Qāsim ibn Thābit and his work named al-Dalāʼil

This study analyzes the work al-Dalāʼil in terms of method and content. The book was written by the scholar of language and hadith Qāsim ibn Thābit in the field of gharīb al-ḥadīth, who lived in Andalusia in the second half of the third century of Hijrah. Since Qāsim ibn Thābit passed away, his book was completed by his father, Thābit ibn Ḥazm. It was transferred in the following periods by his son, Thābit bin Qāsim. Although the work is mentioned with different names in the sources, the name al-Dalāʼil ʻalá maʻānī al-ḥadīth bi-al-shāhid wa-al-mathal was preferred according to the research. The work has three manuscripts, namely Rabat, Ẓāhirīyat and Istanbul, and two authenticated publications. al-Dalāʼil, the continuation of the works of Abū ʻUbayd and Ibn Qutaybah in the field of gharīb al-ḥadīth in terms of method and content, is among the fundamental resources in the field of gharīb al-ḥadīth. However, in the period, from Khaṭṭābī to Ibn al-Athīr, the scholars of gharīb al-ḥadīth were not aware of al-Dalāʼil. Likewise, it is clear that the dictionary writers such as al-Azharī and al-Ṣaghānī were not aware of the work. Although Dalāʼil was acknowledged by hadith scholars and linguists mostly in Andalusia, its recognition in the Eastern scientific community was delayed until the seventh century of Hijrah. Qāsim ibn Thābit employs the method of attestation (istishhād) by literary texts such as poetry, hadith, verse and parable while explaining the words in the hadiths. This language material thar is used to explain the gharīb words contains valuable information for Arabic literature and linguistics. While explaining gharīb words, Qāsim ibn Thābit, examined the grammar and the syntax, provided information about the names of places, commented on hadiths when necessary, provided valuable information about hadith methodology, Islamic law, kalām, qirāʿa and history.