Bulugh
al-Maram
بلوغ المرام
Al-Bulugh al-Maram (بلوغ المرام) is a classic study of Islam by notable scholar Al-Imam Al-Hafiz Ahmed bin Ali bin Hajar al-Asqalani (ابن حجر العسقلاني). He is also the author of Islamic Masterpiece - Fat’hul Bari, a detailed explanation of Sahih Bukhari.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani authored some 150 works on hadith, history, biography, exegesis and even poetry.
He was honoured by the title, ‘Hafiz Al Asr’, The Hafiz of Time and ‘Ameerul Mo’mineen fil Hadith’ - The Leader of the Believers in Hadith. He had memorised the Qur’an at a very young age and used to lead the Taraweeh prayers at the age of 12.
Imam Suyuti has written about Ibn Hajar Asqalani:
“He had drank Zamzam water making dua to reach the stature of Imam Dhahabi in memory and it was fulfilled.”
— Tabbakatul Huffaz: page, 259
Bulugh Al Maram means attainment of the Objective According to Evidence of the Ordinance. It can be explained as “Reaching the goal by following the proof provided in the rules.” This means achieving a certain aim or purpose by adhering to the guidance or instructions that have been laid out in a formal regulation or decree. In concisely it is called- Al Ahadeeth al-Ahkam.
Bulugh al-Maram is a compilation of 1358 hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. At the end of each hadith narrated in Bulugh al-Maram, Ibn Ḥajar mentions who collected that hadith originally. Bulugh al-Maram includes hadith drawn from Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud, Jami at Tirmidhi, Nasai, and Ibn Majah along with some from Musnad-e-Ahmed
This book is popular for its authenticity and well-organised index of everyday Fiqh only through Hadith. It is comprehensible for even a common reader. The book runs into 15 chapters covering purification prayers, funerals, zakat, fasting business transactions etc.
Students doing their Aalim course are mostly taught Bulugh al Maram as a compulsory subject in the syllabus. Studying this book enables the new scholars to teach the basic and essential fiqh through reference to Hadith.
