An Introduction to the Science of the Hadith : Kitab Ma'rifat Anwa' 'ilm Al-hadith

Taqi al-Din Abn 'Amr 'Uthman b. 'Abd al-Rahman al-Shahrazuri (577/1181643/1245) composed his famous Kitab Ma'rifat anwa' 'ilm al-hadith, better known as the Muqaddima, while serving as the head of the Dar al-Hadith al-Ashrafiya in Damascus, one of the most prestigious institutions for the study of hadith in the Islamic world.

In this work he provides a complete overview of the science devoted to the study of the words and actions of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Introduction enjoyed immense popularity and influenced most subsequent writing on the subject.