A Comparative Study of the Book Fadhāil al-A’māl: A Study of Hadith Manuscripts from the Early 12th Century AH and the Book by Sheikh Muhammad Zakariyya Al-Kandahlawi

Abstract

The tradition of writing Fadhāil books is one of the ways in which scholars contribute to grounding the spiritual values of Islam. This study examines two fadhāil books from two different periods: an anonymous manuscript from the early 12th century AH stored in the Daiber Collection, University of Tokyo, and the book Faḍhāil al-A'māl by Sheikh Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi from the 14th century AH. This study aims to compare the methods, structure, and scientific content of the two books in order to understand the trends in the compilation of fadhāil books in the development of hadith studies. The approach used is qualitative with bibliographic and philological studies, namely by examining the texts in depth through primary and secondary source searches, as well as conducting philological stages such as manuscript description, transliteration, and text criticism to assess the authenticity and context of the writing. The analysis was conducted descriptively and comparatively to reveal the characteristics and scientific orientation of each book. The results of the study show that these two books reflect the development of hadith science at that time, although they differ in terms of composition, systematic presentation of hadith, and the background of their authors. The anonymous book from the early 12th century AH is more thematic and simple, while Faḍhāil al-A'māl shows the influence of systematic preaching and spiritual guidance within the framework of the Tabligh movement.