This study examines the scholarly life, works, and thought of Muhaddis Abdulhaq al-Dihlawi (d. 1642), a descendant of a Turkish family that migrated from Bukhara to Delhi during the Mongol invasions. Al-Dihlawi played a central role in the institutionalization of Hadith sciences in the Indian Subcontinent during the 11th/17th century. By transplanting the Hadith tradition he acquired in the Hejaz to Delhi, he expanded Hadith studies—which were previously limited to regions like Gujarat and Sindh—across the entire Subcontinent and established them as a permanent pillar of the madrasah curriculum.

Al-Dihlawi’s scholarly persona is based on a unique synthesis of “Knowledge” (ilm – Hadith/Fiqh) and “Wisdom” (hikmah – Sufism) within the framework of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Authorized in several Sufi orders, particularly the Qadiriyya, he viewed Sufism and Jurisprudence as two sides of the same coin. He defended the legitimacy of spiritual practices such as riyadhah, sama, and khalwah through the lens of Hadith evidence. Furthermore, he led an intellectual resistance against the heterodox trends that emerged during the reign of Emperor Akbar (Din-i Ilahi) by authored works that emphasized the authority of the Sunnah and the profound love for the Prophet.

His commentaries on Mishkat al-Masabih, written in Arabic (Lama‘at) and Persian (Ashi’at al-lama‘at), represent the pinnacle of Hadith literature in the region. This study analyzes the chain of Hadith instruction initiated by al-Dihlawi and sustained by his descendants for nearly two centuries, aiming to demonstrate how this legacy paved the way for the Hadith tradition that reached its zenith with Shah Waliullah al-Dihlawi.