Encyclopedia of Hadith Forgeries

Description

Encyclopedia of Hadith Forgeries (Al-Asrār al-Marfuʿa fī al-Akhbār al-Mawḍūʿa) by Mulla ʿAli al-Qārī is a seminal work in Islamic scholarship that meticulously catalogs and critiques fabricated hadiths—sayings falsely attributed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Composed over four centuries ago by the esteemed Hanafi scholar and Sufi of Afghan origin, Mulla ʿAli al-Qārī (d. 1605/1606), this text stands out for its comprehensive approach, combining both transmission-based and content-based analyses to assess the authenticity of hadiths. The work is structured into three main sections: an introduction discussing the phenomenon of hadith fabrication and its implications; an alphabetical dictionary of 625 entries detailing specific forgeries; and a synthesis of earlier critiques from scholars like Ibn al-Qayyim and al-Sakhawi. In total, the encyclopedia examines approximately 3,000 reports, addressing various categories of forgeries, including doctrinal, juridical, sectarian, and cultural fabrications. The English translation by Dr. Gibril Fouad Haddad enriches the original text with extensive footnotes, indices, and a thorough introduction, making this critical resource accessible to contemporary scholars and students of Islamic studies.