Biography of Imam Bosti and his book "Sahih Ibn Habban”

Abstract

The genius scholar and narrator, Sheikh Khorasan, Allama Abu Hatem Muhammad Ibn Habban, has been one of the most influential scholars of Afghanistan whose knowledge, thoughts and scientific works have been used as references by many hadith scholars. He has authored many scholarly books including the "Sahih Ibn Habban", which is considered one of the most authenticated books of hadith. However, his scholarly work has been under-appreciated by the hadith scholars in our country, Afghanistan. Using a qualitative-document analysis approach, this study aims to explore his highly scholarly work to honor and revitalize the scholar of our homeland, Afghanistan. The paper has found out that Mohammad Ibn Habban Bosti is from the Arab Dynasty but was born in Bost-currently called Lashkar Gah city, Helmand province, Afghanistan at the end of the second century AH. The author contended that Ibn Habban Bosti has travelled many cities to gain knowledge; and finally became a highly established scholar of hadith in Greater Khorasan region- currently Afghanistan and Iran. Finally, it is argued that while Ibn Habban has become a top notch scholar in anthropology, hadith, and Quranic studies, his scholarly works, as time passed, has been under-appreciated by the people and other scholars.