بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ وَالصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلٰى سَيِّدِنَا الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلٰى اٰلِهِ الطَّاهِرِيْنَ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيِّبِيْنَ
Praise be to Allāh ﷻ, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Blessings and peace upon Sayyidunā Muĥammad ﷺ, the master of creation; the leader of the Prophets and Messengers; he, who was sent with guidance and as a guide to the world. O Allāh! We ask Thee to guide us upon the right path and towards the truth.
Bahār e Shariát is a compendium of Islamic rulings and legal issues; it is a comprehensive manual of Ĥanafī Fiqh, that also includes proofs from the Qur’ān and Sunnah along with discussions and explanations of legal rulings. Topics in the original edition of Bahār e Sharīát were loosely categorised under the book/chapter/section scheme in the pattern of standard Ĥanafī texts.
This translation will follow the scheme of Al-Durr al-Mukhtār, in the organisation of topics, without any alterations to the actual text. Definitions Volume: The book was originally published as a slim booklet or ‘part’. Later, these small booklets were bound together in two or three bulky volumes for convenience and pages were numbered continuously throughout.
This translation series is modelled on the original format and hence, ‘volume’ refers to the twenty volumes or ‘parts’ in the series, except where noted otherwise.
Book: Major fiqh topics are traditionally grouped as separate books. For example, Kitāb al-Şalāt, Kitāb al-Zakāt – the Book of Prayer, the Book of Charity, etc. Chapter: Sub-topics in some books are discussed under chapters. Section: Chapters are further subdivided into sections where necessary.
NOTES: 1. Ĥadīth are numbered continuously within each book, across chapters and sections, for ease of referencing; numbers are prefixed with an ‘H’ to differentiate between numbering of ĥadīth and numbering of masā’il. 2. Masā’il – legal precepts, rulings and provisions – also follow a continuous numbering scheme within the same book.
The original Urdu work prefixes the word mas’alah for every article, which is dropped in the translation as it sounds cumbersome in English.
The Majlis al-Ílmiyyah edition has introduced a numbering scheme, which is restarted in every chapter and every section; for example, mas’alah #6 may appear ten times in the same volume/book and unless the chapter heading (or page) is also mentioned, the reference is mired in ambiguity.
Masā’il or articles will be numbered and prefixed with an ‘A’ followed by a number; however, in the first volume, ‘A’ stands for áqīdah which means ‘statement of belief’. 3. Footnotes are numbered continuously throughout the volume, regardless of the ‘book’, ‘chapter’ or ‘section’. 4.
In the original Urdu work, references of the cited ĥadīth are mentioned together with the ĥadīth – I have moved them to parentheses after the ĥadīth. Thus, the ĥadīth will begin with the name of the Companion narrating the ĥadīth, instead of the name of the ĥadīth compilation from which it is cited.
For example, we say: “Abū Hurayrah narrates...” instead of “In Bukhārī and Muslim, narrated by Abū Hurayrah...” as it appears in the original Urdu. 5. As mentioned above, the list of ‘books’ in Bahār e Sharīát are according to the list of books in Al-Durr al-Mukhtār and Kanz al-Daqā’iq. See Appendix H.
6. Cross-referencing method for the ĥadīth or mas’alah (article) across Bahār e Sharīát is proposed as follows:
Volume Book Ĥadīth #
Volume Book Article #
Volume/Book.Ĥadīth OR Volume/Book.Mas’alah (Article) 5/6.H12 should be read as: Volume 5 / Book 6.Ĥadīth #12 5/6.A21 should be read as: Volume 5/ Book 6.Article #21 In all, there are 55 books spanning 20 volumes in Bahār e Sharīát.
Kitāb al-Şalāt (vols. 3 & 4) and Kitāb al-Jināyāt (vols.17 & 18) span multiple volumes in which case, the volume number provides the additional reference for disambiguation; however, the numbering of masā’il and ĥadīth continue from the previous spanned volume, because it is the same ‘book’ (i.e. Kitāb al-Şalāt or Kitāb alJināyāt).
The volume reference will not be necessary, but it can be quite helpful; thus 6.H22 will lead directly to Book#6, Ĥadīth #22, without requiring the mention of the volume. The list of ‘Books’ (i.e. within Bahār e Sharīát) is included at the end of each volume for quick reference. 7. Page numbers and referenced ĥadīth numbers are from the editions of the books mentioned in Appendix L: Sources. 8.
The Musnad of Imām Aĥmad may be referred to as Musnad Aĥmad or plainly Aĥmad; other Musnads will be qualified accordingly, in-shā’Allāh. Concerning books of fiqh and fatāwā which are referenced in the original, I have omitted page numbers to avoid clutter; perhaps, I can provide some endnotes in the future, in-shā’Allāh.
Instead, I have retained the author’s trailing comments, which note the sources referenced for each article/mas’alah. 9. The word rabb رب is translated as Lord-Almighty, Lord-Sustainer, Lord-Nourisher Lord-Creator, depending on the context. This is differentiated from lord (lowercase) as in ‘master’ as a translation of sayyid or mawlā used for humans.
The word originally meant ‘one who nurtures,’ from tarbiyyah - one who nourishes, brings up [children], trains, fosters and educates them; then it was extended to mean: ‘owner’ or ‘possessor’ [such as rabb al-māl: owner of the capital; rabb al-bayt: master of the house]. When iii this is used to refer to Allāh táālā, then it means Absolute Owner, Absolute Master, One who is obeyed without question. 10.
Duáā, adhkār: Supplications and litanies will be transliterated in the main text as they should be recited in Arabic, and their translation will be provided in the footnotes. 11.
In the original text, ĥadīth are numbered according to the first narrator in the chain of the ĥadīth (i.e., the şaĥābī) even if variations are mentioned in narrations of the same Companion; however, even if the same wording is narrated by a different Companion, it is listed as a different ĥadīth. In many places, the author has combined such ĥadīth; I have numbered them separately in the translation.
For example, 5/6.H1 is counted as a single ĥadīth even though it has multiple references: Bukhārī, Muslim, Aĥmad, Nasāyī, Ibn Mājah; the variance in wording is noted, but in all cases the narrator is Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه and it is the same chain of authority. Hence, it is listed as only one ĥadīth. 12.
A number of notes and explanations were introduced in the Majlis al-Ílmiyyah edition (Dawat e Islami); I have used only those footnotes that I felt were necessary for this translation; wherever such notes have been fully translated or paraphrased, I have duly attributed as [Ílmiyyah:] either as a prefix or at the end of the sentence. 13.
Many reports about the Hereafter mention things that are so great or big or huge or tall, that they may seem incredible or a hyperbole; these descriptions may sound impossible or fantastical to a mind stunted by a modern education. I have tried to draw parallels from modern life to illustrate that such things are not far-fetched and exist in this world itself.
Allāh forbid, this is not meant to deny the extraordinary nature of such things, events or occurrences. Allah táālā has mentioned in the Qur’ān: “And they are given [foods] that resemble [outwardly] that given to them before.” Here ‘resemblance’ is only in name, because everything in Paradise is far superior and unlike anything in this world.
However examples and analogies are given to help us understand these concepts. 14. I have used references mentioned in the Ílmiyyah edition to track the source of ĥadīth or fiqh/fatāwā article and instead of simply copying down the reference, I have made an extra effort to look up and verify references and have mentioned them according to my findings.
Therefore, references may not match as I may have used a different edition of the referenced book. In many places, where the Ílmiyyah edition mentions one or two references, I have added more, especially from the six mother-books. This extra work is done only for due diligence and should not be construed as an attempt to downplay or disregard the real and monumental effort of Majlis al-Ílmiyyah;
indeed, my work was reduced drastically, and remains indebted to those who contributed to the cross-referencing of the Majlis al-Ílmiyyah edition. We beseech Allāh táālā to reward them abundantly. 15. The glossary is also based on the Ílmiyyah edition; omissions and additions will be made as deemed necessary. 16.
Certain statements are specific to the Urdu language or Indian/Pakistani culture; translation of these statements in English may not make sense to those unacquainted with the language or culture. Such statements, although very few, are moved to footnotes and noted as referenced from Bahār e Sharīát; for example, in A55 of Volume One [1/1.A55]. 17.
The objective of the author was to impart basic education to the laity and that remains unchanged in our time. Therefore, detailed discussions and reproduction of large paragraphs from source works is avoided; a list of references is provided in Appendix I: Further Reading. 18. Slightly lengthier explanations are moved to Appendix B: Endnotes. 19.
Using an appellation or honorific with names of scholars and companions, such as Sayyidunā, Hazrat, Mawlānā, Shaykh, etc. signifying respect, is a common practice in Persian-Urdu culture and literature. Omission of appellations is not considered disrespectful in Arabic and is a norm in voluminous works.
Some of the most pious and erudite scholars have mentioned names of Companions and elder scholars [salaf] without appellations in their books, which can be ascertained by a quick survey of commentaries of ĥadīth or fiqh works. In my English translation, I may also omit appellations for reasons of readability; this should not be construed as a lack of respect.
This is similar to using a plural when referring to elders in Urdu; unhoñ ne kahā, denotes good manners and etiquette in Urdu, but “they said so” is awkward and grammatically incorrect in English when referring to an individual. Besides, the original Arabic also uses the singular and sans honorifics.
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20. When scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah or his students, such as Ibn al-Qayyim, are cited in footnotes, it does not mean that we consider them as authorities or accept and attest to everything they say, not least their heresies. They are mentioned to emphasise that even their views coincide with mainstream Ahl al-Sunnah in the particular issue being discussed.
Such instances should not be used to insinuate that the translator sympathises with their views or secretly admires them or their manhaj. This is the first volume of Bahār e Shariát which covers the Doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah; it also has a chapter on heresies and heretics. Allāh Willing, other volumes in this series will also be translated with explanatory notes.
Many brothers helped me in this project by reviewing the drafts and offering valuable suggestions and corrections. I alone am responsible for any mistakes that may still have remained. I humbly request the reader to inform us of any errors that they may find, and in-sha’Allāh, corrections will be made in the next edition.
Acknowledgement and thanks to Syed-MH, Állāmah Noori, Mohammad Aqdas, Hussain Ibrahim, Khalid Khan, Syed Faheem, Ubaydullah, Abu Haneefah and others. May Allāh táālā reward them all in this world and in the Hereafter. We ask Allāh táālā to forgive our sins and lapses, accept our good deeds and grant us sincerity in our intentions and actions.
We ask Allāh táālā to keep us on the right path, and grant us death upon the true Islamic faith. A special mention is due to my dear departed friend, Mawlānā Áāqib Farīd Qādirī, who had seen the initial drafts of the first volume and had expressed his desire to be a part of the review team; but as fate would have it, he left us before the first volume was ready for release.
May Allāh táālā forgive him, have mercy upon him, accept his good deeds, reward him for his services to Ahl al-Sunnah, and elevate his rank. wa billāhi’t tawfīq
Abu Hasan
Originally composed on the 6th of Rajab, 1435 / 5th May 2014
Second Revision: 29th Rajab, 1440 / 5th May 2019
Third Revision: 2nd Dhu’l Qádah, 1442 / 10th June 2021
Fourth Revision (Release): 20th Shábān, 1446 / 20th February 2025 vi
Footnotes
See Appendix H for a list of books in Al-Durr al-Mukhtār and corresponding books in Kanz al-Daqā’iq, used to structure the chapters in Bahār e Sharīát.
The first seventeen volumes were compiled by Mawlānā Amjad Álī. He had planned to write three more volumes; however, personal tragedies, his failing eyesight, ill-health and other setbacks and his passing left the remaining three volumes unfinished. In a personal appeal to his students and children, prior to his passing, he had urged them to complete this noble task. Thus the remaining three volumes were compiled by his students and Bahār e Sharīát is now considered a set of twenty volumes. i
Such as Kitāb al-Şalāt, Kitāb al-Zakāt – even when they span multiple volumes. In our classification and numbering scheme, there are 55 books in Bahār e Sharīát normalised from three binders (mujallad, jild) and twenty volumes (original 17 and posthumous 3). ii
Sūrah Baqarah, 2:25. iv