Hadith Commentaries

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What a commentary is for

A hadith read on its own is rarely fully understood: there is the rare word, the missing circumstance, the chain whose state must be known, the apparent contradiction with another text, and the question of what is actually derived from it. That is the work of the sharh. A good commentary does not paraphrase: it explains the gharib, discusses the isnad, reconciles texts and sets out the differences with their evidence. Which is why a commentary runs to ten volumes where the collection runs to two.

The major commentaries, by collection

On Sahih al-Bukhari: Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, the fullest and most cited, in thirteen to seventeen volumes depending on the edition; 'Umdat al-qari by al-'Ayni, more developed on language.
On Sahih Muslim: al-Nawawi's commentary, clear and dense, usually in eight to eighteen volumes depending on the typesetting. The most accessible commentary for an intermediate reader.
On Jami' al-Tirmidhi: Tuhfat al-ahwadhi by al-Mubarakfuri.
On Sunan Abu Dawud: 'Awn al-ma'bud.
On Bulugh al-maram: Subul al-salam by al-San'ani, the reference on hadiths of rulings.
On Muntaqa al-akhbar: Nayl al-awtar by al-Shawkani, much used in comparative fiqh.
On al-Nawawi's Forty: Jami' al-'ulum wa al-hikam by Ibn Rajab, which far exceeds the commentary format.

Which commentary for which level

Starting with Fath al-Bari is a common mistake: it is a specialist's work, assuming hadith terminology and fiqh. For a first commented reading, al-Nawawi's commentary on Muslim or Jami' al-'ulum wa al-hikam on the Forty are far better suited: the language is accessible and the argument stays followable. Fath al-Bari comes next, and is consulted rather than read cover to cover.

What to check before buying

First the collection commented on and the edition of that collection, since the commentary's numbering follows its base text. Then the volume count: one title exists as a complete edition, as an abridgement, and sometimes as an unreadable compressed reprint. Then the editor, and finally the print quality, decisive on volumes opened hundreds of times. These four points appear on every listing, with the publisher: see Publishers.

Related sections

A commentary is read alongside the collection it comments on, found in Hadith collections. The passages where the commentator discusses a chain assume the hadith sciences and, often, a glance at the narrator dictionaries. For a lighter approach, the thematic collections also come in commented editions.

Ordering and shipping

Real stock shown, never a supplier lead time. Sets wrapped volume by volume and packed in a rigid box. Dispatched within 24 to 48 working hours, shipped across Europe and worldwide. For the total weight and the exact rate to your country, write to us before ordering.

Which commentary should I start with?

With al-Nawawi's commentary on Sahih Muslim, or Ibn Rajab's Jami' al-'ulum wa al-hikam on the Forty. The language is accessible and the argument stays followable. Starting with Fath al-Bari is the commonest mistake: it is a specialist's work.

Why does Fath al-Bari run to so many volumes?

Because a commentary does not paraphrase: it explains rare words, discusses the chain, reconciles apparently contradictory texts, sets out the schools' differences with their evidence, and draws the rulings from each hadith. Hence thirteen to seventeen volumes to comment on a collection of four.

Should I buy the collection along with the commentary?

In most cases yes. Many commentaries do not reproduce the collection's full text, and their numbering follows their base text. Every listing states the collection commented on and whether the base text is included.

Which commentary for the hadiths of practical rulings?

Subul al-salam by al-San'ani on Bulugh al-maram, and Nayl al-awtar by al-Shawkani on Muntaqa al-akhbar. Both are references in comparative fiqh: they give the hadith, its grading, then the schools' positions with their evidence.

Do editions differ much?

Yes, and more on a commentary than on a collection. Check the volume count, since one title exists as a complete edition, an abridgement, and sometimes an unreadable compressed reprint. Look at the editor and the print quality too: these are volumes opened hundreds of times.