Draft:Al-Tabaqat Al-Kabir

Al-Tabaqat Al-Kabir (transl. The Major Book of Classes) is a book by Muhammad ibn Sa'd ibn Munee' al-Basri al-Zuhri, also known as Ibn Sa'd. It is a comprehensive collection of biographical information and biographies, preceded only by the "Book of Tabqaqat" by his mentor Al-Waqidi, although it is thought that Ibn Sa'ad benefited considerably from it. However, Al-Waqidi's book has not reached us.

Al-Tabaqat Al-Kabir is a reference book on the biography of Muhammad, biographies, and histories. In it, the author presents the biography of Muhammad, discusses the individuals who provided fatwas in Medina, and outlines the process of collecting the Quran. Additionally, the book features biographies of the Companions and those who followed them, as well as profiles of notable jurists and scholars. In the book, the classifier's approach is to provide a comprehensive account of the biography of the scholar's background, including his lineage, religious affiliation, contributions, and virtues, in detail. The approximate number of scholars whose accounts have been documented is 4,725. This book represents one of the earliest historical accounts of the narrators of Muhammad's Sunnah, encompassing both those deemed reliable and those regarded as less credible. Its structure is organized in a layered manner, providing a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the subject matter. He openly discussed the narrators' shortcomings and proposed improvements.

An image of the first page of the first volume of the linear copy preserved in the Ahmed III Library in Istanbul.