عناية العلامة شبیر أحمد العثماني رحمه الله بالبلاغة النبوية في فتح الملهم بشرح صحيح مسلم

The Contribution of Allāmah Shabbīr Ahmad al- ‘Uthmānī to the Study of Prophetic Eloquence in Fatḥ al-Mulhim, His Commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

Abstract

This article investigates Allāmah Shabbīr Ahmad al-‘Uthmānī’s engagement with prophetic eloquence (al-balāghah al-nabawiyyah) in his commentary Fatḥ al-Mulhim bi-Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.The study employs critical textual analysis to examine al-‘Uthmānī’s linguistic, rhetorical, and contextual approaches, with reference to his reliance on earlier authorities such as al-Nawawī, Ibn Ḥajar, and al-Bayhaqī, as well as his independent contributions. The analysis reveals that al-‘Uthmānī frequently transmits and synthesizes classical insights without major innovation. However, he occasionally offers original rhetorical observations that deepen the appreciation of prophetic discourse. His use of *asbāb al-wurūd* demonstrates methodological promise, though not applied consistently throughout the commentary.

The study concludes that al-‘Uthmānī’s contribution lies chiefly in preserving and systematizing inherited scholarship, while providing limited yet meaningful original insights. His work underscores the importance of rhetorical analysis in ḥadīth studies and positions *Fatḥ al-Mulhim* as a transitional but valuable link in the broader trajectory of Islamic intellectual tradition.