On Biographical Dictionaries of Ḥadīṯ Transmitters: Rethinking Development in the Islamic Literature

Abstract

Abstract In general, the biographical dictionary is usually described as the purview of the history of a religion’s approach to encyclopaedic life-narratives. Biographies of the Prophet Muhammad, his Companions and other scholars have all been written with the intention of increasing Islamic faithfulness and piety. While illuminating or phenomenological studies of a few features of Islamic biographical writing exist, there is a need for a more analytical survey to show how biographical appearances evolved and developed. This article undertakes an exploratory analysis of ḥadīṯ scholars’ biographical dictionaries around the second/eight and third/ninth centuries as presented in their works. Apart from the scholarly trend and prevalent religious notions of the time, it will highlight this generation’s contribution and role to the field of Islamic scholarship as well as the influence upon the next generation. The many sub-genres of biographical dictionaries of ḥadīṯ transmitters that are presented in this article were composed over the first three Centuries of Islam and are celebrated as a result of this advancement in Islamic literature.