Books of Rijāl

The books of Rijāl that are currently in our possession can be divided into three groups:

1) The main foundational books of Rijāl: These are the books that have been authored up until the time of Shaykh Tusi. These are known as the Kutub al-Qudamā’.

2) The books that were authored after the time of Shaykh Tusi – from the beginning of the sixth century A.H. until the ninth century. This era is referred to al-Fatrah al-Mutawassitah.

3) The books that were written in al-Fatrah al-Muta’akhirah i.e. from the beginning of the tenth century A.H. to the present.

The books of Rijāl that fall into the first category are:

(a) Rijāl al-Barqi

(b) Rijāl al-Kashshi

(c) Fihrist al-Najāshi (also known as Rijāl al-Najāshi)

(d) Fihrist al-Tusi

(e) Rijāl al-Tusi

(f) Rijāl Ibn Ghadhā’iri

Those that fall into the second category include:

(a) Ma’ālim al-’Ulamā’

(b) Fihrist Muntajab al-Deen

(c) Rijāl Ibn Dāwud

(d) Khulāsat al-Aqwāl fi Ma’rifat al-Rijāl

(e) Hal al-Ishkāl fi Ma’rifat al-Rijāl

As for the books of the third category, they include:

(a) Mu’jam al-Rijāl

(b) Nahj al-Maqāl

(c) Jāmi’ al-Ruwāt

(d) Naqd al-Rijāl

(e) Amal al-Aāmil

(f) al-Khulāsah

(g) Rijāl al-Shaykh al-Ansāri

(h) Bahjat al-Aāmāl fi Sharhi Zubdat al-Maqāl

(i) Muntaha al-Maqāl

(j) Lu’lu’at al-Bahrayn

(k) Tanqih al-Maqāl fi ‘Ilm al-Rijāl

(l) Mu’jam Rijāl al-Hadith

(m) Qāmus al-Rijāl

(n) Usul ‘Ilm al-Rijāl

We will be looking at each of these books in more detail in the forthcoming posts inshaAllah.