy Qur'an states: "Nor does he say (anything) of his own desire, it is but revelation sent down to him." If mankind is commanded by Allah Ta'ala to believe in im and obey Him, then mankind is also commanded to believe in His Messenger and obey him. If the Holy Qur'an declares that the believers have intense love for Allah, then Allah Ta'ala instructs the Holy Prophet (on whom be Salaat and Salaam) to announce: "Say! If you do love Allah, follow me. Allah will love you."

The Holy Qur'an makes it abundantly clear that there would be no distinction between the rulings of Allah and that of His Messenger - Sayyidina Muhammad (on whom be Salaat and alaam) when it states: "It is not fitting for a believer (man or woman) (that) when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Apostle, to have any option about their decision." (33:35). The verse goes on to sternyl warn: "Whosoever disobeys Allah and His Apostle, then he has indeed clearly gone astray."

Besides the above, there are scores of verses highlighting the fact that a person cannot be a believer unless he accepts the authority of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (on whom be Salaat and Salaam) just as he accepts the authority of Allah Ta'ala. Thus, if the knowledge of the Holy Qur'an is an ocean without a shore, then the knowledge of the Hadith is no less than that. Scholars have been learning, teaching, commentating, writing and propagating the words, teachings and practices of the Holy Prophet (on whom be Salaat and Salaam), just as they have been doing that of the Holy Qur'an for more than 1400 years, without claiming that the last word has been said.

This work in the hands of the reader is the work of a scholar and teacher of Qur'an and Hadith over many years. The author, Mawlana Yunoos Osman, after having graduated from Dar al-Ulum, Karachi, Pakistan, taught for almost 12 years at Dar al-Ulum, Newcastle, South Africa. He is at present teaching Tafsir and Hadith at Madrasah al-Salihaat - an institute providing higher Islamic Education for girls in Durban.

During his years of teaching, he was blessed with the opportunity of teaching Mishkat al-Masabih, which forms an integral part of the syllabus at practically all Dar al-Ulums of the Indo-Pak Subcontinent and also in South Africa, England, and other parts of the world. Mishkat al-Masabih of Shaykh Wal al-Din Muhammad Tabrizi is in actual fact a revised and enlarged edition of Shaykh Abu Muhammad Husayn al-Baghawi's Masabih al-Sunnah and is recognised by scholars of Hadith of all ages for its literary and academic value.

The learned author has succeed in fulfilling the objectives enumerated in the introduction of this work and has in fact produced a very valuable addition to the works on the science of Hadith.

I strongly recommend students of Hadith at Dar al-Ulums and other institutions in particular and to the Muslims in general to use this publication to enrich their knowledge of Mishkat al-Masabih and all other aspects relevant to Hadith literature.

May Allah Ta'ala accept this work of the author and reward him manifold, both in this worl and the Hereafter, for the effort put into its production.

Mawlana Yunus Patel
Principal: Madrasah Sawlihaat, Durban, South Africa
President: Jamiatul Ulama (KZN), South Africa

Source:  Jamiatul Ulama (Kwazulu-Natal)