Keywords: Ahmad al-Barqi, hadiths, Arabic text.

P. A. Gryaznevich, K. A. Boyko, S. B. Pevzner, and S. M. Prozorov, employees of the Arabic Cabinet of the Leningrad Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (now the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences), developed and applied the methodology for studying Arabic texts containing hadiths. The main task of the researchers was to reconstruct the history of Arabic historical literature in the most complete and objective way based on the materials of Arabic sources. ^[Prozorov and Romanov, 2003, p. 117].

When working with the source of the Early Shiite author Ahmad al-Barki (d. 274/887 or 280/893) "Kitab al-Mahasin "("Book of Virtues"), a new technique for painting, processing and analyzing Arabic text containing hadiths was created and used using the Windows Office Microsoft Excel operational program, which allows you to realize the potential of the above-mentioned method of the Arabic Cabinet, without violating its basic principles.

A necessary prerequisite for starting processing and analyzing sources using the new methodology is the mandatory availability of the source under study in the electronic version.

The first stage of the research work is painting hadiths using the Windows Office Microsoft Excel operational program, splitting segments of hadith (names of transmitters of tradition and transmitted information-matn) into cells of a Microsoft Excel sheet. To effectively use the operational capabilities of this program, taking into account the structure of the studied hadiths (a large number of transmitters in the Isnad chain) and the convenience of working with the text in electronic and printed versions, the following format of painting, processing and analysis of medieval Arabic text containing hadiths was developed and used:

Description of table N 1:

* In the first column of the table, under the sign N, the hadith is numbered, similar to the numbering of hadiths in the source under study.

* The second column of the table is intended to record the name of the first-named narrator in the Isnad chain of hadith, and so, incrementally, subsequent columns in the table display the names of other hadith transmitters.

* The column "Hadith goes back to ..." is used to record the name of the person to whom the hadith goes back.

* The penultimate column in the table is intended for fixing the text of the hadith (matn) itself.

* The last column of the table is intended for author's notes of the researcher concerning the content of the hadith, etc.

¹ Prozorov S. M., Romanov M. G. Methods of extracting and processing information from Arabic sources (based on historical and biographical literature) // East (Oriens). 2003. N 4.

Table N 1

Taking into account the fact that the number of hadith transmitters does not always match, each group of transmitters (the first in the isnad chain, the second in the isnad chain, etc.) is assigned a conditional color. By assigning colors and combining cells in Excel, you can visually find out how many transmitters a given hadith has without breaking the source structure.

Description of the method of painting the hadith in the above table:

1. The electronic text of the hadith is divided into segments in the Windows operating program Microsoft Office Word by pressing the Tab key (the order in which the focus in the window is transferred from one control to another when the Tab key is pressed). Transferring / copying text from Microsoft Word to Excel makes it possible to automatically distribute large text fragments of the source under study to the cells of an Excel sheet.

2. After splitting the hadith segments in Microsoft Word, we transfer / copy the text to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

3. It is necessary to keep the vertical columns and even distribution of hadith segments in the table according to its titles. Transferring / copying large text fragments (more than a hundred hadiths at a time) and fluctuating the number of transmitters in the hadith leads to uneven distribution and violation of the semantic vertical of the table. These deviations must be corrected manually:

* transfer the text of the hadith (matn) to the designated column of the table;

* merge cells of hadith transmitters (if the number of transmitters changes).

The need for such strict compliance with the format and distribution of hadith information segments is related to the operational analytical capabilities of Microsoft Excel in data processing.

Key features of Microsoft Excel for processing and analyzing Arabic texts containing hadiths:

* Automatic filtering of data entered in a Microsoft Excel sheet: Data - Filter - Autofilter window, by setting the autofilter mode in the table, you can calculate with mathematical accuracy how many hadiths are transmitted from the words of a particular transmitter, and print these hadiths.

* Data search function: pressing Ctrl + F allows you to make an accurate calculation of the data entered in the Microsoft Excel sheet and contributes to the compilation of accurate statistics on the frequency of mentioning the semantic units under study (names of transmitters, terms, etc.).

* Functions for calculating amounts, displaying percentages, and creating Microsoft Excel charts help you create summary tables of research results.

Entering information on paper cards and compiling paper files was very time-consuming and time-consuming.

The new method allows you to:

1) significantly reduce the time spent on painting hadiths;

2) increase the volume of research material;

3) facilitate the researcher's work with the material;

4) qualitatively improve the efficiency of material processing and analysis;

5) calculate and display statistical data on the issues under study.

The entire Kitab al-Mahasin by Ahmad al-Barqi (11 books, 2,604 hadiths) was written and processed using this method.

The application of this methodology by researchers-Islamic scholars, Arabists in their research works on Hadith studies will help to jointly develop and develop an interactive program-a database of medieval sources containing hadiths. This is the main goal of creating a new methodology.

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