The Influence of Ibn al-Qayyim on al-Sakhawi’s HadithThought: An Analytical Study of Fath al-Mughith through the Theory of Intellectual Influence

Abstract

The development of hadith scholarship was shaped by the transmission and transformation of ideas across generations of scholars. However, the extent to which Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah influenced al-Sakhawi’s hadith thought in Fath al-Mughith remains insufficiently explored, particularly in the absence of a direct teacher–student relationship. This study aims to examine the influence of Ibn al-Qayyim on al-Sakhawi’s hadith methodology and epistemological orientation. Employing a qualitative library research approach, the study analyzes primary and secondary sources through descriptive analysis within the framework of intellectual influence theory, while conclusions are drawn deductively. The findings indicate that Ibn al-Qayyim’s influence on al-Sakhawi operates primarily at the epistemological and methodological levels rather than through mere citation. This influence is reflected in al-Sakhawi’s adoption of decisive positions in hadith classification, including the treatment of mursal marfu‘ reports, and in his synthetic method of combining isnad criticism, Salaf practice, juristic authority, and broader normative considerations in evaluating hadith evidence. It is also evident in the distinction between the status of transmission and the value of religious practice, particularly in discussions of written salawat. The study concludes that Ibn al-Qayyim’s influence is structural and latent, shaping al-Sakhawi’s modes of reasoning while preserving the mainstream framework of classical hadith methodology.