Shawāhid al-Tanzīl li Qawāʿid al-Tafḍīl | Ahl al-Bayt in the Quran

602 pages

The book Shawāhid al-Tanzīl li Qawāʿid al-Tafḍīl written by al-Ḥākim al-Ḥaskānī (d. 490 AH), is one of the most comprehensive books written on this subject. In this book, which is in the order of the Surahs of the Qur’an, more than 200 verses have been mentioned in connection with the merits of Imam Ali, and after each verse, one or more narrations from the eminent Companions of the Prophet have been quoted. The total number of narrations in this book is 1160. Al-Ḥākim al-Ḥaskānī is one of the most prominent Sunni scholars in the fifth century AH and was proficient in ḥadīth and rijāl, as confirmed by al-Dhahabi among others. As the author explains in the introduction, his motivation for writing this book was the baseless claim that no verse in the Qur’an was revealed about Imam Ali. So he proceeded to compile this book, in which he has quoted all the verses revealed about the Ahl al-Bayt in general and Imam Ali in particular, or interpreted as being in reference to them. Due to the prominence of the author and his special mastery in ḥadīth studies, and also due to the fact that this book is one of the most important early texts, Shawāhid al-Tanzīl li Qawāʿid al-Tafḍīl is one of the most important sources for both Shi‘a and Sunnis to know Imam Ali and the Ahl al-Bayt.