The Book al-Muntakha by Ibn al-Jarud: What is its rank among the books of Sunnah, and is it more deserving than Sunan Ibn Majah to be included with the six famous books?
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The questioner : O our Shaykh, regarding al-Muntakha by Ibn al-Jarud, what is its rank among the accepted books of Hadith, and is it more deserving than Ibn Majah to be added to the six books?
The Shaykh : Without a doubt, in my opinion, we can say: it is a name that fits its description: al-Muntakha (The Selected). But in terms of placing it in the position of Ibn Majah or establishing it in his place, the matter requires some reflection. Because, as you know, the book has little material. So regarding this aspect, if it is compared to the book of Ibn Majah, and Ibn Majah collected approximately all the chapters of Fiqh and Hadith and cited in them the Hadiths that reached him, regardless of the fact that he was lenient and mentioned in it many weak Hadiths and some fabricated ones, the issue must be looked at from a relative perspective. The book al-Muntakha does not contain fabricated Hadiths, but if he had expanded as Ibn Majah expanded, what would be his position? This is something only Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) knows. So if his book is compared, despite its small size and little material, to Sunan Ibn Majah, it is without a doubt stronger than it and more purified than it, but its material is not sufficient or satisfying. So from this perspective, there is a pause, because when we say: we place this book in the place of that book, it must be sufficient and satisfying in terms of quantity as well, and this is not present. And perhaps you remember that some scholars of Hadith and terminology mentioned, and perhaps among them is al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, that Sunan Ibn Majah—excuse me, Sunan al-Darimi, which is known to some Muhaddithin as Musnad al-Darimi—is the one that is fitting to be placed as a substitute for Sunan Ibn Majah, because first: its material is abundant and plentiful, and second: it is free from what is in Ibn Majah of many weak Hadiths and a few fabricated ones. This has been said, and it is an acceptable opinion. As for al-Muntakha, it is as you have heard.
The questioner : Okay, regarding your collection of the additions (Zuwa'id) of al-Muntakha by Ibn al-Jarud, do we know anything about this work?
The Shaykh : It is among the projects that I started but was not facilitated to complete. Therefore, it is open for any student of knowledge to undertake this work.
The questioner : Okay, O our Shaykh, regarding a man, or a researcher, who wants to collect the additions (Zuwa'id), which book, regarding the two Sahihs or regarding the six books, what is the accepted plan for collecting the additions?
The Shaykh : Depending on whether he wants to collect the additions toThe Shaykh : The two Sahihs, he avoids everything that they have narratedThe Shaykh : with their connected chains, and he brings what is other than that from the Hadiths that they did not narrate. And it is permissible for him to commit to authenticity or to commit to something more than that with explanation. The important thing is that he narrates or selects what is not in the two Sahihs from what is predominantly Musnad (with a complete chain) and not Mu'allaq (without a complete chain). So if there is, for example, in the two Sahihs, and especially in al-Bukhari because it has many Mu'allaq Hadiths, he can bring additions from some other books even if they are present in al-Bukhari as Mu'allaq, because Mu'allaq Hadiths, as has passed, have a ruling different from the ruling of the Hadiths in the two Sahihs.
The Shaykh : Without a doubt, in my opinion, we can say: it is a name that fits its description: al-Muntakha (The Selected). But in terms of placing it in the position of Ibn Majah or establishing it in his place, the matter requires some reflection. Because, as you know, the book has little material. So regarding this aspect, if it is compared to the book of Ibn Majah, and Ibn Majah collected approximately all the chapters of Fiqh and Hadith and cited in them the Hadiths that reached him, regardless of the fact that he was lenient and mentioned in it many weak Hadiths and some fabricated ones, the issue must be looked at from a relative perspective. The book al-Muntakha does not contain fabricated Hadiths, but if he had expanded as Ibn Majah expanded, what would be his position? This is something only Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) knows. So if his book is compared, despite its small size and little material, to Sunan Ibn Majah, it is without a doubt stronger than it and more purified than it, but its material is not sufficient or satisfying. So from this perspective, there is a pause, because when we say: we place this book in the place of that book, it must be sufficient and satisfying in terms of quantity as well, and this is not present. And perhaps you remember that some scholars of Hadith and terminology mentioned, and perhaps among them is al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, that Sunan Ibn Majah—excuse me, Sunan al-Darimi, which is known to some Muhaddithin as Musnad al-Darimi—is the one that is fitting to be placed as a substitute for Sunan Ibn Majah, because first: its material is abundant and plentiful, and second: it is free from what is in Ibn Majah of many weak Hadiths and a few fabricated ones. This has been said, and it is an acceptable opinion. As for al-Muntakha, it is as you have heard.
The questioner : Okay, regarding your collection of the additions (Zuwa'id) of al-Muntakha by Ibn al-Jarud, do we know anything about this work?
The Shaykh : It is among the projects that I started but was not facilitated to complete. Therefore, it is open for any student of knowledge to undertake this work.
The questioner : Okay, O our Shaykh, regarding a man, or a researcher, who wants to collect the additions (Zuwa'id), which book, regarding the two Sahihs or regarding the six books, what is the accepted plan for collecting the additions?
The Shaykh : Depending on whether he wants to collect the additions toThe Shaykh : The two Sahihs, he avoids everything that they have narratedThe Shaykh : with their connected chains, and he brings what is other than that from the Hadiths that they did not narrate. And it is permissible for him to commit to authenticity or to commit to something more than that with explanation. The important thing is that he narrates or selects what is not in the two Sahihs from what is predominantly Musnad (with a complete chain) and not Mu'allaq (without a complete chain). So if there is, for example, in the two Sahihs, and especially in al-Bukhari because it has many Mu'allaq Hadiths, he can bring additions from some other books even if they are present in al-Bukhari as Mu'allaq, because Mu'allaq Hadiths, as has passed, have a ruling different from the ruling of the Hadiths in the two Sahihs.
Source
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