Would scholars give up reading or studying Ḥadīt͟h in Ramaḍān?

[Benefit shared by brother Shah Idris on Twitter (@Shahidris9)]

Usually, the impression given to people is that scholars would give up reading or studying Ḥadīt͟h in Ramaḍān, and only occupy themselves with the recitation of the Qurʾān.

This is not true for many renowned scholars. This (below) is a reading colophon signed by Yūsuf Ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī, known as Ibn al-Mibrad (d. 909), on his copy of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, in which he mentions that his ‘son’ (figuratively), Muḥammad Ibn ʿAlī Ibn Ṭūlūn (880 – 953) finished reading out “Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim” to him in several sittings over the span of 18 days, the last of which was on 17th Ramaḍān, 897 AH (i.e. when Ibn Ṭūlūn was only 17 yrs old), and that he permits him (Ijāzah) to narrate it from him. The reading took place at ‘Madrasat Abī ʿUmar al-Maqdisī.

(Is it true that – ‘Imam Malik would stop his hadith circles in Ramadan and just read Qur’an’?)

This statement is incorrectly attributed to Mālik. In fact, there are sound reports in al-Muwaṭṭaʾ that suggest otherwise.
The narration that Ibn Rajab mentioned is disconnected (Munqati’) between Ibn Abd Al-Ḥakam and Mālik.

(The quote goes as- Ibn ‘Abd al-Hakam said: ‘When Ramadan entered, Malik would flee from reading hadith and sitting with the people of knowledge, and instead devoted himself to reciting the Quran from the mushaf.’)

It’s reported in al-Muwaṭṭaʾ:

“When the month of Ramaḍān began, al-Ḥunainī would stop listening to ḥadīt͟h.

So Mālik said to him, ‘O Abā Ya‘qūb, why do you stop listening to ḥadīt͟h in Ramaḍān? If something is disliked in Ramaḍān, is it not also disliked outside of it?”

(Copied here for benefiting the masses. May Allah reward the brother immensely.)

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