al-Haythami

Nur ad-Din Ali ibn Abi Bakr ibn Sulayman al-Haythami (735-807 AH / 1335-1405 CE) was an Egyptian hadith scholar best known for his encyclopedic hadith compilation Majma' az-Zawa'id wa Manba' al-Fawa'id (The Collection of Additions and the Source of Benefits). Born in Cairo, he was a devoted student of the great hadith master al-Hafiz Zayn ad-Din al-Iraqi, with whom he lived and studied for many years.

Al-Haythami's Majma' az-Zawa'id is a collection of the hadiths found in the seven major hadith collections (Musnad Ahmad, Musnad al-Bazzar, Musnad Abi Ya'la, Mu'jam al-Kabir/Awsat/Saghir of at-Tabarani) that are not found in the six canonical hadith books (the Sihah Sitta), along with al-Haythami's evaluation of the reliability of the chains of each hadith. This work became an indispensable reference for hadith scholars seeking to assess the authenticity of hadiths not found in the primary collections, and it remains one of the most consulted references in hadith research.

He also authored Kashf al-Astar an Zawa'id al-Bazzar (Uncovering the Veiled: The Additions of al-Bazzar), a similar compilation focusing specifically on the additions in Bazzar's Musnad; and Mawari' az-Zam'an ila Zawa'id Ibn Hibban, a compilation of the additions found in Sahih Ibn Hibban.

Al-Haythami passed away in Cairo in 807 AH. His Majma' az-Zawa'id is regarded as one of the most valuable research tools in hadith scholarship, providing accessible documentation of thousands of hadiths from the major musnad collections alongside their authentication status.