Bulugh al-Maram

Read Bulugh al-Maram, one of the most esteemed compilations of authentic Hadiths with fiqh commentary by Imam ibn Hajar al-Asqalani. This page will help you navigate this hadith book with a basic understanding of the Hadith book and how to benefit from it thoroughly. Immerse yourself in the divine wisdom and spiritual guidance imparted by the Last Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), carefully preserved by the companions and their successors. Enhance your knowledge of Shāfiʿī fiqh with Bulugh al-Maram to refine your practice with this rigorously compiled and condensed collection.

Use our platform's user-friendly features and navigation tools with a searchable database, and explore this collection of Hadith with incredible ease! Whether a seasoned scholar or a budding learner, our remarkable features in the Muslim and Quran application allow all learners of all levels to adapt the contents according to their learning style. This page will be your gateway to the life-changing guidance of authentic Hadiths as we ease your journey of Islamic learning with the timeless wisdom of Hadiths.

Bulugh al-Maram

بلوغ المرام

Bulugh al-Maram min Adillat al-Ahkam, ("Attainment of the Objective According to Evidences of the Ordinances") by Al-Hafidh is a collection of hadith pertaining specifically to Shafi'i jurisprudence. This genre is referred to in Arabic as Ahadith al-Ahkam. It contains a total of 1358 hadiths.

Search Hadith

Current Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) says in the Quran, “O believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger if you ⸢ truly ⸣ believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is the best and fairest resolution.” [Surah Nissa 4:59] It is a direct commandment by Allah to follow and obey the Messenger of Allah. For further clarification, Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) narrates that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Beware! I have been given the Qur'an and something like it” (Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani) Sunan Abi Dawud 4604). 

According to the Quran, the life and examples of the last Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) are immensely significant in Islam. The Noble Quran, paired with the Sunnah (ﷺ) and the Hadiths, is a complete guide to the Islamic way of worship and living, playing a significant role in shaping Islamic law (Fiqh). The life (Sunnah) and the sayings (Hadith) of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) are the enlightening sources of knowledge of Islam, meticulously observed and preserved by his Companions (رضی ٱللَّٰهُ عنھم). By developing an accurate methodology of preserving as well as verifying the narrators (Isnad) for authenticity, Islamic scholars have transmitted these Hadiths to us, saving us a lifetime of struggle to authenticate narrations of the Prophet (ﷺ).

The scholars are further inspired and motivated by the Hadith narrated by Zayd ibn ThabitI (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), who heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) brighten a man who hears a tradition from us, gets it by heart, and passes it on to others. Many a bearer of knowledge conveys it to one who is more versed than he is, and many a bearer of knowledge is not versed in it. (Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani) Sunan Abi Dawud 3660).

Bulugh al-Maram

The full name of this hadith book is Bulugh al-Maram min Adillat al-Aḥkām (Arabic: بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام), which directly translates to Attainment of the Objective According to Evidence of the Ordinances. Bulugh al-Maram is a distinguished collection of Hadith in its specific genre, Aḥādīth al-Aḥkam (hadiths of ordinances), compiled by the venerated scholar Imam al-Ḥāfiẓ ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī (1372-1448 CE/773-852 AH).

It is a comprehensive reference for Islamic jurisprudence and ethics, supported by the most authentic Hadiths from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud, Jami at-Tirmidhi, etc. To further refine the process of the selection and verification of Hadith from authentic sources, Ibn Ḥajar included a comparison between the versions of a hadith with different sources. Due to these unique qualities, it remains a widely used collection of Hadith among scholars and budding learners, regardless of their differing schools of thought.

About Imam Asqalani

Named al-Ḥāfiẓ ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī but known simply as Imam ibn Hajar, the author of Bulugh al-Maram was born in Egypt, and grew up to become an eminent Islamic scholar, jurist, and hadith expert. He authored some 150 works in various fields of Islamic studies, including Hadith, fiqh (jurisprudence), as well as biography, exegesis, and poetry. His expertise and contributions, specifically to Hadith, earned him honorific epithets of Hafiz al-Asr (Hafiz of the Time), Shaykh al-Islam (Shaykh of Islam), and Amir al-Mu'minin fi al-Hadith (Leader of the Believers in Hadith).

The Structure of Bulugh al-Maram

A distinctive feature of Bulugh al-Maram is that the various versions of Hadiths have also been shortened to present just the main purpose of the Hadith according to its classification under the chapter. Due to this unique framework utilized by Imam ibn Hajar, it is widely accepted and regarded as among the most sought-after books of Ahadith.

Imam Ibn Hajar specifically employed the Shāfiʿī Fiqh (jurisprudence) as he annotated Bulugh al-Maram, which is organized in thematic chapters covering various aspects of fiqh (jurisprudence) and Shariah (Islamic Law). The book is divided into the following 15 chapters:

  1. The Book of Purification
  2. The Book of Prayer
  3. The Book of Funerals
  4. The Book of Zakat
  5. The Book of Fasting
  6. The Book of Business Transactions
  7. The Book of Marriage
  8. The Book of Jinayat
  9. The Book of Hudud
  10. The Book of Jihad
  11. The Book of Foods
  12. The Book of Oaths and Vows
  13. The Book of Judgement
  14. The Book of Emancipation
  15. The Comprehensive Book

As you read the book, you will encounter these important key terms in Bulugh al-Maram. Here’s a quick review of what they mean.

  • Sharīʿah: Islamic sacred law providing core ethics and values through Quran and Sunnah (ﷺ)
  • Hadith: narrations of the sayings, actions, or approvals of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)
  • Isnad: Chain of transmission, the narrators who transmitted the Hadith
  • Matn: the essential text or content of a hadith
  • Sahih: Authentic 
  • Da'if: Weak

Read Bulugh al-Maram with Muslim and Quran

Bulugh al-Maram is a scholarly work containing authentic hadiths; however, its interpretation and application require extensive knowledge and understanding of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and scholarly expertise. You are recommended to exercise caution as well as seek guidance or counsel from qualified scholars when extracting legal rulings or ethical guidance from the book. Additionally, be mindful of and respect the copyright and usage rights when accessing and sharing.

Muslim and Quran application is designed to help readers learn the difficult texts of interpretations of Hadiths with ease. It has the most helpful navigation tools to simplify your Islamic learning. You can search any particular hadith according to any particular number or topic with our reliable search feature. You can jot down your notes, share the individual hadiths, and save it for later referencing! These features are available (and more!) are all available at MuslimandQuran so download the mobile app now to access all your Islamic resources at the tip of your finger!