The middle of the Sunnah and consensus and difference by Ibn al-Mundhir 1/15

Book title: Al-Awsat from the Sunan, Ijma, and Differences Author: Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Al-Mundhir Al-Nisaburi (d. 318 AH) Reviewed and annotated by: Ahmad bin Suleiman bin Ayyub Edition: First 1444 AH 2023 Number of volumes: 15 Shamawha Publisher: Dar Ibn Huzam Author: Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Al-Mundhir Al-Nisaburi The book: Al-Awsat in the Sunan, Ijma, and Differences Authored by Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Al-Mundhir Abu Bakr, and it is one of the most prominent and important jurisprudential books. The book (Al-Awsat) is distinguished by features including that it is a jurisprudential and hadith encyclopedia, especially regarding the schools of scholars and their points of agreement and disagreement. The book is organized into jurisprudential chapters, beginning with mentioning the consensus issues and the differing issues that fall under each chapter, citing the opinions of the Companions, Tabi‘un, and others, including the four Imams, with references to the hadiths and آثار used as evidence by each group. What also distinguishes Al-Awsat is that it documents what it transmits from scholars either by chain of narration to them, or by quoting from their books, or through their students, among other methods. Al-Mundhir in his book Al-Awsat does not lean towards one scholar over another nor does he blindly follow a school of thought; rather, he favors what he sees as supported by authentic evidence, and he adopts and follows it. It is also characterized by extensive narration, as he uniquely presents آثار that may not be found elsewhere. Not only that, but he discusses the authenticity and weakness of hadiths and آثار, as well as the criticism and praise of men in terms of their reliability and weakness. In his book, he also quotes from works that have not reached us, among other merits of this book.