A Concise Commentary on the Tadhkirah of Ibn Mulaqqin

Since its inception, the science of hadith has remained one of the
most noble and praiseworthy sciences of the shari’ah. Throughout
the ages, its practitioners have occupied a lofty status amongst
contemporaries dedicated to other ‘ulum to the extent that even a
qadhi such as Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani only gained full renown after
distinguishing himself as a scholar of hadith.
Unlike the other madhahib, the Hanbali madhab has always been
intertwined with ‘ulum al-hadith, owing to the fact that its very
foundation is built upon the narrations from Imam Ahmad. As
such, this has meant that anyone dedicating themselves to the
Madhab has needed not only learn this science, but excel in it.
Although the largest group within the Ahl al-Hadith, few Hanbali
contributions exist in the field, perhaps as a result of the
long-standing Shafi’i dominance of the science. From the Shafi’i
school, Siraj al-Din Ibn Mulaqqin, the shaykh of the
aforementioned Ibn Hajr, penned his famous al-Tadkhirah as
guide for the beginner. Being a summary of his larger work,
al-Muqni’, the text also serves as a revisionary book for the more
advanced students. Present before the reader here, is the first
English explanation of the Tadhkirah, providing the occidental
world a gateway into classical hadith studies.