Ibn Abī Shaybah’s Methodology in Compiling al-Muṣannaf and Its Position within the Hadith Corpora of Islamic Denominations

Ghasemi Hamed, Morteza; Salimi, Sayyid Mahdi; Niazyfard, Sajjad

doi:10.22034/hsr.2025.52171.1107

Ibn Abī Shaybah’s Methodology in Compiling al-Muṣannaf and Its Position within the Hadith Corpora of Islamic Denominations

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Quran and Hadith, International University of Islamic Denominations, Tehran, Iran.

² PhD student in Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Quran and Hadith, International University of Islamic Denominations, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/hsr.2025.52171.1107

Abstract

al-Muṣannaf by Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah (d. 235/849) is among the most significant hadith works in Islamic history. With more than 37,000 reports covering a wide range of legal, ethical, theological, and historical subjects, it played a crucial role in preserving the narrative heritage of the early centuries. In addition to Prophetic traditions, the collection contains numerous statements by Companions and Successors, and its structure is organized into legal and thematic chapters. This study uses a descriptive–analytical approach to examine the structure and content of the work. The aim is to clarify Ibn Abī Shaybah’s methodology in collecting, arranging, and transmitting reports. The study also assesses the status of al-Muṣannaf within Sunni hadith corpora and its reception in Shi’a sources. The findings show that Ibn Abī Shaybah emphasized unelaborated transmission, detailed Isnād citation, thematic arrangement, and the inclusion of diverse materials. He left biographical evaluation, content analysis, and preferential judgment to the reader. This approach makes the work a neutral and foundational source for historical studies and comparative Fiqh, but further analysis is needed for direct juridical use. The high esteem of Sunni hadith scholars for this work and the frequent references to it by Shi’a scholars demonstrate its inter-sectarian relevance and value for comparative scholarship.

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