Fadl Allah al-Samad, an Arabic Commentary on al-Adab al-Mufrad: An Analytical Study

Abstract

This study examines Fadl Allah al-Samad fi Tawdih al-Adab al-Mufrad, the Arabic commentary written by Mawlana Fadl Allah Jilani on Imam al-Bukhari’s al-Adab al-Mufrad. Using a qualitative and analytical method, the article introduces the commentator’s scholarly background, explains the circumstances and objectives of the work, and evaluates its structure, sources, and interpretive procedures. The analysis shows that Jilani adopted a multidimensional methodology combining editorial organization, hadith criticism, linguistic explanation, analytical interpretation, juristic inference, textual reconciliation, and moral instruction. He frequently identifies narrators, traces traditions to sources, discusses variant meanings, explains grammatical and rhetorical features, cites Qur’anic verses, Prophetic traditions, reports of early authorities, scholarly opinions, and Arabic poetry, and derives legal and ethical lessons from the texts. The commentary is distinguished by its systematic arrangement, indexes, accessible style, balanced detail, and engagement with earlier scholarship. The study also identifies certain aspects that could be further strengthened in a future critical edition. These include providing more comprehensive bibliographical references, ensuring greater consistency in the treatment of narrators and traditions, explicitly indicating the grading of hadith reports where necessary, accurately attributing poetic and linguistic citations, and maintaining greater uniformity in the length and depth of explanations. Careful attention to these aspects by a future editor or researcher would further enhance the commentary's scholarly precision, accessibility, and academic value. Nevertheless, even in its present form, the work remains a valuable contribution to Arabic hadith commentary. It reflects the significant role of South Asian scholars in preserving, explaining, and transmitting the Prophetic ethical tradition.