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Wikipedia's first sentence called it "comprehensive collection of traditions". Today it says "comprehensive collection of hadith". We saved the article's opening at 5 moments between 2015 and 2025, and every claim links the exact revision.

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How Wikipedia rewrote the Bihar al-Anwar article

The opening as it read in 2015

Shia Ibadi Jami Sahih Tartib al-Musnad - Books also revered by Ahmadiyya Related topics Ahl al-Hadith Criticism Sheikh al-Hadith Islam portal • Category v t e Bihār al-Anwār ( , meaning "Seas of Lights") is a comprehensive collection of traditions ( ahadith ) compiled by the Shi'i scholar Mulla Muhammad Baqir, known as 'Allama Majlisi (d. 1110/1698).¹ It is a hadith collection , the second source of inspiration in Shia Islam.² Probably completed between 1106 AH (1694 AD) and 1110 AH (1698 AD), it is a compendium of ahadith ( Hadith ), historical subjects and commentaries on many Qur'anic verses.³ Majlisi compiled it to gather all the ahadith he could access. His primary goal was to preserve the available knowledge for future generations. Majlisi has acknowledged this issue in the preface of Bihar al-Anwar, emphasizing that the traditions collected where not included without being subjected to scrutiny, a task in itself that was a major undertaking. Majlisi says, "Then I chose to examine the traditions of the infallible, righteous Imams, started exploring them and investigated them as was their right and I acquired its skill as was its due.". Despite Majlisi acknowledgement, criticism has remained about his approach with some critics suggesting that he has gathered both "pearls" and "pebbles". The full name of the book Bihar al-Anwar in itself suggests that Majlisi did not collect anything he had access to in this book. The full name of the book is "Oceans of Light an encyclopedia for Pearls of traditions of the Pure Aimmah" بحار الأنوار الجامعة لدرر أخبار الأءمة الأطهار The collection is the most comprehensive (as a single collection) among all Islamic ahadith collections . The author collected narrations related from Muhammad, including statements by Fatimah (the daughter of Muhammad) and the Shi'i Imams ( Twelver ), using both Shi'i Shia Islam and Sunni Sunni Islam sources. The collection also includes his commentary on these narrations.⁴

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The opening as it stood in 2010

collections Oceans of Lights (Arabic: Bihar al-Anwar بحار الأنوار ) is a comprehensive collection of traditions ( ahadith ) compiled by the Shi'i scholar Mulla Muhammad Baqir, known as 'Allama Majlisi (d. 1110/1698). It is a hadith collection , the second source of inspiration in Islam. Other transliterations: Bihar-ul-Anwar Biharu-l-Anwar Biharu al Anwar Biharu al-Anwar Probably completed between 1106/1694 and 1110/1698, it is an encyclopedia of ahadith, historical subjects and commentaries on many Qur'anic verses. Majlisi wrote it to gather all the wisdom he could find, in order to preserve that knowledge for following generations. His goal was to collect every single narration available, not to sift through and find the reliable ones, so only a trained scholar can determine which ones are authentic. The collection is the most comprehensive (as a single collection) among all Islamic hadith collections. The author collected narrations related from the Prophet Muhammad, along with statements by Fatima (the daughter of Muhammad) and the Shi'i Imams, using both Shi'i and Sunni sources. The collection also includes his well-researched commentary on these narrations. This book is one of the intellectual and scholarly masterworks of the Islamic Heritage.

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The opening as it stood in 2020 10 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

Shia Ibadi Jami Sahih Tartib al-Musnad - Books also revered by Ahmadiyya Related topics Ahl al-Hadith Criticism Sheikh al-Hadith Islam portal • Category v t e Bihar al-Anwar ( , meaning "Seas of Lights") is a comprehensive collection of traditions ( ahadith ) compiled by Shia scholar Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi (d. 1110/1698), known as Allama Majlisi . It is a hadith collection as the secondary source used beside the four books . Bihar al-Anwar which a compendium of Hadiths , historical subjects and commentaries on many Qur'anic verses,completed between 1106 AH (1694 AD) and 1110 AH (1698 AD).

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The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023

Shi'a hadith collection by Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi Shia Ibadi Jami Sahih Tartib al-Musnad - Books also revered by Ahmadiyya Related topics Ahl al-Hadith Criticism Sheikh al-Hadith Islam portal • Category v t e Bihar al-Anwar ( , lit. Seas of Lights ) is a comprehensive collection of traditions ( ahadith ) compiled by Shia scholar Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi (d. 1110/1698), known as Allama Majlisi . It is a hadith collection as the secondary source used beside the Four Books . Bihar al-Anwar which a compendium of Hadiths , historical subjects and commentaries on many Qur'anic verses, completed between 1106 AH (1694 AD) and 1110 AH (1698 AD).

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The opening as it stood in 2025 2 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

Shia hadith collection by Muhammad Baqir Majlisi Shia Ibadi Jami Sahih Tartib al-Musnad - Books also revered by Ahmadiyya Related topics Ahl al-Hadith Criticism Sheikh al-Hadith Islam portal • Category v t e Bihar al-Anwar ( Arabic : بِحَار ٱلْأَنْوَار , romanized : Biḥār al-Anwār , lit. ' Seas of Lights ' ) is a comprehensive collection of hadith ( pl. ahadith) compiled by Shia scholar Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi ( d. 1699 A.D. ). It is the secondary Shi'ite hadith verification source after the Four Books .

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