Travelling in the Pursuit of Knowledge

Description

This is the English translation of the classical treatise Al-Riḥlah Fī Ṭalab Al-Ḥadīth by the Great Scholar of the Shafi’i school of jurisprudence & the Imām of his time, Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ‘Alī ibn Thābit al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī. His complete biography from Imām Aż-Żahabi’s voluminous work Siyar A’lam an-Nubala has also been translated & added herein.

This treatise is essentially a gathering of powerful & insightful narrations (of the Companions, pious predecessors, & Prophet Mūsā) that emphasise the importance of travelling & exerting efforts towards seeking knowledge.

It also serves as a historical record, highlighting the efforts of the early generations of scholars without whom the knowledge would not have been collected. These narrations also serve as a reminder of the high aspirations & humility required by Muslims in the pursuit of knowledge, a wakeup call to tread the path of our pious predecessors.