Ahmed ibn Hanbal (Arabic: ‏‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎أحمد بن حنبل‏‎‎‎‏‎‎‎ ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ Ahmad bin Hanbal ) (780 - 855 CE, 164 - 241 AH) was an important Muslim scholar and theologian of arabic background ^[9] and descendant from the Banu Shayban Arabian tribe and native of Merw ^[10]. He is considered the founder of the Hanbali school of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). His full name was Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Abu `Abd Allah al-Shaybani (أحمد بن محمد بن حنبل أبو عبدالله الشيباني). 164 AH is a year in the Islamic calendar that corresponds to 780 – 781 CE. Ahmad ibn Hanbal [] Categories: | ... Friday Mosque in Herat, a city which is known as The Pearl of Khorasan Greater Khorasan is a modern term for eastern territories of ancient Persia. ... 241 AH is a year in the Islamic calendar that corresponds to X – X CE. Ahmad ibn Hanbal [] Categories: | ... This article is on the beliefs of the followers of the Salaf. ... Imam Shafi (767 - 820) was an Islamic scholar who is considered the founder of the Shafii school of jurisprudence (fiqh). ... Al-Barbaharee was a Sunni Islamic theologian from Iraq. ... For other uses, see Al-Bukhari (name) Popularly known as just Bukhari, Al-Bukhari or Imam Bukhari (810-870), he was a famous Sunni Islamic scholar of Persian ancestry,[1] most known for authoring the hadith collection named Sahih Bukhari, a collection which Sunni regard as the most authentic (Arabic... Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... Events Constantine VI becomes Byzantine Emperor with Irene as guardian. ... Events Louis II succeeds Lothar as western emperor. ... 164 AH is a year in the Islamic calendar that corresponds to 780 – 781 CE. Ahmad ibn Hanbal [] Categories: | ... 241 AH is a year in the Islamic calendar that corresponds to X – X CE. Ahmad ibn Hanbal [] Categories: | ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... A scholar is either a student or someone who has achieved a mastery of some academic discipline, perhaps receiving financial support through a scholarship. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... This article is about the group of peoples who speak Iranian languages. ... The Banu Bakr (Arabic:بنو بكر) was one of the tribes of Arabia during Muhammads era. ... An Arab (Arabic: ) is a member of a complexly defined ethnic group who identifies as such on the basis of one or more of either genealogical, political, or linguistic grounds. ... Merv (Russian: Мерв, from Persian: مرو, Merw, sometimes transliterated Marw or Mary; cf. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Biography

Ahmad ibn Hanbal was born at Merv, in Khorassan, of -which city his parents were natives, in 780 ^[11] and died at Baghdad in 855. ^[12] Merv (Russian: Мерв, from Persian: مرو, Merw, sometimes transliterated Marw or Mary; cf. ... Khorasan (also spelled Khurasan and Khorassan; خراسان in Persian) is an area, located in eastern and northeastern Iran. ...

Youth and Education

He started his career by learning jurisprudence (Fiqh) under the celebrated Hanafi judge Abu Yusuf, the renowned student and companion of Imam Abu Hanifah. He then discontinued his studies with Abu Yusuf in the pursuit of Hadith, travelling around the Islamic Caliphate, at the age of 16. It's said that as a student he highly impressed his teachers. Ibn al-Jawzi states that Imam Ahmad had 414 Hadith masters whom he narrated from. Imam al-Shafi’i was one of Ibn Hanbal's teachers with whom he had a mutual respect. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Hanafi (Arabic حنفي) school is the oldest of the four schools of thought (Madhhabs) or jurisprudence (Fiqh) within Sunni Islam. ... Yaqub ibn Ibrahim al-Ansari, better known as Abu Yusuf (Arabic:أبو يوسف) (d. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man Al-Imam al Azam Abu Hanifah Muhammad An-Nu’maan ibn Thabit Ibn Numan az-Zuta Ibn Maah (), also known as Imam AbÅ« HÌ£anÄ«fah, () (699 - 767) was one of the most important Islamic scholars. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfah), is the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world. ... The Salafee Imâm became well-known with the title Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah because his father was the principal of the al-Jawziyyah school in Damascus. ... Al-Shafii, Arabic jurist (150 AH/767 AD - 204 AH/820 AD). ...

Imam Ahmad did not suffice himself with seeking knowledge, but he also adorned it with actions, by making Jihad, performing the guard duty at Islamic frontiers (Ribat) and making Hajj five times in his life, twice on foot. For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Islamic tradition. ...

Expertise in Various Sciences

Legal writings, produced October 879.

The Imam spent 40 years of his life in the pursuit of knowledge, and only thereafter did he assume the position of a mufti. By this time, Imam Ahmad mastered in six or seven Islamic disciplines, according to al-Shafi'i. He became a leading authority in Hadith, and left a colossal Hadith encyclopaedia, al-Musnad, as a living proof of his proficiency and devotion to this science. He is also remembered as a leading and the most balanced critic of Hadith his time. Imam Ahmad became a principal specialist in jurisprudence, since he had the advantage of benefiting from some of the famous early jurists and their heritage, such as Abu Hanifah, Malik, al-Shafi'i and many others. Imam Ahmad further improvised and developed upon previous schools, such that he became the founder of a new independent school, that was to be attributed to him as the Hanbali school. Some scholars, such as Qutaiba b. Sa’id, noted that if Ahmad were to witness the age of Sufyan al-Thawri, Malik, al-Awza’i and Laith b. Sa’d, he would have surpassed them all. Despite being bilingual, he became an expert in the Arabic language, poetry, and grammar. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2304 × 1728 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2304 × 1728 pixel, file size: 1. ... A Mufti (Arabic: مفتى ) is an Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law (Sharia), capable of issuing fataawa (plural of fatwa). // Role of a Mufti in governments In theocracies like Saudi Arabia and Iran, and in some countries where the constitution is based on sharia law, such... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Melik. ... Sufyan al-Thawri ibn Said (d. ... Abu Amr Abd al-Rahman ibn Amr al-Awzai (707 - 774) was the chief representative and eponym of the Awzai school of Islamic law, which descended from the ancient Syrian school. ...

Ibn Hanbal's fame spread far and wide. His learning, piety and unswerving faithfulness to traditions gathered a host of disciples and admirers around him. His teachings plus his books would lead his disciples to form the Hanbali school of jurisprudence. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The Mihna

Main article: Mihna

The Caliph Al-Ma'mun, subjected the scholars to severe persecution, at the behest of the Mu’tazilite theologians, most notably Bishr al-Marrisi and Ahmad b. Abi Du’ad, mainly to establish the notion that God created Quaran as a physical entity (rather than saying that Quran is God's speech in an indescribable way, as held by the orthodox view). The Mihna—Arabic for ordeal—was the last real attempt by Muslim rulers to impose their will on the development of the Islam; during this period, which lasted from 832 until 848 CE, the Abbasid Caliphs had made the Greek philosophy-influenced Mutazilite interpretation of Islam the official version... Abu Jafar al-Mamun ibn Harun (also spelled Almanon and el-Mâmoûn) (786 – October 10, 833) (المأمون) was an Abbasid caliph who reigned from 813 until his death in 833. ...

Almost all of the scholas in Baghdad acknowledged the creation-of-Quran doctrine, with notable exceptions of Ibn Hanbal and Muhammad ibn Nuh. This greatly pained and angered Ibn Hanbal, such that he boycotted some of the great traditionists for their acknowledgement, and often refused to narrate hadith from them. Amongst those boycotted were a close companion and a colleague of Imam Ahmad, Yahya b. Ma’in, about whom, it is said that Imam Ahmad refused to speak to him until he died.

Finally, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Muhammad ibn Nuh were also put to the test on the order of al-Ma’mun, but they refused to acknowledge the creation of the Quran. Consequently, they were dispatched in irons to be dealt with by al-Ma’mun himself. On the way, Imam Ahmad supplicated to Allah to prevent him from meeting al-Ma’mun. His prayer was answered in the sudden death of al-Ma’mun due to which they were both sent back. Muhammad b. Nuh passed away on their return journey, and there was none to prepare his funeral, pray over, and bury him, except Imam Ahmad.

The policy endorsing the created-Quran premise was continued by al-Mu'tasim (who is reported to have had Ibn Hanbal flogged) and by al-Wathiq (who banished Ibn Hanbal from Baghdad). Abu Ishaq al-Mutasim ibn Harun (أبو إسحاق المعتصم بن هارون , 794 – January 5, 842) was an Abbasid caliph (833 - 842). ... Al-Wathiq ibn Mutasim (d. ...

This was ended, however, by al-Mutawakkil who, unlike his predecessors, had the utmost respect and admiration for the Sunni school. Promptly after assuming the position as Caliph, he sent orders throughout the Caliphate to put an immediate end to all discussions regarding the Quran, released all the prisoners of faith, dismissed the Mu’tazili judges, and more significantly deported the chief insvetigator of the inquisition, Ahmad b. Abi Du’ad along with his family. He further ordered that the Mu’tazili judges responsible for the inquisition be cursed from by the pulpits, by name. Al-Mutawakkil is said to have treated Ibn Hanbal in a special way. Al-Mutawakkil Ala Allah Jafar bin al-Mutasim (821–861) (Arabic: المتوكل على الله جعفر بن المعتصم) was an Abbasid caliph who reigned (in Samarra) from 847 until 861. ...

Illness, Death and Funeral

After Imam Ahmad turned 77, he was struck with severe illness and fever, and became very weak, yet never complaining about his infirmity and pain until he died. After hearing of his illness, masses flocked to his door. The ruling family also showed the desire to pay him a visit, and to this end sought his permission. However, due to his desire to remain independent of any influence from the authority, Ahmad denied them access.

He died in Baghdad on Friday Rabi' al-Awwal, 241 AH (July 31, 855 CE). The news of his death quickly spread far and wide in the city and the people flooded the streets to attend Ahmad’s funeral. One of the rulers, upon hearing the news, sent burial shrouds along with perfumes to be used for Ahmad’s funeral. However, respecting the Ahmad’s wishes, his sons refused the offering and instead used a burial shroud prepared by his female servant. Moreover, his sons took care not to use water from their homes to wash Imam Ahmad as he had refused to utilise any of their resources, for accepting the offerings of the ruler. Rabi al-awwal ( ربيع الأول ) is the third month in the Islamic calendar. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Louis II succeeds Lothar as western emperor. ...

After preparing his funeral, his sons prayed over him, along with around 200 members of the ruling family, while the streets were teeming with both men and women, awaiting the funeral procession. Imam Ahmad’s funeral was then brought out and the multitudes continued to pray over him outdoors, before and after his burial at his grave. According to the Tarjamatul Imam, over 800,000 men and 60,000 women attended his funeral.

Doctrine

For information on his madhhab see: Madhhab (Arabic مذهب pl. ...

• Hanbali madhahab and Hanbalites
• Hanbali Scholars

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Many celebrated personalities in Islamic history received their tutelage in the Hanbali school, in Baghdad, Greater Syria (Sham), Egypt and finally the Arabian Peninsula. ...

Anecdotes

• In a well-known narration^[13] his uncle sent him with several documents containing information about some people to the Caliph. Ahmad took the papers and when his uncle eventually met him, he discovered that he did not deliver them and rather threw them to the sea because, out of the fear of God, he didn't want to be an informant. To this, his uncle replied: "This little boy fears Allah so much! What then of us?"
• Al-Mutawakkil is said to have wished to take care of all Hanbal's affairs. Hanabal, however, turned down the offers due to his general dislike of being close to the rulers. Al-Mutwakkil, knowing that Imam Ahmad would refuse his offerings, instead presented some gifts to his son Salih. When it came to his knowledge, Imam Ahmad showed strong disapproval and refused to consume anything from his son’s wealth.
• It is said that, when told that it's religiously permissible to say what pleases his persecuters without believing in it at the time of mihna, he said "If I remained silent and you remained silent, then who will teach the ignorant?".

A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfah), is the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world. ...

Further Reading

Biography

• Ibn al-Jawzi, Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad
• al-Dhahabi, Siyar A'lam al-Nubula’
• Nadwi, S. A. H. A., Saviors of Islamic Spirit (Vol. 1), translated by Mohiuddin Ahmad, Academy of Islamic Research and Publications, Lucknow, 1971.

The Salafee Imâm became well-known with the title Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah because his father was the principal of the al-Jawziyyah school in Damascus. ...

See also

• Notable Hanbali Scholars
• Taba Taba'een

From the notable Hanbali scholars throughout Islamic history – apart from the students of the Imam, we may mention the following: Al-Khallal (who gathered all the narrations from Imam Ahmad from around the world and compiled them in a collection called Jami al-Khallal) al-Khiraqi (who summarised Jami al... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b} [1]
2. ^ The History of Persia by John Malcolm - Page 245
3. ^ A Literary History of Persia from the Earliest Times Until Firdawsh by Edward Granville Browne - Page 295
4. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/intro/islam-salafi.htm
5. ^ A Literary History of Persia from the Earliest Times Until Firdawsh by Edward Granville Browne - Page 295
6. ^ A Literary History of Persia from the Earliest Times Until Firdawsh by Edward Granville Browne - Page 295
7. ^ Explanation of the Creed, pg. 8
8. ^ http://fatwa-online.com/classicalbooks/hadeeth/0000101.htm
9. ^ Islam the Straight Path: Islam Interpreted by Muslims by Kenneth W. Morgan Page 143
10. ^ Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary By Ibn Khallikan, page 44
11. ^ The History of Persia by John Malcolm - Page 245
12. ^ A Literary History of Persia from the Earliest Times Until Firdawsh by Edward Granville Browne - Page 295
13. ^ Ibn al-Jawzi, Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad p. 24, Hajr 1988

Sir John Malcolm (1769‑1833) was a Scottish soldier, statesman, and historian, born at Burnfoot, Dumfriesshire on the 2nd of May, 1769. ...

External links

• Biography of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
• Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Life & Madhab

• The Development of Fiqh

• Developing Humility in Prayer I

• Developing Humility in Prayer II