Al-Arf al-Shadhi


is a multi-volume Arabic commentary on attributed to Muhammad Chiragh Punjabi, was crafted by synthesizing the annotations and teachings of Anwar Shah Kashmiri during his teaching career. Its initial publication dates back to 1919. Notably aligned with the Hanafi school of thought, the purpose of Kashmiri, as reflected in this work, extended beyond the clarification of ideas and grammatical intricacies; it predominantly aimed at establishing Abu Hanifa's elevated stature in the realm of jurisprudence. In 1968, Yusuf Banuri introduced Maarif al-Sunan Sharh Sunan al-Tirmidhi across six volumes to address any identified discrepancies within Al-Arf al-Shadhi.

Background

Muhammad Chiragh Punjabi was a disciple of Anwar Shah Kashmiri during his tenure at Darul Uloom Deoband. Following the completion of his studies in 1918, Muhammad Chiragh Punjabi assumed an academic role in Gujranwala, located in the Punjab region, which is part of present-day Pakistan. Subsequently, he went on to establish a distinguished institution for advanced Islamic studies in Gujranwala. Anwar Shah Kashmiri never had the opportunity to review this book's manuscript, which was initially published in two volumes.
In the preface of this work, Muhammad Chiragh Punjabi acknowledges the significant difficulties he encountered during its compilation. One issue is that Anwar Shah Kashmiri had delivered his lectures in the Urdu language, whereas Muhammad Chiragh Punjabi chose to transcribe them in Arabic. As a result, he admits that the work may exhibit certain imperfections, and he takes full responsibility for any discrepancies. He emphasizes that Anwar Shah Kashmiri should not be held accountable for these issues.
Subsequent to the initial publication, in 1972, a revised edition of this work was brought forth by Muhammad Mian Samalki in Beirut. Further enhancing the availability and accuracy of this significant text, in 2013, Muhammad Ubaidullah al-Asadi, hailing from Jamia Arabia Hathaura Banadeh, presented another revised version, published through Dar al-Iman Saharanpur in India.

Features

This book encompasses a wide array of topics, including distinctions among Imams, perspectives held by mujtahid Imams and hadith scholars, discrepancies and reconciliations within hadith, the historical context of hadith, critical analysis and authentication decisions, and the history of narrators. These elements collectively contribute to the book's academic value.
Moreover, the compiler has included explanatory notes when deemed necessary, providing a scholarly perspective. An emphasis on the precision of hadith wording is evident in Anwar Shah Kashmiri's approach to hadith study. Fiqhi issues are explored with a foundation in hadith, offering students a comprehensive understanding of the subject, often involving frequent references to narrators in the course of the classes.

Reception

Meraj Ahmad Meraj, a professor in the Arabic Department at Aliah University, conducted an analysis of the text and observed significant influences on Kashmiri's work, including commentators such as Ibn Qutaybah, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, Hafiz Fezlullah, Ibn Taymiyya, and Ibn Qayyim. Yunoos Osman, associated with the University of Durban-Westville, expressed disappointment in Abdur-Rahman Mubarakpuri's commentary on Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi Sharh al-Tirmidhi, where errors in the book were attributed to Anwar Shah Kashmiri, despite Muhammad Chiragh Punjabi's acceptance of responsibility for any shortcomings. This cast doubts on Kashmiri's teaching abilities, suggesting he made errors during his lectures. Yusuf Banuri responded to these errors with Maarif al-Sunan Sharh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, a six-volume Arabic commentary published in 1968, rooted in Anwar Shah Kashmiri's teachings. Mohd Kaleem, a PhD scholar from Aligarh Muslim University, praised the book's uniqueness for summarizing all the noble commentaries of Sunan al-Tirmidhi within a single volume.

Legacy

A doctoral thesis was undertaken at the International Islamic University Malaysia by Fazlur Rahman Abdul Bari, delving into Kashmiri's jurisprudential preferences during his commentary on Sunan al-Tirmidhi, with a specific focus on the topic of prayer. In Turkey, another doctoral thesis titled A Comparison of Kashmiri's Al-Arf al-Shadhi and Mubarakpuri's Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi in the Context of the Hanafi-Salafi Hadith Commentary Tradition was conducted by Serdar Murat Gürses.