Ahmad ibn Hanbal[a] (Arabic:أحمد ابن حنبل,romanized: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal; (164-241 AH; 780 – 855 CE) was anArab jurist and founder of theHanbali school who is widely recognized as the scholar who memorized the mostHadiths[b] inIslamic history.[7][8][9][10] One of the most venerated Islamic intellectual figures, ibn Hanbal is notable for his unmatched memorization of over one million prophetic narrations,[c] an unprecedented number that has never been claimed by any othermuhaddith.[d][11][10] Ibn Hanbal also compiled the largest hadith collection,al-Musnad,[12] which has continued to exercise considerable influence on the field ofhadith studies up to the present time, shaping the methodological framework later employed in bothSahih Bukhari andSahih Muslim.[9] Imamal-Dhahabi described him as “the true Imam, the proof of the religion, the master of hadith, and the leader of the Sunnah”.[1][13] ImamAli ibn al-Madini said: “Truly, Allah supported this religion through two men, to whom there is no third: Abu Bakr during the Ridda Wars, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal during the Mihna”.[14][15]
Having studied jurisprudence and hadith under many teachers during his youth,[16] Ibn Hanbal became famous in his later life for the crucial role he played in theMihna instituted by theAbbasid caliphal-Ma'mun toward the end of his reign, in which the ruler gave official state support to theMu'tazili doctrine of theQuran being created, a view that contradicted the orthodox position of theQuran being the eternal, uncreated word of God.[9] Living in poverty throughout his lifetime working as a baker, and suffering physical persecution under the caliphs for his unflinching adherence to the traditional doctrine, Ibn Hanbal's fortitude in this particular event only bolstered his "resounding reputation"[9] in the annals of Sunni history.
Heralded as one of themujaddids, Ibn Hanbal later came to be venerated as an exemplary figure in all traditional schools of Sunni thought,[9] both by the exoteric scholars and asceticSufis, with the latter often designating him as asaint in their hagiographies.[17]Ibn al-Jawzi relates he "was the foremost in collecting theprophetic way and adhering to it."
In the last century, Ibn Hanbal's reputation became subject of debate in certain quarters of the world, as the Hanbali reform movement known asWahhabism has cited him as a principal influence along with the 13th-century Hanbali reformerIbn Taymiyya, despite both scholars came much earlier. However, it has been argued by certain scholars that Ibn Hanbal's own beliefs actually played "no real part in the establishment of the central doctrines of Wahhabism,"[18] as there is evidence, according to the same authors, "the older Hanbali authorities had doctrinal concerns very different from those of the Wahhabis,"[18] due to medieval Hanbali literature being rich in references to saints, grave visitation, miracles, and relics.[19] In this connection, scholars have cited Ibn Hanbal's own support for the use of relics as one of several important points on which the theologian's positions diverged from those adhering to Wahhabism.[20] Other scholars maintain he was "the distant progenitor of Wahhabism", who also immensely inspired the similar conservative reform movement ofSalafism.[21]
Ahmad ibn Hanbal was born in November 780 CE. This was mentioned by his son Abdullah.[22][23] Ibn Hanbal's family was originally fromBasra, and belonged to the ArabBanu Dhuhl tribe. His father was an officer in theAbbasid army inKhorasan and later settled with his family inBaghdad.[24]
Historians differ about his place of birth. Some say he was said that he was born inMerv, located inMary, Turkmenistan today, where his father and grandfather had also previously worked. While according to others he was born in Baghdad after his mother came pregnant with him from the city of Merv, where his father was. The latter opinion is the most accepted one.[22][25]
Ibn Hanbal lost his father when he was a young child. His father died young at the age of thirty only. His mother raised him under the care of those who remained from his father's family. His father had left him a property in Baghdad in which he lived, and another which yielded him a small rental income sufficient for his living.[26][27] The reports are conflicting about whether it was large or small.Ibn Kathir mentioned its amount, saying: "His income from his property was seventeendirhams each month, which he spent on his family, and he was content with that, seeking the mercy of Allah, patiently and seeking reward." It is also narrated that a man asked Imam Ahmad about the property he was using on which he made a house on. He replied: "This is something I inherited from my father. If a man comes to me and confirms that this is his, I will get rid of it and give it to him".[28]
Ahmad ibn Hanbal did not marry until he reached the age of forty. It is said that this was because he was busy with seeking knowledge and because he traveled a lot and was away from his country for a long time. When he reached the age of forty and became closer to settling down than before, he thought about marriage.[29]
His first wife was "Abbasa bintul Fadl", anArab girl from the suburbs of Baghdad, and she lived with Ahmad ibn Hanbal for thirty years(or twenty years according to some reports), and bore him their son "Salih", and hence her she was known by her title Umm Salih. Ibn Hanbal remarked about her: "In the 30 (or 20) years we were together, we never had a disagreement." After she died Ahmad married his second wife, "Ummu 'Abdillah Rayhana bintu 'Uma" known simply as "Rayhana", and she bore him one son, "Abdullah". She known for having only one eye, and Ibn Hanbal married her because he was impressed by her religious commitment. Reports suggest that they were together for seven years. He also had aconcubine named "Husn", who bore him a female girl "Zainab", then twins, "Al-Hasan" and "Al-Hussein", who died after their birth. Then she bore "Al-Hasan" and "Muhammad", and then she bored him "Saeed". Among his sons, Salih and Abdullah excelled injurisprudence, while Saeed later became the judge ofKufa.[30][31][32]
A manuscript of Ibn Hanbal's legal writings, produced October 879
Ibn Hanbal studied extensively in Baghdad, and later traveled to further his education. At the age of fourteen, he began to work as a scribe inDivan.[33]: 11–12 He learnt theQuran fromYahya ibn Adam,[34] and jurisprudence under the celebrated judge ofHanafi jurisprudence,Abu Yusuf, a student ofAbu Hanifa. He learntQuran fromYahya ibn Adam. After completing his studies with him, Ibn Hanbal began traveling throughout Arabia to collect narrations of Muhammad. Ibn al-Jawzi stated Ibn Hanbal had 414 traditionists whom he narrated from. With this knowledge, he became a leading authority in the field, leaving behind an immense encyclopedia of narrations,al-Musnad. After several years of travel, he returned to Baghdad to study Islamic law under al-Shafi'i, with whom he formed a close bond with.[35]
Ibn Hanbal became a judge in his old age. Through his students, the Hanbali school of jurisprudence was established, which is now most dominant inSaudi Arabia andQatar.[36][37] Unlike the other three schools—Hanafi,Maliki, andShafi'i—the Hanbali school remained largelyAthari in its theology.[38]
In addition to his scholastic enterprises, Ibn Hanbal was a soldier in the war frontiers and performedpilgrimage five times in his life, twice on foot.[39]
Ibn Hanbal is known to have been called before the Mihna of the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun, who wanted to assert his religious authority by pressuring scholars to adopt the Mu'tazili doctrine of the Quran being created, rather than uncreated. According to Sunni tradition, Ibn Hanbal was one of the foremost scholars in resisting the caliph's interference and his imposed doctrine. Ibn Hanbal's stance led to the Hanbali school establishing itself firmly as not only a school of jurisprudence, but theology as well.[40]
Because of Ibn Hanbal's refusal to accept the Mu'tazili doctrine, he was imprisoned in Baghdad throughout the reign of al-Ma'mun. In an incident during the rule of al-Ma'mun's successor,al-Mu'tasim, Ibn Hanbal was flogged to unconsciousness; however, this caused great upheaval in Baghdad and forced al-Mu'tasim to release him.[39][dead link] After al-Mu'tasim's death,al-Wathiq became caliph and continued his predecessors' policies of enforcing the Mu'tazili doctrine and, in this pursuit, banished Ibn Hanbal from Baghdad. It was only after al-Wathiq's death and the ascent of his brotheral-Mutawakkil, who was much more tolerating of the traditional Sunni beliefs, that Ibn Hanbal was welcomed back to Baghdad.[citation needed]
At the end of his life, Ibn Hanbal became severely ill. His son Salih describes his illness as:[41]
"On the first day of Rabi' al-Awwal in the year 241 AH, my father developed a fever on Tuesday night. I visited him on Wednesday while he was feverish and breathing heavily. I was familiar with his ailment and had taken care of him whenever he fell ill. I asked him, 'Father, what did you break your fast on last night?' He replied, 'On broad bean water.' Then, he attempted to get up and said, 'Take my hand.' I held his hand, but as he reached the restroom, his legs weakened, and he leaned on me for support.Several physicians, all Muslims, visited him. A doctor named Abdul Rahman prescribed for him a roasted gourd to be eaten and its water to be drunk. This was on Tuesday, and he passed away on Friday."
Ibn Hanbal died on Friday, 2 August 855 at the age of 74–75 in Baghdad. He was buried after theafternoon prayer. Historians relate his funeral was attended by 800,000 men and 60,000 women, and 20,000 Christians and Jews converted to Islam on that day.[42] His grave is located in the premises of theAhmad ibn Hanbal Mosque[43][44] inal-Rusafa District.[45][46][47] It is reported among the people of Baghdad that during the flood of theTigris in 1937, the remains of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal were supposedly relocated toArif Agha Mosque.[48] However, later historians have doubted the story, stating that it to be erroneous.[49]
His son Salih, read his will to him at his deathbed which he confirmed.[50]
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
This is what Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal bequeaths. He testifies that there is no god but Allah, alone with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. He sent him with guidance and the true religion to make it prevail over all religions, even if the polytheists dislike it.
He advises his family and relatives who obey him to worship Allah among the worshipers, to praise Him among those who praise, and to be sincere to the Muslim community.
I declare that I am content with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion, and with Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah be upon him as my prophet.
I bequeath to Abdullah ibn Muhammad, known as Fawran, approximately fifty dinars. He is to be trusted in what he claims, and what I owe him shall be settled from the revenue of my house, God willing. Once that is settled, my son Salih’s children—both male and female—are to be given ten dirhams each."
Ibn Hanbal is described as having a good-looking face and a brown complexion. Reports on his height vary, with some describing him as relatively tall while others describing him of medium height. He used to trim him moustache and dye his beard with unripe non-reddishHenna. His beard is also described as having some black strands. He would wear average garments, reportedly costing around oneDinar. Oftentimes, he is described as wearing aThawb, with anAmmama. He used to keep extremely clean and was meticulous about his personal Hygiene.[33]: 13–16
Ibn Hanbal's principal doctrine is what later came to be known as "traditionalist thought," which emphasized the acceptance of only theQuran andhadith as the foundations of orthodox belief.[10] He did, however, believe that it was only a select few who were properly authorized to interpret the sacred texts.[10]
Ibn Hanbal understood the perfect definition ofGod to be that given in theQuran, whence he held that proper belief in God constituted believing in the description which God had given of Himself in the Islamic scripture.[9] To begin with, Ibn Hanbal asserted that God was both Unique and Absolute and absolutely incomparable to anything in the world of His creatures.[9] As for the variousdivine attributes, Ibn Hanbal believed that all the regularattributes of God, such as hearing, sight, speech, omnipotence, will, wisdom, the vision by the believers on the day of resurrection etc., were to be literally affirmed as "realities" (ḥaqq). As for those attributes called "ambiguous" (mutas̲h̲ābih), such as those which spoke of God's hand, face,throne, andomnipresence,vision by the believers on theday of resurrection, etc. they were to be understood in the same manner.[9] Ibn Hanbal treated those verses in the scriptures with apparently anthropomorphic descriptions asmuhkamat (clear) verses; admitting to only a literal meaning.[3]
Furthermore, Ibn Hanbal "rejected the negative theology (taʿṭīl) of the Jahmiyya and their particular allegorizing exegesis (taʾwīl) of the Quran and of tradition, and no less emphatically criticized theanthropomorphism (tas̲h̲bīh) of the Mus̲h̲abbiha, amongst whom he included, in the scope of his polemics, the Jahmiyya as unconscious anthropomorphists."[9] Ibn Hanbal was also a critic of overt and unnecessary speculation in matters oftheology; he believed that it was fair to worship God "without the 'mode' of the theologoumena (bilā kayf),[9] and felt it was wise to leave to God the understanding of His own mystery.[9] Thus, Ibn Hanbal became a strong proponent of thebi-lā kayfa formula. This mediating principle allowed thetraditionalists to denyta'wil (figurative interpretations) of the apparently anthropomorphic texts while concomitantly affirming the doctrine of the "incorporeal, transcendent deity". Although he argued for literalist meanings of theQur'anic and prophetic statements about God, Ibn Hanbal was not afideist and was willing to engage in hermeneutical exercises. The rise of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and theAshab al-Hadith, whose cause he championed, during theMihna; would mark the stage for the empowerment and centering of corporealist ideas in the Sunnite orthodoxy.[4]
Ibn Hanbal also recognized "Divine Form (Al-Şūrah)" as a true attribute of God. He disagreed with those speculative theologians who interpreted the Divine Form as something that represents pseudo-divinities such as the sun, moon, stars, etc. For Ibn Hanbal, to deny that God truly has a Form isKufr (disbelief). He also believed that God created Adam "according to His form".[51] Censuring those who alleged that this was referring to the form ofAdam, Ibn Hanbal asserted:
"He who says that Allah created Adam according to the form of Adam, he is aJahmi (disbeliever). Which form did Adam have before He created him?"[52]
One of Ibn Hanbal's most famous contributions toSunnithought was the considerable role he played in bolstering theorthodoxdoctrine of the Quran being the "uncreated Word of God" (kalām Allāh g̲h̲ayr mak̲h̲lūḳ).[9] By "Quran," Ibn Hanbal understood "not just an abstract idea but the Quran with its letters, words, expressions, and ideas—the Quran in all its living reality, whose naturein itself," according to Ibn Hanbal, eluded human comprehension.[9]
Ibn Hanbal favoured independent reasoning (ijtihad) and rejected blind following (taqlid)[53] in the case of scholars, although he did allow taqlid for laymen and the average Muslim community. His staunch condemnation oftaqlid is reported in the treatiseFath al-Majid by Hanbali judge Abd al-Rahman ibn Hasan (1782–1868). Comparingtaqlid to polytheism (shirk), Ibn Hanbal states:
"I am amazed at those people who know that a chain of narration is authentic, and yet, in spite of this, they follow the opinion of Sufyan, for God says, 'And let those who oppose the Messenger's commandment beware, lest somefitna should befall them, or a painful torment be inflicted on them.' Do you know what thatfitna is? Thatfitna isshirk. Maybe the rejection of some of his words would cause one to doubt and deviate in his heart, and thereby be destroyed."[54]
It is important to understand that this statement was directed towards his students which were capable ofIjtihad, and is not meant towards laymen. This statement is explained byIbn Taymiyya:
"Imam Ahmad deemed it unlawful for a scholar capable of ijtihad to make taqlid of them. He said: “Do not make taqlid of me, nor of Malik, al-Shafi‘i, or al-Thawri” … He instructed the lay people to seek fatwas from Ishaq, Abu ‘Ubayd, Abu Thawr and Abu Mus‘ab. But he forbade the scholars from among his students – like Abu Dawud, ‘Uthman b. Sa‘id, Ibrahim al-Harbi, Abu Bakr al-Athram, Abu Zur‘ah, Abu Hatim al-Sijistani, Muslim and others – from making taqlid of any other scholar. He would say: “Stick to the basic principle by following the Book and theSunnah.”[55]
This makes it evident that Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s prohibition of taqlid was intended solely for scholars (Ulama), and he harshly condemned those who rejected the layman’s duty to perform taqlid.
It is narrated by Abū Bakr al-Marwazī in hisMansak that Ibn Hanbal preferred one to maketawassul or "intercession" through Muhammad in every supplication, with the wording: "O God! I am turning to Thee with Thy Prophet, the Prophet of Mercy. O Muhammad! I am turning with you to my Lord for the fulfillment of my need."[56] This report is repeated in many later Hanbali works, in the context of personal supplication as an issue of jurisprudence.[57]Ibn Qudamah, for example, recommends it for the obtainment of need in hisWasiyya.[58] In the same way,Ibn Taymiyyah cites the Hanbali fatwa on the desirability of Muhammad's intercession in every personal supplication in hisQāida fil-Tawassul wal-Wasiīla where he attributes it to "Imām Ahmad and a group of the pious ancestors" from theMansak of al-Marwazī as his source.[59]
As there exist historical sources indicating patently "mystical elements in his personal piety"[60] and documented evidence of his amiable interactions with numerous early Sufi saints, includingMaruf Karkhi,[61] it is recognized that Ibn Hanbal's relationship with many of the Sufis was one of mutual respect and admiration. Qadi Abu Ya'la reports in hisTabaqat: "[Ibn Hanbal] used to greatly respect the Sūfīs and show them kindness and generosity. He was asked about them and was told that they sat in mosques constantly to which he replied, 'Knowledge made them sit.'"[62] Furthermore, it is in Ibn Hanbal'sMusnad that we find most of thehadith reports concerning theabdal, forty major saints "whose number [according to Islamic mystical doctrine] would remain constant, one always being replaced by some other on his death" and whose key role in the traditional Sufi conception of the celestial hierarchy would be detailed by later mystics such asHujwiri andIbn Arabi.[17] It has been reported that Ibn Hanbal explicitly identifiedMaruf Karkhi as one of theabdal, saying: "He is one of the Substitute-Saints, and his supplication is answered."[63] Of the same Sufi, Ibn Hanbal later asked rhetorically: "Is religious knowledge anything else than what Maruf has achieved?"[17] Additionally, there are accounts of Ibn Hanbal extolling the early ascetic saintBishr the Barefoot and his sister as two exceptional devotees of God,[64] and of his sending people with mystical questions to Bishr for guidance.[65] It is also recorded that Ibn Hanbal said, with regard to the early Sufis, "I do not know of any people better than them."[66] Moreover, there are accounts of Ibn Hanbal's son, Sālih, being exhorted by his father to go and study under the Sufis. According to one tradition, Sālih said: "My father would send for me whenever a self-denier or ascetic (zāhid aw mutaqashshif) visited him so I could look at him. He loved for me to become like this."[63]
As for the Sufis' reception of Ibn Hanbal, it is evident that he was "held in high regard" by all the major Sufis of the classical and medieval periods,[67] and later Sufi chroniclers often designated the jurist as asaint in their hagiographies, praising him both for his legal work and for his appreciation of Sufi doctrine.[67]Hujwiri, for example, wrote of him: "He was distinguished by devoutness and piety ... Sufis of all orders regard him as blessed. He associated with great Shaykhs, such asDhul-Nun of Egypt,Bishr al-Hafi,Sari al-Saqati,Maruf Karkhi, and others. His miracles were manifest and his intelligence sound ... He had a firm belief in the principles of religion, and his creed was approved by all the [theologians]."[68] Both non-Hanbali and Hanbali Sufi hagiographers such as Hujwiri andIbn al-Jawzi, respectively, also alluded to Ibn Hanbal's own gifts as amiracle worker[69] and of the blessedness of his grave.[70] For example, Ibn Hanbal's own body was traditionally held to have been blessed with the miracle ofincorruptibility, with Ibn al-Jawzi relating: "When the Prophet's descendant Abū Ja'far ibn Abī Mūsā was buried next to him, Ahmad ibn Hanbal's tomb was exposed. His corpse had not putrified and the shroud was still whole and undecayed."[71]
Although there is a perception that Ibn Hanbal or his school were somehow adverse to Sufism, scholars such asEric Geoffrey have asserted that this opinion is more partial than objective, for there is no proof that the Hanbali school "[attacked] Sufism in itself any more than any other school,"[72] and it is evident that "during the first centuries some major Sufis [such asIbn Ata Allah,Hallaj, andAbdullah Ansari] ... followed the Hanbalite school of law."[72] By the twelfth-century, the relationship between Hanbalism and Sufism was so close that one of the most prominent Hanbali jurists,Abdul Qadir Jilani, was also simultaneously the most famous Sufi of his era, and theTariqa that he founded, theQadiriyya, has continued to remain one of the most widespread Sufi orders up until the present day.[72] Even later Hanbali authors who were famous for criticizing some of the "deviances" of certain heterodox Sufi orders of their day, such asIbn Qudamah,Ibn al-Jawzi, andIbn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, all belonged toAbdul Qadir Jilani's order themselves, and never condemned Sufism outright.[72]
As has been noted by scholars, it is evident that Ibn Hanbal "believed in the power of relics,"[17] and supported the seeking ofblessing through them in religious veneration. Indeed, several accounts of Ibn Hanbal's life relate that he often carried "a purse ... in his sleeve containing ... hairs from the Prophet."[17] Furthermore,Ibn al-Jawzi relates a tradition narrated by Ibn Hanbal's son, Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who recalled his father's devotion towards relics thus: "I saw my father take one of the Prophet's hairs, place it over his mouth, and kiss it. I may have seen him place it over his eyes, and dip it in water and then drink the water for a cure."[73] In the same way, Ibn Hanbal also drunk from Muhammad's bowl (technically a "second-class" relic) in order to seek blessings from it,[73] and considered touching and kissing the sacredminbar of Muhammad for blessings a permissible and pious act.[74] Ibn Hanbal later ordered that he be buried with Muhammad's hairs he possessed, "one on each eye and a third on his tongue."[17]
Sufi scholarGibril Haddad reports fromal-Dhahabi that Ibn Hanbal "used to seek blessings from the relics of the Prophet."[20] Citing the aforementioned report of Ibn Hanbal's devotion towards Muhammad's hair, al-Dhahabī then goes onto staunchly criticize whoever finds fault with the practices oftabarruk or seeking blessings from holy relics, saying: "Where is the quibbling critic of Imām Ahmad now? It is also authentically established that Abd Allāh [Ibn Hanbal's son] asked his father about those who touch the pommel of Muhammad's pulpit and touch the wall of his room, and he said: 'I do not see any harm in it.' May God protect us and you from the opinion of the dissenters and from innovations!"[75]
According toTwelver Shia writerNajm al-Din Tabasi, when asked by his son Abdullah about the legitimacy of touching and kissingMuhammad's grave inMedina, Ibn Hanbal is said to have approved of both these acts as being permissible according to sacred law.[76][77]
According to Hanbali scholarNajm al-Din Tufi (d. 716 A.H/ 1316 C.E), Ahmad ibn Hanbal did not formulate a legal theory; since "his entire concern was withhadith and its collection". More than a century after Ahmad's death, Hanbali legalism would emerge as a distinct school; due to the efforts of jurists like Abu Bakr al-Athram (d. 261 A.H/ 874 C.E), Harb al-Kirmani (d. 280 A.H/ 893 C.E), 'Abd Allah ibn Ahmad (d. 290 A.H/903 C.E),Abu Bakr al-Khallal (d. 311 A.H/ 923 C.E) etc., who compiled Ahmad's various legal verdicts.[78]
Ibn Hanbal also had a strict criterion forijtihad or independent reasoning in matters of law bymuftis and theulema.[79] One story narrates that Ibn Hanbal was asked by Zakariyyā ibn Yaḥyā al-Ḍarīr about "how many memorized ḥadīths are sufficient for someone to be amufti [meaning amujtahidjurist or one capable of issuing independently reasonedfatwas]."[79] According to the narrative, Zakariyyā asked: "Are one-hundred thousand sufficient?" to which Ibn Hanbal responded in the negative, with Zakariyyā asking if two-hundred thousand were, to which he received the same response from the jurist. Thus, Zakariyyā kept increasing the number until, at five-hundred thousand, Ibn Hanbal said: "I hope that that should be sufficient."[79] As a result, it has been argued that Ibn Hanbal disapproved of independent reasoning by those muftis who were not absolute masters in law and jurisprudence.[79]
Ibn Hanbal narrated from Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā al-Qaṭṭān that the latter said: "If someone were to follow everyrukhṣa [dispensation] that is in the ḥadīth, he would become a transgressor (fāsiq)."[80] It is believed that he quoted this on account of the vast number of forged traditions of Muhammad.[79]
Ibn Hanbal appears to have been a formidable opponent of "private interpretation," and actually held that it was only the religious scholars who were qualified to properly interpret the holy texts.[10] One of the creeds attributed to Ibn Hanbal opens with: "Praise be to God, who in every age and interval betweenprophets (fatra) elevated learned men possessing excellent qualities, who call upon him who goes astray (to return) to the right way."[10] It has been pointed out that this particular creed "explicitly opposes the use of personal judgement (raʾy) ... [as basis] ofjurisprudence."[10]
Ibn Hanbal was praised both in his own life and afterwards for his "serene acceptance of juridical divergences among the various schools of Islamic law".[81] According to later notable scholars of theHanbali school likeIbn Aqil andIbn Taymiyyah, Ibn Hanbal "considered everymadhhab correct and abhorred that a jurist insist people follow his even if he considered them wrong and even if the truth is one in any given matter."[82] As such, when Ibn Hanbal's student Ishāq ibn Bahlūl al-Anbārī had "compiled a book on juridical differences ... which he had namedThe Core of Divergence (Lubāb al-Ikhtilāf)," Ibn Hanbal advised him to name the workThe Book of Leeway (Kitāb al-Sa'a) instead.[83]
Ibn Hanbal has been extensively praised for both his work in the field of prophetic tradition (hadith), jurisprudence, and his defense of orthodox Sunni theology.
There have some alleged views that his juristic views were not always accepted. Qur'anicexegeteMuhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, who at one time had sought to study under Ibn Hanbal, later stated that he did not consider Ibn Hanbal a jurist and gave his views in the field no weight, describing him as an expert in prophetic tradition only.[85] However this must be seen in context of its time, as Ibn Hanbal's school was still at its infancy and not followed by so many people yet compared to the other schools and the students had conflict with Al-Tabari's school.[86] Consider how theMasa'il of Imam Ahmad, i.e. the first written compilation of Ibn Hanbal's question and answers, was written byAbu Bakr al-Khallal who lived around the same time as Al-Tabari, and the first written compilation of Ibn Hanbal'sfiqh was Al-Khiraqi who also lived around that same time. The more systematic teaching of Ibn Hanbal's jurisprudence in education facilities only occurred after that point.[87]
Likewise, some consider how theAndalusian scholarIbn 'Abd al-Barr did not include Ibn Hanbal or his views in his bookThe Hand-Picked Excellent Merits of the Three Great Jurisprudent Imâms about the main representatives of Sunni jurisprudence.[88] However, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr actually has praised Ibn Hanbal's jurisprudence by saying "He is very powerful in the fiqh of the madhab of the ahl al-hadith and he is the Imam of the 'ulama of ahl al-hadith."[89]
Be that as it may, the vast majority of other scholars do recognize Ibn Hanbal's prowess as a master jurist worthy of one whose methodology became foundation for its own school of jurisprudence. Imam Shafi'i said, among many other praises, "Ahmad is an Imam in eight fields: he is an imam inhadith, jurisprudence,Al-Qur'an, Al-Lughah, Al-Sunnah, Al-Zuhd, Al-Warak, and Al-Faqr".[90]Al-Dhahabi, one of the most major Islamic biographers, notes in his masterpieceSiyar A'lam Nubala that Ibn Hanbal's status in jurisprudence is alikeAl-Layth ibn Sa'd,Malik ibn Anas,Al-Shafi'i, andAbu Yusuf.[91]Muhammad Abu Zahra, a contemporary Hanafi scholar, wrote a book titledIbn Hanbal: Hayatuhu wa `Asruhu Ara'uhu wa Fiqhuh, and there he mentioned the heavy praises of various other classical scholars towards Ibn Hanbal and his school of jurisprudence.
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal Mosque inMedina, Saudi Arabia named after him.
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal is described as "one of the most venerated" intellectual figures in Islamic history,[11] and one of the "fathers of Islam".[93] During ninth century, he became a defining figure forSunnism. People would assert as a badge of orthodoxy that their creed was same as Ahmad's.[94] Tunisian-born scholar and journalistAbdelwahab Meddeb credits Ahmad ibn Hanbal with originating the believe that theRashidun Caliphate was uniquely deserving of emulation—a century after the end of that dynasty.[95]
His school of thought,Hanbali school is dominant inSaudi Arabia andQatar. During early 20th century, it became the official legal school in Saudi Arabia,[96] although in recent decades, there has been a gradual shift in the Saudi judiciary, with judges also increasingly incorporating opinions from other Sunni schools of jurisprudence.[97]
^Full nameAbū ʿAbd Allāh Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥanbal ibn Hilāl ibn Asad ibn Idrīs ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ḥayyān al-Shaybānī al-Dhuhlī (Arabic:أبو عبد الله أحمد ابن محمد ابن حنبل ابن هلال ابن أسد ابن إدريس ابن عبد الله ابن حيان الشيباني الذهلي); he is known by the titleShaykh al-Islam.
^Ibn Hanbal is renowned as the most prolific memoriser of hadith in history, having committed to memory over one million hadiths — a figure that includes not only the core texts of prophetic traditions but also their numerous variations in chains of transmission (isnads).
^Abū Zurah mentioned that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal knew a million Hadith reports.” When asked how he knew, he replied: “He and I recited them to each other, and we went through the different topics.”
^Ibn Abī Ḥātim testified to his unmatched memory and retention. Al-Tustarī and other scholars also attested to Ibn Hanbal’s extraordinary memory, noting that he could recall the names of transmitters for each hadith without needing to write them down
^abWilliams, Wesley (August 2002)."Aspects of the Creed of Imam Ahmad IBN Hanbal: A Study of Anthropomorphism in Early Islamic Discourse".International Journal of Middle East Studies.34 (3). Cambridge University Press:441–463.doi:10.1017/S0020743802003021.JSTOR3879671.S2CID162455371.Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved5 November 2021.Scholars are almost unanimous in attributing to Ibn Hanbal the use of the ancient balkafa formula. Goldziher, Wensinck, Halkin, Laoust, Makdisi, Abrahamov, and Watt all find in the Imam an advocate of this mediating principle (balkafa), which reportedly allowed the traditionalists to deny the Mu'tazilite ta'wil or figurative interpretation of the Qur'anic anthropomorphisms while concomitantly affirming the doctrine of the "incorporeal, transcendent deity"... although he argued for the acceptance of the apparent (dhahir) meaning of the Qur'anic and prophetic statements about God, he was no fideist.' The imam was quite willing to engage in hermeneutical exercise.. The rise of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal during the Mihna resulted in the empowering and centering of corporealist ideas within the Sunni movement. When his ideas became the criterion of traditionalist orthodoxy...
^Krawietz, Birgit; Tamer, Georges; Holtzman, Livnatz (2013). "Debating the Doctrine of jabr (Compulsion): Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya Reads Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī".Islamic Theology, Philosophy and Law: Debating Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya. Berlin, Germany: Walter De Gruyter. p. 63.ISBN978-3-11-028534-5.The prominent traditionalists, such as Abū ʿAmr al-Awzāʿī (d.157/774) and Ahmad b. Ḥanbal (d.241/855)..
^A Literary History of Persia from the Earliest Times Until Firdawsh by Edward Granville Browne. p. 295
^abcdefghijklmH. Laoust, "Ahmad b. Hanbal," inEncyclopedia of Islam, Vol. I, pp. 272–77
^abcdefgHoltzman, Livnat, "Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal", in:Encyclopaedia of Islam, Three, Edited by: Kate Fleet, Gudrun Krämer, Denis Matringe, John Nawas, Everett Rowson.[page needed]
^abGhaly, Mohammed M. I. (2006). "Writings on Disability in Islam: The 16th Century Polemic on Ibn Fahd'sal-Nukat al-Ziraf".The Arab Studies Journal (Note 98). 13/14 (2/1): 26.
^1st ed., Cairo 1311; new edition by Aḥmad S̲h̲ākir in publ. since 1368/1948
^Gibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 301
^abcdefChristopher Melchert,The Ḥanābila and the Early Sufis, Arabica, T. 48, Fasc. 3 (Brill, 2001), p. 356
^abMichael Cook, "On the Origins of Wahhābism," Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Third Series, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Jul., 1992), p. 198
^Christopher Melchert,The Ḥanābila and the Early Sufis, Arabica, T. 48, Fasc. 3 (Brill, 2001); cf. Ibn al-Jawzī,Manāqib al-imām Aḥmad, ed. ʿĀdil Nuwayhiḍ, Beirut 1393/1973
^abGibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 390
^Bearman, Bianquis, Bosworth, van Donzel, Heinrichs, P., Th., C.E., E., W.P. (1960). "Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal". In Laoust, Henri (ed.).Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.). Brill.ISBN9789004161214.Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved5 November 2021.Founder of one of the four major Sunnī schools, the Ḥanbalī, he was, through his disciple Ibn Taymiyya [q.v.], the distant progenitor of Wahhābism, and has inspired also in a certain degree the conservative reform movement of the Salafiyya.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^abMuhammad Abu Zahra.Ibn Hanbal – his life and his era – his jurisprudential opinions. p. 14.
^Ibn al-Jawzi.The Virtues of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. pp. 12–13.
^H. A. R. Gibb; et al., eds. (1986). "Aḥmad B. Ḥanbal".Encyclopaedia of Islam. A–B. Vol. 1 (New ed.). Brill Academic Publishers. p. 272.ISBN90-04-08114-3.Aḥmad B. Ḥanbal was an Arab, belonging to the Banū Shaybān, of Rabī'a,...
^The Virtues of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal by Ibn al-Jawzi, p. 14
^Ibn Hanbal – his life and his era – his jurisprudential opinions by Abu Zahra, pp. 17–18
^The Four Imams by Mustafa al-Shaka'a, Vol. 4, pp. 7–8.
^Ibn Hanbal – his life and his era – his jurisprudential opinions by Abu Zahra, pp. 75–77
^The Virtues of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal by Ibn al-Jawzi, p. 72
^The Four Imams by Mustafa Al-Shakaa, Vol. 4, pp. 89–90
^Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal by Ibn al-Jawzi, Chapter Sixty-Two: Mentions the Number of His Wives, pp. 402–05, Chapter Sixty-Three Mantions His Concubines, pp. 406–08, and Chapter Sixty-Four Mentions the Number of His Children, pp. 409–10.
^Muḥaysin, Muḥammad Muḥammad Muḥammad Sālim (1992).معجم حفاظ القرآن عبر التاريخ [Dictionary of Quran Memorizers Throughout History] (in Arabic). Vol. 1 (1 ed.).Beirut: Dār al-Jīl.
^Daryl Champion (2002), The Paradoxical Kingdom: Saudi Arabia and the Momentum of Reform, Columbia University Press,ISBN978-0-231-12814-8, p. 23 footnote 7
^Ibn al-Jawzi, The Virtues of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Chapter Seventy-Nine: Mentioning his Illness, pp. 540-548
^Williams, Wesley (August 2002)."Aspects of the Creed of Imam Ahmad IBN Hanbal: A Study of Anthropomorphism in Early Islamic Discourse".International Journal of Middle East Studies.34 (3). Cambridge University Press:441–63.doi:10.1017/S0020743802003021.JSTOR3879671.S2CID162455371.Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved5 November 2021.Speculative theologians (mutakalliman) from among the Sunni fold, finding this theomorphism objectionable yet unwilling to impugn the authenticity of the report, preferred to interpret the "form" as belonging to something other than God, such as the pseudodivinities (macbadat) – that is, the sun, moon, and stars. Ibn Hanbal disagreed... It is likely that Ibn Hanbal recognized this sura as a true attribute of God.. He states in his Aqida V: "God created Adam with His hand and in His image/form
^Ismail, Raihan (2021). "Chapter 1: Salafism".Rethinking Salafism: The Transnational Networks of Salafi ʿUlama in Egypt, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. New York, United States of America: Oxford University Press. p. 15.ISBN9780190948955. Ibn Hanbal articulated ijtihad in rejection of taqlid..
^Ibn Hasan Aal-Sheikh, 'Abdur-Rahman (2002). "38: Taking Scholars or Rulers as Partners Besides Allah".Fath al-Majeed: Sharh Kitab al-Tawhid [Divine Triumph: Explanatory Notes on the Book of Tawheed]. Translated by Al-Halawani, 'Ali As-Sayed. El Mansoura, Egypt: Dar al Manarah. p. 366.ISBN977-6005-18-7.
^Gibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 389 [trans slightly revised].
^Gibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 389.
^Ibn Quduma,Wasiyya al-Muwaffaq Ibn Quduma al-Maqdisi, p. 93; see Gibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 389
^See Gibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 389.
^Holtzman, Livnat, "Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE, Edited by: Kate Fleet, Gudrun Krämer, Denis Matringe, John Nawas, Everett Rowson; cf. Ibn al-Jawzī,Manāqib al-imām Aḥmad, ed. ʿĀdil Nuwayhiḍ, Beirut 1393/1973 and Christopher Melchert, The Ḥanābila and the Early Sufis, Arabica, T. 48, Fasc. 3 (Brill, 2001), pp. 355–56
^H. Laoust, "Ahmad b. Hanbal," inEncyclopedia of Islam, Vol. I, pp. 272–77; Christopher Melchert,The Ḥanābila and the Early Sufis, Arabica, T. 48, Fasc. 3 (Brill, 2001), p. 356
^Gibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 387; see; see Ibn Abī Ya'lā,Tabaqāt al-Hanābila, II.279
^abGibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 387
^John Renard,Friends of God: Islamic Images of Piety, Commitment, and Servanthood (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008), p. 158
^Hujwiri,Kashf al-Majhub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Leiden: Brill, 1911), p. 117
^abIbn Qayyim al-Jawziyya,Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min al-Kalim al-Tayyib, trans. Michael Abdurrahman Fitzgerald and Moulay Youssef Slitine asThe Invocation of God (London: Islamic Texts Society, 2000), p. 153 (note by Timothy Winter)
^Hujwiri,Kashf al-Majhub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Leiden: Brill, 1911), pp. 117–18
^Ibn al-Jawzī,The Life of Ibn Hanbal, XXIV.2, trans. Michael Cooperson (New York: New York University Press, 2016), p. 89; Hujwiri,Kashf al-Majhub, trans. R. A. Nicholson (Leiden: Brill, 1911), pp. 117–18; Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya,Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min al-Kalim al-Tayyib, trans. Michael Abdurrahman Fitzgerald and Moulay Youssef Slitine asThe Invocation of God (London: Islamic Texts Society, 2000), p. 153 (note by Timothy Winter)
^B. Hallaq, Wael (2005). "7: The formation of legal schools".The Origins and Evolution of Islamic Law. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 159–160.ISBN978-0-521-80332-8.
^abcdeGibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 306
^Ahmad ibn Hanbal,Al-'Ilal wa-Ma'rifat al-Rijāl, ed. Wasi Allah ibn Muhammad Abbas (Beirut: Mu'assasat al-Risāla, 1983), I:219; cited in Gibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 306
^Gibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 313
^Gibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 306; see Ibn Taymiyyah,Majmū' al-Fatāwā, 20:365
^Gibril F. Haddad,The Four Imams and Their Schools (London: Muslim Academic Trust, 2007), p. 313; see Ibn Abī Ya'lā,Tabaqāt al-Hanābila, I.111, etc.
^Abu Zayd, Bakr.Al-Madkhal Al-Mufassal. pp. 1/366.
^Al-Ulayyan, Mustafa Hamdu (2017).Al-Sadah Al-Hanabilah wa Ikhtilafatuhum Ma'a Al-Salafiyah Al-Mu'ashirah fi al-'Aqidah wa al-Fiqh wa al-Tasawwuf. Amman, Jordan: Dar al-Nur al-Mubin Li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi. pp. 108–109.
^abIbn Abī Yaʻlá, Abū al-Ḥusayn Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad.Tabaqat al-Hanabilah. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Ma'rifah. pp. 1/14.
^al-Dhahabī, Shams ad-Dīn Abū ʿAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿUthmān.Siyar a'lam al-nubala (in Arabic). pp. 21/379.
^abNahrawi Abdus Salam Al-Indunisi, Ahmad (2008). Ahmad Nahrawi, Amirah (ed.).Ensiklopedia Imam Syafi'i (Dr.) (in Indonesian). Translated by Usman Sya'roni. Koja, North Jakarta, Indonesia: Jakarta Islamic Centre. p. 697.ISBN9789791142199.Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved17 December 2021.
^Krell, Dominik (2025). "Chapter 2: Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, Salafī Islam, and the Saudi Judiciary".Islamic Law in Saudi Arabia.Leiden, Netherlands:Brill. pp. 65–66.doi:10.1163/9789004726314_004.
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