Book: Dalail an-Nubuwwah by Bayhaqi

The Narration of Judge Sheikh's Son, Abu Ali

He said, "My father told me: 'When I started to compile this book, also known as the 'Knowledge of Traditions and Cultural Heritage', and finished revising parts of it, I heard Muslim jurist Abu Muhammad Ahmed Bin Ali, who is among my most pious companions, most prolific in recitation, and speaks in the purest tongue, say, upon a dream he had: 'I saw Al-Shafi'i holding parts of this book, saying: 'I have written today, from the book of the Jurist Ahmed, seven parts,' or he said, 'I read it'.'

"On the morning of that day, another jurist among my brothers, known as Omar Bin Muhammad, saw in his dream Al-Shafi'i sitting on a bed in the Great Mosque of Khosrowjerd, saying: 'Today I learned so and so from the book of the Jurist Ahmed'."

Judge Sheikh continued: "My father narrated to me, he heard the Jurist Abu Muhammad Al-Hussein Bin Ahmed Al-Samarqandi Hafiz say: 'I heard the Jurist Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Abd Al-Aziz Al-Marwazi Al-Janojardi say, 'I dreamt as if a coffin was elevated to the heavens surrounded by light. I asked, 'What is this?' It was replied, 'Compilations of Al-Bayhaqi'."

The Testimony of Scholars concerning his Virtue and Knowledge

Yaqut Al Hamwi stated: "He was an Imam, sage, and jurist in the fundamentals of religion, the ascetic, unique in his time in memorization and mastery along with a solid faith, among the distinguished followers of Ibn Abdullah Al-Hakim. He excelled in various fields of knowledge and had a niche."

Ibn Nasir added: "He was unique in his epoch and peerless among his contemporaries in memorization, mastery, and reliability. He was the Sheikh of Khorasan."

Ibn Al-Jawzi said: "He was a lone figure of his time, excelling in memorization and mastery."

Remarkable Scholars About Al-Bayhaqi's Accomplishments

Renowned for categorizing and compiling the sciences of Hadith, Fiqh, and Principles, Al-Bayhaqi was among the significant companions of Al-Hakim Abu Abdullah. He has under his belt a vast amount of knowledge, leaving a significant imprint due to his many beautifully composed works.

Al-Dhahabi's View on Al-Bayhaqi

Al-Dhahabi stated, "Had Al-Bayhaqi wished to establish a school of thought to be considered independently, he would certainly have been capable of doing so, given his vast knowledge and understanding of the differences and variations in Islamic jurisprudence".

Ibn Khallikan's Mention of Al-Bayhaqi

Ibn Khallikan described Al-Bayhaqi as "The prominent jurist of the Shafi'i school, the leading Hadith master, and the peerless one among his contemporaries in the arts. He is among the significant companions of Al-Hakim Abu Abd Allah, a renowned scholar of Hadith, distinguished for his additional expertise in various scientific fields".

Al-Sam'ani's Respect for Al-Bayhaqi

Al-Sam'ani expressed, "Al-Bayhaqi was an Imam, a Jurist, a Hafiz combined with expertise in Hadith compilation and understanding".

Ibn Athir's Praise for Al-Bayhaqi

Ibn Athir reported, "Al-Bayhaqi was an Imam in Hadith, who understood the Shafi’i school of thought".

Abd Al-Fakhir's Regard for Al-Bayhaqi

Abd Al-Fakhir in “Tail of Nishapur's History” related, "Abu Bakr Al-Bayhaqi, the jurist, the Hadith master, known for his piety, was unrivalled in his time for his memory and peerless among his contemporaries for mastery and accuracy. He was distinguished among the significant companions of Al-Hakim and surpassed them with various types of knowledge. He wrote down and memorized Hadiths from an early age, demonstrated understanding and showed brilliance in Islamic jurisprudence, was learned in principles of Islamic law, and travelled to Iraq, Jabal, and Hejaz. Then he composed his works, which almost reached a thousand parts, a feat that no one preceded him in".