Ph.D Research Proposal on Narrations in Ansab al-Ashraf

As part of its commitment to advancing scientific research and promoting specialized studies in the Prophetic Sunnah, the Graduate Studies Deanship at the Islamic University of Minnesota - Main Center - held an academic seminar at the College of Islamic Studies, Department of Prophetic Sunnah and Its Sciences, to discuss the Ph.D. research proposal submitted by researcher Fahman Ahmed Mohammed. The proposal is entitled: "The Hadiths and Narrations Contained in Jumal min Ansab al-Ashraf by Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Balathuri (d. 279 AH): From the Revelation of the Verse of Hijab to the End of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Statement Regarding Abu Bakr - Part One: Collection, Authentication, and Analytical Study."

The proposed research explores a significant aspect of the Islamic scholarly heritage by examining the hadiths and historical narrations preserved in Ansāb al-Ashraf, one of the most important historical sources documenting events from the Prophet’s biography and the early Islamic period.

The study aims to collect and compile these narrations, verify and authenticate them according to established hadith methodology, and conduct a comprehensive analysis of their chains of transmission (isnads) and textual contents (mutun) in order to determine their scholarly reliability. It also seeks to highlight the academic value of classical historical works in serving the Prophetic Sunnah and to demonstrate the contributions of early Muslim historians to preserving and transmitting authentic narrations, thereby strengthening the relationship between hadith studies and the classical Islamic heritage.

During the seminar, the researcher presented the objectives, significance, and methodology of the proposed study. This was followed by an in-depth academic discussion in which the committee examined the methodological and scholarly aspects of the proposal and offered constructive observations and recommendations aimed at strengthening its academic framework and expanding its research scope.

The seminar committee was chaired by Dr. Majed Bani Obaid, with the membership of Dr. Radwan Salem Al-Ahdal, Dr. Imad Hamed Al-Shammari, and Dr. Saad Mohammed Al-Shammari.

This seminar reflects the Graduate Studies Deanship's ongoing commitment to encouraging specialized research in the sciences of the Prophetic Sunnah and supporting academic studies that critically investigate and authenticate Islamic narrations in accordance with rigorous scholarly standards, thereby enriching Islamic scholarship with high-quality research that serves the Prophetic tradition and contributes to the advancement of scientific research at the University.