Episode 7: The second chapter: The arrangement of sections and chapters
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We have mentioned in the first section that some scholars arranged their books according to narrations whereas others arranged their books according to topics, and we preferred the arrangement of topics to narrations as previously mentioned. Therefore, we chose the arrangement of topics to the chains of transmission and because these six books are the original sources and all of them were arranged according to topics, so we preferred to follow their footsteps.
When I leafed through their books, I found them different in arrangement: For example, Al Bukhari mentioned some Hadiths under certain topics, whereas others mentioned the same Hadiths in other topics.
Then I studied all Hadiths in these six books, followed them up, and derived their meanings, then I classified topics according to the meanings mentioned in the Hadiths; which means every Hadith that had a certain meaning, I mentioned it in its proper topic.
However, if the Hadith indicated more than one meaning, it either included one meaning or some meaning but one of them was superior to others. If it had one meaning, I mentioned it at the end of the book in a chapter called "appendix" which I divided into sections each one of them include Hadiths of diversified meanings from the same kind. The appendix is not big, for it does not exceed three notebooks.
On the other hand, if the Hadith had more than one meaning and most of it focuses on one of them, I would list it under the topic of the more superior meaning.
Then I studied every chapter in all Hadith books and divided them into chapters, sections, types, branches, divisions according to necessity.
The reason for this division is the difference of the meanings of the Hadith because some are related to the Hadith itself, others are related to its pillars and reality, others are related to its Sunan and voluntary acts, some are related to its conditions and requisites, some are related to what it exhorts to, and some are related to its honor and rank.
You will see different things in the book and each one has its own meaning.
Then I arranged the Hadiths of every chapter, section, and branch according to similarity or the Hadiths that had the same wordings, where if you exceed the meanings written in this chapter, you will not find them in other chapters but rarely when needed or by mistake.
If I mention something of these Hadiths without having similar Hadiths, I write it in a chapter or a section in the same topic because it does not have similar Hadiths.
Then I arranged the Hadiths about virtues in all the original books as well as the virtues of the Prophets, the Companions, and others and named it "Chapter on virtues and merits" and listed every Hadith speaks about the virtue of actions, sayings, conditions, and men without mentioning them scattered, so collecting them in a certain chapter is more beneficial; and you shall see it in details in their proper chapters.