Taqaddumi: Journal of Quran and Hadith Studies
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2025)

Hadith Scholarship in Baghdad and Andalusia (2nd–5th Centuries): A Comparative Study of al-Riḥlah, Intellectual Networks, and Textual Canonization

Wibowo, Rahmadi (Unknown)
bin Soroni, Mohd Khafidz (Unknown)
binti Wazir, Rosni (Unknown)
Kholis, Nur (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Dec 2025

Abstract

Baghdad held a strategic position as a center of intellectual brilliance and Islamic civilization, while Andalusia emerged as one of the most advanced Islamic civilizations under the Umayyad dynasty. This comparative study is crucial for understanding how scholarly networks influenced the development of hadith scholarship and the respective contributions of these regions, given the scarcity of systematic comparative studies on hadith studies in these specific areas, particularly between Baghdad and Andalusia. Employing a qualitative method with historical and comparative analysis, this research aims to examine the characteristics and comparisons of three key aspects: al-riḥlah, teacher-student networks, and written works before the 5th century Hijri. The findings reveal that scholars in Baghdad undertook al-riḥlah to Mecca, Medina, Kufa, Basra, Syam, Yemen, Maghreb, Khurasan, and Samarkand to obtain elevated chains of transmission (‘ulūw al-isnād) and leveraged the city’s central position as an intellectual hub. In contrast, Andalusian scholars conducted expansive al-riḥlah to the Levant, the Hijaz, Baghdad, and Egypt to strengthen their sanad and collect hadith manuscripts. The scholarly network in Baghdad exhibited dynamic mazhab interactions, whereas in Andalusia, it was hierarchical-territorial and predominantly centered around Maliki scholars such as Yaḥyā al-Laythī. Written contributions in Baghdad produced diverse genres, primarily dominated by kitāb al-rijāl and al-musnad, while Andalusian works focused extensively on syarah and transmission pathways of al-Muwaṭṭa’, establishing a dominant trend.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

taqaddumi

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Education Social Sciences

Description

Taqaddumi provides scientific articles on Quran and Hadith studies that emphasize on bringing out the understanding of Quran and Hadith that are relevant to current conditions. Taqaddumi publishes articles that are based on literature or field research. We welcome novel, innovative, and ...