[مُقَدِّمَةُ الْمُؤَلِّفِ]
قَالَ الشَّيْخُ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ شَهَادَةً تَكُونُ لِلنَّجَاةِ وَسِيلَةً، وَلِرَفْعِ الدَّرَجَاتِ كَفِيلَةً، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، الَّذِي بَعَثَهُ وَطُرُقُ (وَحَالُ) الْإِيمَانِ قَدْ عَفَتْ آثَارُهَا، وَخَبَتْ أَنْوَارُهَا، وَوَهَنَتْ أَرْكَانُهَا، وَجُهِلَ مَكَانُهَا،
فَشَيَّدَ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَامُهُ مِنْ مَعَالِمِهَا مَا عَفَا، وَشَفَى مِنَ الْعَلِيلِ فِي تَأْيِيدِ كَلِمَةِ التَّوْحِيدِ مَنْ كَانَ عَلَى شَفًا، وَأَوْضَحَ سَبِيلَ الْهِدَايَةِ، لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَسْلُكَهَا، وَأَظْهَرَ كُنُوزَ السَّعَادَةِ لِمَنْ قَصَدَ أَنْ يَمْلِكَهَا. أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ التَّمَسُّكَ بِهَدْيهِ لَا يَسْتَتِبُّ إِلَّا بِالِاقْتِفَاءِ لِمَا صَدَرَ مِنْ مِشْكَاتِهِ، وَالِاعْتِصَامُ بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ لَا يَتِمُّ إِلَّا بِبَيَانِ كَشْفِهِ، وَكَانَ (كِتَابُ الْمَصَابِيحِ) ، الَّذِي صَنَّفَهُ الْإِمَامُ مُحْيِي السُّنَّةِ، قَامِعُ الْبِدْعَةِ، أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ الْفَرَّاءِ الْبَغَوِيُّ، رَفَعَ اللَّهُ دَرَجَتَهُ أَجْمَعَ كِتَابٍ صُنِّفَ فِي بَابِهِ، وَأَضْبَطَ لِشَوَارِدِ الْأَحَادِيثِ، وَأَوَابِدِهَا، وَلَمَّا سَلَكَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - الِاخْتِصَارَ، وَحَذَفَ الْأَسَانِيدَ ; تَكَلَّمَ فِيهِ بَعْضُ النُّقَّادِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ نَقْلُهُ - وَإِنَّهُ مِنَ الثِّقَاتِ - كَالْإِسْنَادِ، لَكِنْ لَيْسَ مَا فِيهِ أَعْلَامٌ كَالْأَغْفَالِ، فَاسْتَخَرْتُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى، وَاسْتَوْفَقْتُ مِنْهُ فَأَوْدَعْتُ كُلَّ حَدِيثٍ مِنْهُ فِي مَقَرِّهِ فَأَعْلَمْتُ مَا أَغْفَلَهُ، كَمَا رَوَاهُ الْأَئِمَّةُ الْمُتْقِنُونَ، وَالثِّقَاتُ الرَّاسِخُونَ مِثْلُ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْبُخَارِيِّ، وَأَبِي الْحُسَيْنِ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ الْقُشَيْرَيِّ، وَأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ الْأَصْبَحِيِّ. وَأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِدْرِيسَ الشَّافِعِيِّ، وَأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ الشَّيْبَانِيِّ، وَأَبِي عِيسَى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ التِّرْمِذِيِّ، وَأَبِي دَاوُدَ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ الْأَشْعَثِ السِّجِسْتَانِيِّ، وَأَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ النَّسَائِيِّ، وَأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ الْقَزْوِينِيِّ، وَأَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الدَّارِمِيِّ، وَأَبِي الْحَسَنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عُمَرَ الدَّارَقُطْنِيِّ، وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ الْبَيْهَقِيِّ، وَأَبِي الْحَسَنِ رَزِينِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ الْعَبْدَرِيِّ، وَغَيْرِهِمْ، وَقَلِيلٌ مَا هُوَ.
[The Introduction of the Author]
The Sheikh - may Allah have mercy on him - said:
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Praise be to Allah, we praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides, there is no one who can mislead him, and whoever Allah misleads, there is no one who can guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, a testimony that will be a means of salvation and a guarantee for raising ranks. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, whom He sent and whose paths of faith have been erased, and whose lights have been extinguished, and whose pillars have been weakened, and whose place has been forgotten.
So, the prayers of Allah be upon him and his peace, he revived from its signs what had been erased, and he healed the sick in the affirmation of the word of monotheism, those who were on the brink, and he clarified the path of guidance for those who wanted to follow it, and he revealed the treasures of happiness for those who intended to possess them.
As for what comes after, adhering to his guidance is not complete except by following what has been issued from his lanterns, and holding onto the rope of Allah is not perfected except by explaining his unveiling. And the book “Al-Masabih” (The Lanterns), which was written by the Imam, the reviver of the Sunnah, the suppressor of innovation, Abu Muhammad Al-Husayn bin Mas’ud Al-Baghawi, may Allah raise his rank, is a comprehensive book that was written on this subject, and it is the most accurate in regards to the scattered and singular hadiths.
And when he - may Allah be pleased with him - followed the path of brevity and omitted the chains of narration, some critics spoke about it. And even though his narration - and he is one of the trustworthy ones - is like a chain of narration, but what is in it is not like the omitted parts. So, I sought guidance from Allah, the Exalted, and I sought success from Him, and I placed each hadith from it in its proper place, and I informed about what was omitted, just as it was narrated by the precise Imams and the firm trustworthy ones, such as Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismail Al-Bukhari, and Abu Al-Husayn Muslim bin Al-Hajjaj Al-Qushayri, and Abu Abdullah Malik bin Anas Al-Asbahi, and Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Idris Al-Shafi’i, and Abu Abdullah Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Al-Shaybani, and Abu Isa bin Muhammad Al-Tirmidhi, and Abu Dawud Sulayman bin Al-Ash’ath Al-Sijistani, and Abu Abdurrahman Ahmad bin Shu’ayb Al-Nasa’i, and Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Yazid bin Maja Al-Qazwini, and Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Abdurrahman Al-Darimi, and Abu Al-Hasan Ali bin Umar Al-Daraqutni, and Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Al-Husayn Al-Bayhaqi, and Abu Al-Hasan Razin bin Mu’awiyah Al-Abdari, and others like them. And it is a small amount, indeed.
وَإِنِّي إِذَا نَسَبْتُ الْحَدِيثَ إِلَيْهِمْ كَأَنِّي أَسْنَدْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - ; لِأَنَّهُمْ قَدْ فَرَغُوا مِنْهُ، وَأَغْنَوْنَا عَنْهُ.وَسَرَدْتُ الْكُتُبَ، وَالْأَبْوَابَ كَمَا سَرَدَهَا، وَاقْتَفَيْتُ أَثَرَهُ فِيهَا، وَقَسَّمْتُ كُلَّ بَابٍ غَالِبًا عَلَى فُصُولٍ ثَلَاثَةٍ: أَوَّلُهَا: مَا أَخْرَجَهُ الشَّيْخَانِ، أَوْ أَحَدُهُمَا، وَاكْتَفَيْتُ بِهِمَا، وَإِنِ اشْتَرَكَ فِيهِ الْغَيْرُ ; لِعُلُوِّ دَرَجَتِهِمَا فِي الرِّوَايَةِ.
And when I attribute a hadith to them (the Imams), it is as if I have attributed it to the Prophet (peace be upon him), because they have narrated it from him and have sufficed us with it.
I have followed the books and chapters as they have been narrated, and I have followed in their footsteps, and I have divided each chapter into three parts:
The first part: What has been narrated by the two Sheikhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim), or one of them, and I have been satisfied with them, even if others have also narrated it, due to their high rank in narration.
وَثَانِيهَا: مَا أَوْرَدَهُ غَيْرُهُمَا مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْمَذْكُورِينَ. وَثَالِثُهَا: مَا اشْتَمَلَ عَلَى مَعْنَى الْبَابِ مِنْ مُلْحَقَاتٍ مُنَاسِبَةٍ مَعَ مُحَافَظَةٍ عَلَى الشَّرِيطَةِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مَأْثُورًا عَنِ السَّلَفِ، وَالْخَلَفِ. ثُمَّ إِنَّكَ إِنْ فَقَدْتَ حَدِيثًا فِي بَابٍ، فَذَلِكَ عَنْ تَكْرِيرٍ أُسْقِطُهُ. وَإِنْ وَجَدْتَ آخَرَ بَعْضَهُ مَتْرُوكًا عَلَى اخْتِصَارِهِ، أَوْ مَضْمُومًا إِلَيْهِ تَمَامُهُ فَعَنْ دَاعِي اهْتِمَامٍ أَتْرُكُهُ، وَأُلْحِقُهُ. وَإِنْ عَثَرْتَ عَلَى اخْتِلَافٍ فِي الْفَصْلَيْنِ مِنْ ذِكْرِ غَيْرِ الشَّيْخَيْنِ فِي الْأَوَّلِ، وَذِكْرِهِمَا فِي الثَّانِي فَاعْلَمْ أَنِّي بَعْدَ تَتَبُّعِي كِتَابَيْ: (الْجَمْعَ بَيْنَ الصَّحِيحَيْنِ) لِلْحُمَيْدِيِّ، وَ (جَامِعَ الْأُصُولِ) اعْتَمَدْتُ عَلَى صَحِيحَيِ الشَّيْخَيْنِ، وَمَتْنَيْهِمَا.
The second part: What has been narrated by other Imams besides them.
The third part: What includes the meaning of the chapter from related and suitable additions, while preserving the condition, even if it is a saying of the Salaf or the Khalaf.
If you find a hadith missing from a chapter, it is because I have omitted it due to repetition. And if you find another hadith, some of which is omitted or its completion is attached to it, I have omitted it due to a lack of attention, and I have attached it.
If you come across a difference in the two parts, regarding the mention of the two Sheikhs in the first part and their mention in the second part, know that after investigating the books “Al-Jami’ bayna al-Sahihayn” by Al-Humaidi and “Jami’ al-Usul”, I have relied on the two Sahih books of the Sheikhs and their texts.
وَإِنْ رَأَيْتَ اخْتِلَافًا فِي نَفْسِ الْحَدِيثِ فَذَلِكَ مِنْ تَشَعُّبِ طُرُقِ الْأَحَادِيثِ، وَلَعَلِّي مَا اطَّلَعْتُ عَلَى تِلْكَ الرِّوَايَةِ الَّتِي سَلَكَهَا الشَّيْخُ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - وَقَلِيلًا مَا تَجِدُ أَقُولُ: مَا وَجَدْتُ هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةَ فِي كُتُبِ الْأُصُولِ، أَوْ وَجَدْتُ خِلَافَهَا فِيهَا.
And if you see a difference in the hadith itself, it is due to the branching of the paths of the hadiths, and perhaps I have not come across the narration that the Sheikh (may Allah be pleased with him) has followed, and it is rare that you find me saying: “I did not find this narration in the books of the fundamentals,” or “I found its opposite in them.”
فَإِذَا، وَقَفْتَ عَلَيْهِ فَانْسِبِ الْقُصُورَ إِلَيَّ لِقِلَّةِ الدِّرَايَةِ، لَا إِلَى جَنَابِ الشَّيْخِ رَفَعَ اللَّهُ قَدْرَهُ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ، حَاشَا لِلَّهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ! . رَحِمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ إِذَا وَقَفَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ نَبَّهَنَا عَلَيْهِ، وَأَرْشَدَنَا طَرِيقَ الصَّوَابِ. وَلَمْ آلُ جُهْدًا فِي التَّنْقِيرِ، وَالتَّفْتِيشِ بِقَدْرِ الْوُسْعِ وَالطَّاقَةِ، وَنَقَلْتُ ذَلِكَ الِاخْتِلَافَ كَمَا وَجَدْتُ. وَمَا أَشَارَ إِلَيْهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ مِنْ غَرِيبٍ أَوْ ضَعِيفٍ، أَوْ غَيْرِهِمَا بَيَّنْتُ وَجْهَهُ غَالِبًا. وَمَا لَمْ يُشِرْ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا فِي الْأُصُولِ فَقَدْ قَفَّيْتُهُ فِي تَرْكِهِ، إِلَّا فِي مَوَاضِعَ لِغَرَضٍ، وَرُبَّمَا تَجِدُ مَوَاضِعَ مُهْمَلَةً، وَذَلِكَ حَيْثُ لَمْ أَطَّلِعْ عَلَى رَاوِيهِ فَتَرَكْتُ الْبَيَاضَ. فَإِنْ عَثَرْتَ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْحِقْهُ بِهِ، أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ جَزَاءَكُ. وَسَمَّيْتُ الْكِتَابَ بِـ (مِشْكَاةِ الْمَصَابِيحِ) ، وَأَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ التَّوْفِيقَ، وَالْإِعَانَةَ، وَالْهِدَايَةَ، وَالصِّيَانَةَ، وَتَيْسِيرَ مَا أَقْصِدُهُ، وَأَنْ يَنْفَعَنِي فِي الْحَيَاةِ، وَبَعْدَ الْمَمَاتِ، وَجَمِيعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ. حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ. وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ.
So when you stop upon it, then attribute the shortcomings to me due to lack of knowledge, not to the noble Sheikh - may Allah elevate his rank in both worlds - God forbid! May Allah have mercy on whoever, when stopping upon that, alerts us to it and guides us to the path of correctness. And I have not spared effort in investigation and research to the extent of my ability and capacity, and I have conveyed that difference of opinion as I found it. And whatever the one whom Allah is pleased with has pointed to from something strange or weak, or other than them, I have clarified its face, mostly. And whatever he did not point to from what is in the fundamentals, I have left it in its abandonment, except in places for a purpose. And perhaps you will find places neglected, and that is where I did not have knowledge of its narrator, so I left it blank. So if you come across it, then attach it to it - may Allah make your reward good. And I have named the book ‘Mishkat al-Masabih’ (The Niche of Lamps), and I ask Allah for success, and aid, and guidance, and protection, and ease in what I intend, and that He benefits me in life and after death, and all Muslim men and women. Allah is sufficient for me, and what a good trustee. And there is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.