Hadith science in Mosul and the hadith scholarship of Omar Ibn Bedr al-Mawsili al-Hanafi

Mosul is centrally located in the Jazeera region, and it is not only a geographical crossroads but also a place where cultural and civilizational developments have taken place. Its location, as its name suggests, positions it as a junction, as the path of the Tigris River, which flows from Turkey into Iraq, passes through Mosul. Water, in general, sustains life in the region, especially in Mosul. Geographically, Mosul is a transitional point between the scholarly centers of Damascus and Baghdad, experiencing significant academic activity. It is a place of education and pilgrimage, not only for the local scholars but also for those traveling on religious journeys. In the field of hadith, just like in other sciences, Mosul has produced its own hadith scholars and hosted hadith seekers. Among the leading hadith scholars in the city are Umar ibn Badr al-Mawsili, Abu Ya'la al-Mawsili, Ibn al-Asir, and, for a period, Ibn al-Jawzi and Ibn al-Salah, for those who resided there. The focus of this thesis, Umar ibn Badr al-Mawsili, was born, raised, and educated in the Jazeera region. He is known for his work on fabricated narrations, the compilation of hadith collections, and mevzu (disconnected) narrations. While biographical literature provides information about his life and mentions many of his works, it is worth noting that only three of his printed works are available today. Regarding the issue of fabricated narrations, there are claims that he imitated Ibn al- Jawzi, although our research found some evidence to support these claims; it is also clear that there are personal judgments and evaluations involved. It has been observed that the assessments made in this regard were made with a wholesale approach. In particular, al-Mawsili included many narrations in his work "al- Mughni" that other scholars did not evaluate mevzu (disconnected), leading to the assumption that he might have regarded these narrations as fabricated. Therefore, it is understood that he evaluated some narrations as mevzu, even if they were not fabricated. In this regard, there are some flaws in his criteria for evaluation. Although al-Mawsili had different approaches, it is evident that he respected Ibn al-Jawzi. This implies that he adhered to a Salafi perspective. However, according to studies, the biographical scholars state that his school of thought was Hanafi. It is concluded that the aforementioned evaluations were based on the influence of Ibn al-Jawzi without giving due credit or references. Keywords: Hadith, Mosul, Umar İbn Badr al-Mawsili, Fabricated Hadith, Compilation.